Sailing from Palermo to Palma - 3

A computer generated chart with weather overlay for 0000 hours Sunday 12th September

As we came on deck to commence our watch at 0000 hours on Sunday 12th September the lume of the lighthouse set up on Isola Del Toro was still visible behind us. The sky had cleared as the Sardinian coastline, and illumination from that landmass had slowly vanished behind us. The moon had set early in the previous evening intensifying the darkness. Gazing into the dark firmament above, our star identification was somewhat lacking, given the multitude of stars to chose from; However, Venus shone brightly directly above our position, and the clearly visible milky way stretched forward towards the western horizon.

The lively chatter during the watches made the time pass very quickly and enjoyably. As Fenix was under mainsail, genoa, but principally powered by her engine, and steered by autopilot (the eight crew member always known as George), there was little to do apart from chat, do a token bit of sail trimming when required, and plan lunch and dinner for the day ahead.

The next watch from 8 a.m. to 12 midday was just as easy going because the wind continued to moderate. Once breakfast had been dispensed with, time was allocated for the raw recruits to partake in knot school. Before long all concerned were coping with the bowline, sheet bend (and variations thereof), clove hitch and reef knot. There was a clear blue sky above, but we were nicely shaded by the sails, and the line of the horizon was unbroken; nothing in the way of shipping was sighted. Approaching midday we saw a sea turtle paddling in the water. The turtle casually turned and looked at Fenix. It then wheeled itself around as if to give chase. There was an anxious moment, or two, as we thought it would get fouled in our fishing lines. Unfortunately it did so for a few seconds running out over 50 meters of line and thankfully got free. We continued to spot sea turtles along our route during the day and current reported sightings stand at five in an otherwise empty sea. One short of a dinner service!

While preparing lunch, I overheard Steve and Moritz discussing some distant cloud formation which had appeared on the horizon off the Starboard bow. Steve inquired what Moritz’s view was of this isolated strange cloud formation. It could only be one of two things; incoming weather, or land. On the basis that the cloud formation was too small for weather, Steve quickly concluded that it must be cloud associated with land. Minorca was the only potential candidate. Luckily enough, where there is land there is also a headland. Applying the headland rule, Steve suggested to Moritz he should select the wine for lunch to ward off all evil spirits, keep the gods happy, and ensure a safe arrival in Palma. The Sicilian chardonnay produced by Planeta was released from the fridge, and immediately deposited on the table.

Melanzane Pizza

Lunch was served in the main saloon and consisted of a platter of cold meats and salamis, cheese board and three pizzas. We had bought part cooked pizza bases in Palermo, and there was considerable debate what the formulation of the three pizzas would be. Normally I would not be a fan of a pre prepared dough or base but theses were very good. I adore anchovies, and there are few places better than Palermo to source them. However, I was not convinced everybody would share my opinion. The tomato sauce to be used was the left over of the tomato and vegetable sauce, which had matured overnight. To secure some consensus and allow a certain amount of token democracy enter the galley, I asked Moritz to nominate his skipper’s pizza of choice. I decided to keep everybody else happy with two renowned crowd pleasers. Moritz chose the unique prosciutto and pomodorini pizza. This pizza is cooked without mozzarella, and was finished with a mixture of grated pecorino sardi, parmesan, and garnished with three handfuls of rocket. The second was a melanzane with mozzarella, garnished with the same mixture of grated cheese and freshly chopped parsley. The third was a cinque fromaggi consisting of a mature goats cheese, mozzarella, and an Italian blue cheese (the name of which sadly escapes me now). Once removed from the oven this pizza was also garnished with the grated pecorino sardi, parmesan and freshly chopped parsley.

The "book club"

Following lunch the entire crew returned to their favoured pursuits for the day. The ladies opted for the book club reading and giggling at “A year in the merde” by Stephen Clarke and other good reads. Fishing was also actively pursued. Everybody employed their own favoured method or technique to land the catch of the day. Unfortunately, there was to be no giant fish landed, or any fish for that matter. Tuna fishing bans have been discussed for the last few years to be put in place in the Mediterranean because stocks were so low. Whether they were implemented properly, or observed, is unclear and a matter for ongoing debate. Such a ban could damage the economies of small communities, but the price to pay is clearly extinction of the blue fin tuna. Having spent Easter in Palermo this year, and admittedly it was a little early for the arrival of the tuna, the indications were that there would be very few tuna seen during the coming season. The days of the mattanza are long gone, and in this era of modernity large factory ships employ helicopters to spot the big schools of tuna. The consequences of this assault on the blue fin tuna mean the schools are taken in their entirety; nothing is allowed to escape. The swordfish or spada does not share the same value at the market place, but its destiny must also be in question.

A deadline of had been set for 1800 hours, before a fine cut of roast beef was placed in the oven. Between 1800 hours and 2000 hours the deck entertainment continued. It was our last evening at sea. The sun set was quite spectacular as we sailed westward. Slowly the sun descended to the unusually clear and crisp line of the horizon, leaving graduated layers of orange, red, pink and blue above it, and the growing crescent of the bright moon with Jupiter close by. To our great amazement, not long after sunset Steve had sighted the island of Mallorca. The gods of the headland had to be appeased, traditional obligations invoked, and once again Moritz was called upon to select a bottle of wine. A Beronia Crianza 2005, an excellent Rioja, appeared to accompany dinner.

Being Sunday, some attempt was made to produce a traditional English repast. With the ingredients selected from the markets in Palermo certain departures from the traditional menu were made. Served up with the roast beef were roast red and while onions, roast potatoes, griddled courgettes, and boiled fagiolini and borlotti beans lightly pan fried in butter with garlic and parsley. We only ran out of gas once!

A computer generated chart with weather overlay for 0130 hours Monday 13th September

The deities of the headlands had seen to favour our passage after our initial beating on Friday. Our final forecast prediction had 20 to 25 knot winds descending from the Gulf du Lyon, which threatened to upset the final hours of passage. The expected time of arrival of the wind coincided with our landfall at Punta Salinas. As the afternoon had worn on, high altitude cloud resembling horses’ tails had appeared and we believed it was only a matter of time before the wind would arrive. This was not to be the case. We continued unmolested on a calm sea to Punta Salinas, and the short distance to Cabo Blanco. The bright constellation of Orion slowly rose sideways over the dark cavernous eastern horizon behind us. Our progress was only momentarily impeded when we thought we saw emerging before us in the dark water a net and floats stretching out across our path, but Fenix was not to be snagged so close to her final destination.

The cathedral, a distinctive landmark on the skyline of Palma da Mallorca

We entered the Bay of Palma as the sun rose and docked a little after 7.30 a.m. Despite their size and weight the sails were quickly folded and bagged before we disappeared into the town of Palma for further exploration, and a gin and tonic. Corinne just about managed to control her patience as I brought her on a personal tour of my favourite patisseries and art deco buildings around the town.

The past few days were a fantastic experience and adventure, sailing with great friends. The trip commenced with a dinner with Alexej Paladino and the crew in Arenello, near Palermo, at Casa Tonnara Vincenzo Florio, where we ate a magnificent array of dishes including ricci, caponata, and spada tagliata. We ended the adventure with a meal in Cellar sa Premsa, in Palma da Mallorca, feasting on their local dishes of frito mariniera, sobrasada, calamarines frigit, caracoles and merluza, accompanied by their unlabeled and unpretentious house red wine. We are off now to gather walnuts in Franche Comte!

A detail from the Art Deco inspired dental Clinic building in Palma da Mallorca

Sailing from Palermo to Palma - 2

Departing the Bay of Palermo

The arrival of September is almost akin to a gate closing in the Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas; the weather becomes unpredictable and storms become more frequent, and increasingly violent. At this time of year, examination of the forecasts and route planning are key to a safe passage. We delayed our departure a little longer, to let some wind blow through. Mid Friday morning, I decided to set myself my first test of seamanship; making a batch of crème caramels in the galley. While it was easy to begin with, obviously fishing a bain marie from a hot oven in a lively sea has its interesting points.

Just after midday we motored out of the Bay of Palermo, and were not surprised when we passed Capo Gallo to find winds which were not favourable to our intended course. This was in fact expected, and forecasted, and we beat our way out to the island of Ustica accompanied by a pod of small eager dolphins. We tacked just to the south of Ustica just before 1800 hours.

Lighthouse marking the western point of the Bay of Palermo at Capo Gallo

Our new course would keep our track a good safe distance seaward of the north west of coast of Sicily, and was sufficiently far enough north for us to take early advantage of the expected lift in the wind. By sunset, thunder clouds had begun to develop and roll in towards the Sicilian coast. Heavy gusts of wind preceded the cloud systems, however we avoided much of the rain which was destined for the shore. The wind increased continually through the night, and coupled with the sea state, the conditions provided a challenging environment for preparing food and indeed eating it. Needless to say there were a few casualties, who found life difficult, but a small few did enjoy the lasagne which was hastily portioned out into bowls and passed around on deck.

Approaching Ustica on port tack

There was only a few percent of the moon visible and this thin crescent set early in evening. Without the normal illumination from the moon the night was very dark and sinister. The night was made even darker by the low dense cloud cover, but gradually the clouds began to light up. At the helm, as the wind passed your face, you could feel the rapid changes in temperature giving some indicqtion the air was highly charged. From midnight to 4 a.m. the sky was continually alight with flashes of lightning, as the thunder clouds all around Fenix released their charge, sometimes with extremely dramatic effects. A phenomenon which never ceases to amaze me, and this night was no exception, is that you go an entire day and not see a ship. However, in stark contrast at night you may sight many ships and vessels, as you monitor the horizon, and closely follow their respective courses.

The next 12 hours on Saturday 11th proved to be slightly windier than forecast, and we made good progress towards Sardinia, the eastern coast of which we finally sighted at about 1 p.m. Lunch was a minimalist affair in the circumstances, and wedges of monreale bread filled with salami, cheese and tomato were well received by those that wished to partake in that feast on deck. Some did not.

Fenix beating into the setting sun as the wind moderated

By 1600 hours spirits on board began to improve because the wind had moderated, and begun to move into the north as it was forecasted to do. We had intended to pass close enough to Sardinia to update our weather forecast, and our course closed in upon the Isola Dei Cavoli, and the Golfo Di Cagliari. The news was good and we continued our way along the southern Sardininan coast parting with it just after midnight.

All hands were on deck for dinner at 1900 hours, which commenced with a large platter of prosciutto, brescaola, capocollo, and various salamis, served with olive oil and bread. Technically, because we had passed a headland, and not wanting to offend the sea gods and the deity of the headland (a close and revered relation), we opened a bottle of wine to procure further good fortune and ward off evil spirits. A Sicilian chardonnay produced by Planeta was sourced from the chiller for this purpose.

A more leisurely approach towards the south western tip of Sardinia

The main course was an epicurean affair, preparations for which had commenced two hours earlier with the production of the tomato and vegetable sauce. Four onions and three cloves of garlic were cooked in olive oil salt and pepper. To this was added a thinly sliced red pepper, pomodorini, about seven salad chopped tomatoes, a thinly sliced bulb of fennel, a tin of tomatoes and half a tin of tomato concentrate. This melange was cooked for an hour, and then blended and left to stand. At the same time the onions were being chopped, two bulbous Sicilian aubergines were thickly sliced and sprinkled with salt. After an hour they were washed and patted dry, and placed into a hot oven with olive oil and seal salt. The accompanying sauce and side dishes prepared, attention was turned to the fresh ravioli filled with ricotta, speck and radiccio. Dinning was al fresco, and all the crew were served with a bowl of ravioli, topped with tomato and vegetable sauce, roasted aubergine, and grated pecorino and parsley to garnish. All bowls were returned to the galley both empty and spotlessly clean as we advanced towards Cabo Spartivento and Cabo Teulada, and a glorious sunset. Only 275 nautical miles remained to Cabo Blanco on the south eastern corner of Mallorca.

A computer generated chart with overlay for Saturday 12th September at midnight

Palermo at Easter

A view looking over the bay of Palermo from Monte Pellegrino

I have taken a break from digging in the allotment, and office work, to visit friends in Palermo. It is almost a year since I was last here and I have been taking the opportunity to visit some of my favourite; the church of San Cataldo, the cathedral at Monreale and the wonderful bread from a small wood fired bakery there, and the lively street markets of Palermo. The weather is warm and the season's fruit and vegetable production is already well underway. Different varieties of artichokes, vast mounds of fennel, the first strawberries and citrus are sold on overloaded stalls or are being sold directly from the backs of piaggio or aprilia trucks. The fish markets are notable principally for the absence of the big tuna fish. They have not arrived yet, but their arrival is imminent because boxes of beautiful sardine are plentiful. The mackerel and swordfish, which also feed on the sardine are to be found in the market. Meanwhile, messages from Dublin keep me advised of the unseasonably inclement and cold weather conditions taking hold of Ireland.

Under Roger II, Palermo was the most important port and enlightened Court in the Mediterranean, and a shining light in the Medieval age. Sicily today is rudderless and Palermo has changed in the eleven moonths since I left. Recent elections promise little or no change because the same personnel are in charge of the continued slide into the abyss. The people are unhappy in a place where poverty is no stranger. Sicily has a reported unemployment of 30%, but as with everything official here the official figures mask a critical situation in order to present a more acceptable state of affairs than the actual reality. Heavily policed protests on the streets are the visible resistance to the loss of work and pending closure of local factories. There would appear to be little hope, and even less of a future here for most people.  There is however some moderately good news in the papers this week. La Republicca in Palermo reports a hoard of silver removed from the site of Morgantina, (near Aidone in the province of Enna) during the early 1980s is to be returned to Sicily. This hoard of Hellenistic silver is currently on display in Rome having been on display and in the possession of the Metropolitan Museum, New York.

 The atmospheric and undecorated interior of the mid 12th Century Byzantine inspired church of San Cataldo, Palermo.

To escape the chaos and populace of Palermo we decided to take the train to Cefalu. The train's destination was Messina, and as such it served every village and town along the way. Consequently, the two carriages which made up our train were full of people with luggage and crates of every size and shape. We slowly exited the predictable and decaying monotonous structures of the suburbs and when the train tracks retreated from the coast our journey took us through field after field of artichokes, and brightly coloured orange groves. While most people may have had a purpose for their trip, one poorly attired old man, with a northern European appearance, broke the silence and attempted to engage in conversation with his fashionable female Sicilian neighbour. His angular and broad face with narrowed eyes had focused upon a book she had in her hand. He inquired from her what she was reading. She initially attempted to ignore him, and resisted the conversation bringing her patent leather bag closer to her chest and lowering her head a little, but their proximity and his persistence, required her to communicate, and she did so reluctantly.

"Oscar Wilde" she said, but without giving the title, or softening her withdrawn expression. The man's eyes were suddenly alight and he smiled broadly as he began to speak to her warmly and with great interest in Oscar Wilde, and his own personal favourite work, "Salome". Unfortunately the well dressed and elegant lady had never heard of "Salome", and it was only through the gesturing of his hand to his neck and referencing San Giovanni this large and energetic old man managed to relate the background of the story of "Salome".

I could see the disappointment come upon him as she clearly did not know much about Oscar Wilde or "Salome", and once again he adopted a vacant and distant expression. After a few minutes he began checking through his meager belongings in search of something, and eventually drew out a leaflet on Oscar Wilde. She again resisted his overtures but relinquished once again and in doing so he proudly presented her with his valued leaflet. She looked at it, and accepting it she then read it with great interest. She smiled looking at him for the first time and inquired if she could keep the leaflet and the old man gestured to her generously and smiled. Oscar Wilde may have mused on such an encounter and possibly remarked: " There are two types of people that are really fascinating: people who know absolutely everything, and people who know absolutely nothing."

The mid 12th Century Byzantine mosaics at Cefalu commissioned by Roger II

Cefalu is a small coastal town with a little harbour and long beach which stretches practically to the next headland. There is something quite special about this place; the intensity of the suns light is reflected from the azure blue sea onto the patchwork of buildings that line promontory and the sandy shore next to the harbour. We had a lunch which consisted of an octopus salad and grilled swordfish before visiting the Norman cathedral or duomo. The entire cathedral is not decorated with Byzantine mosaic like the one at Monreale. Instead the golden mosaics are confined to the apsidal end of the church and in the vaulting above the altar.

Sprightly mountain goats made their way about the mountain more naturally than the day trippers

To the west of Cefalu there is a mountain which overlooks the quaint terracotta roofs of the town. Getting to the top requires some effort, and we were justly rewarded with not only vast panoramic views to the west along the coast, and to the north towards Ustica and the Lipari islands, but also the cooling breeze that passed over the mountain itself. 

Throughout the Mediterranean the week before Easter, or Settimana Santa, is celebrated with processions along the streets of parishes, and quarters of most cities. For many years I spent Easter in Palma, but this year in Palermo I had an opportunity to witness the Sicilian celebration of Holy Week, and in particular the processions which took place in the city on Good Friday. Where the Spanish are robed in full gowns with pointed hats and veils, the Sicilians carried statues of the dead Jesus and Virgin Mary on large biers wearing impeccably tailoured black suits, with white shirts and black ties. Many of the concelebrants completed their ensemble with gold embroidered velvet gillet smocks over their well tailoured suits. Preceding the biers was an escort of Roman soldiers and women holding the instruments of passion. Shrill brass bands brought up the rear, with a wind section principally made up of clarinets, and a percussion section of deep drums and cymbals. They played somber, but uniquely Sicilian (to my limited ear), religious marching compositions.

 A view of the congregation in front of Chiesa di Santa Caterina

We followed one procession for almost an hour as it slowly made its way from Corso Vittorio Emanuele to Piazza Bellini. The procession moved very slowly as the biers were raised and moved along for only a few meters before being lowered again. A man with a large black castanet signaled the raising and lowering of the biers. The well dressed elder gentlemen of the group marshaled the procession from the front and the rear. While the procession is as a religious one, these individuals take a notable and public role. The procession halted at Piazza Bellini and a female soprano sang two hymns from the steps of Chiesa di Santa Caterina which overlooked the gathering congregation. It must be said that she did so without being accompanied by the brass band who were improving as they went along. We parted company with the procession as it left Piazza Bellini and meandered its way deeper into the narrow streets of the city.

We have eaten on board in the port of Palermo most days enjoying the wonderfully fresh vegetables and fish which are available in the market. Moritz and Caryn have extended their Italian repetoire by including simple dishes such as spagetti a la norma and spagetti a la Romana. They have also managed to obtain recipes from friends. One in particular, Mama Paladino, has been a positive influence in the development of the menu of dishes served on board, offering invaluable instruction and guidence while sharing her vast knowledge. I will close out my adventure through Palermo's Holy Week with her very own recipe for Lasagne.

Quantities are not necessarily exactly defined in this oral tradition of passing on recipes. The following recipe may require some element of code breaking, deciphering and tinkering to achieve her high standards, however she regulates her own true D.O.P. Lasagne being composed of 2 or 3 onions finely chopped; 2 big carrots chopped, and two handfuls of celery finely chopped. 4 tablespoons of tomato paste (estratto di pomodori) and a tin of tomato concentrate (with no liquid). The other principal ingredients are 1 kg minced meat, olive oil, salt, pepper and sugar.Cook the onion, celery and carrots in the olive oil before adding the meat. While the meat is cooking dissolve the tomato paste in a little water and add this along with the tomato concetrate and 750mls of water to the pot with the meat and cooked vegetables. At this point you should add 2 tablespoons of sugar together with your salt and pepper and leave the lot to cook for an hour.

The bechemel sauce used by Mama Paladino is made up of 1 liter of milk, 1 cup of flour, salt and 4 tablespoons of butter. It must be pointed out that she adds grated parmasan cheese to her sauce; the exact quantity of which is a secret but linked to the consistency I believe.

Line a bowl with lasagne pasta before adding a thin layer of meat sauce. Then sprinkle with a layer of parmasan cheese before putting on another layer of lasagne pasta. Keep on repeating the process ending with meat sauce on top which should be covered with a bechemel sauce followed by another layer of pasta lasagne. This final layer of pasta is covered with bechemel sauce, a generous amount of grated parmasan cheese and dotted with knobs of butter. Once construction has been completed, it can be cooked for 30 minutes at 200C. Ciao Regazzi!

A box of octopus being sold at a street stall in Mondello

Sailing to Byzantium - 14

Decorative Majolica tiles from the Sunday flea market in Palermo

By Sunday 31^st of May we had convinced our Sicilian Engineer that enough was enough and that we were leaving the dock that afternoon. He pleaded “domani, domani” but quickly realised that we meant business as the bimini was being folded, and the final arrangements were taking place before heading to sea. He quickly remembered what he had planned for Monday and drilled some holes in a steal plate, finally completing a complex arrangement supporting the fridge compressor unit and the service batteries’ alternator.

We left the port passing the stricken car ferry which had still obvious signs of fire on board. We carried out final preparations while at anchor in a little bay to the north east of Palermo, and following a refreshing swim and lunch we set off once again shortly after 4 p.m. The main sail was hoisted and the fishing rods deployed, baited with lures larger than your average catch. Steering 83 degrees we motor sailed out of the bay with the hot sun on our backs. What little wind there was made working on deck a pleasure and Fenix gracefully met the rise of the oncoming waves. It did not take long for our eyes to become accustomed once again to the gentle curvature of the perfectly cut sapphire blue horizon separating the hemispherical dome of the sky from the diaphanous blue of the sea. Making our way down the coast the sea sprang to life with dolphins visiting us regularly, racing passed the quarters breathing as they went, jockeying for position under the bow, and leaping clear from the water.

Ian and Steve on deck motor sailing out of the Bay of Palermo on Sunday evening

My next watch began at midnight and we were just approaching the Aeolian islands. Our course would take us to the south of Volcano and Lipari leaving Stromboli well to the north. Given the constraints of time we were required to keep on moving. However, the dark night did have its moments of excitement and dismay. At times the water was thick with life and we moved through shoals of jellyfish lighting the water with phosphorescence. Down below there more sinister developments and possible early signs of a failing fridge compressor not helped by the bedding in of the engine, and the use of different belts driven around by an array of pulleys off the engine.

Working our way up to Capo Rasocolmo and the Straits of Messina

By 8 a.m. we were approaching Capo Rasocolmo and gradually the wind lifted allowing us a better angle of approach towards the Italian mainland passing Capo Peloro and the entrance to the Straits of Messsina. The Straits are just under two nautical miles wide in places and the wind funnels very quickly between the two mountainous landmasses; we were beating to windward in winds between 27 and 32 knots. Fully powered up with one reef in the main and reduced head sail we tacked our way through the shipping lanes of this busy marine thoroughfare. The waters of the Ionian and the Tyrrhenian Seas meet head on just off Messina causing the water to stand up as if you were passing through overfalls. The surface of the water is so unstable in places that whirlpools form but this does not appear to discourage the small fishing boats as the work these waters.

The port of Messina

A decision was made to pull in to Messina and source some belts for the engine but this proved fruitless. The town was shut down for lunch and would not reopen until after 4 p.m. I took the opportunity to walk up to the archaeological museum but discovered upon my arrival that it was shut. In fact the complicated opening hours appeared to ensure the doors would remain shut for the majority of the time. Behind the steal fencing I could see many graeco roman structures and architectural ornament bundled up and stored in chicken wire, undisturbed in the long grass. Disappointed but not surprised I returned to the boat. Messina has a tragic quality to it; in recent times it was destroyed by an earthquake and tidal waves in 1908 and suffered again towards the end of World War II. We left Messina and the Straits passing the Capo dell’Armi by 8 p.m.

Computer generated chart with weather overlay for Monday 1st June

June 2^nd started at midnight for me and as I came on deck we were rounding Calabria Reggio and passing the lighthouse of Capo Spartiventi. This would be our last sighting of land until we sight the islands of western Greece and its coastline. By 2 a.m. the lighthouse of Capo Spartiventi and the moon had sunk below the horizon behind us, and we were plunged into darkness. For the next two hours we peered into this impenetrable darkness assisted only by Venus and the Milky Way which divided the entire night sky. The wind varied greatly and came and went never achieving any strength and Fenix rolled in the swell of a distant wind.

Computer generated chart with weather overlay for Tuesday 2nd June 8 a.m.

By dawn the wind had built a little and the mainsail was beginning to set but intriguingly it did not build from the forecast direction and soon died away. Summer is having its effect on this part of the world and the big low pressure systems of Spring have faded away and no longer develop the ability to create wind we require. As noon approached everybody on deck, whether on watch or not was seeking the shaded shelter of the mainsail. With no land in sight we keep a watch for shipping, signs of fish, or signs of an increase in the wind. With between two and three thousand metres of water beneath us you might think this would be a barren and empty world but sightings of lonely turtles swimming and basking in the water are not infrequent. By 4 p.m. we were just about to lose faith with the wind and then it slowly built to 12 knots. Two hours later we had about 14 knots and the genoa was unfurled lifting our speed to just over 8 knots over the ground. Buoyed up by this confidence in the wind we set the asymmetric spinnaker just after 7 p.m. and Fenix is barrelling along at 8 knots towards Zakynthos in western Greece.

Fenix on a broad reaching away from the setting sun

By midnight the wind was decreasing but the sailing was still quite good and our speed was comparable to and sometimes better than what could be achieved under engine. By 2 a.m. the moon had dipped below the horizon but the night sky was kept bright by the constant flashing of an electric storm to the west our position. Gradually we could make out the flash sequence of the lighthouse on the southern side of Zakynthos and it became a good reference point to steer by in the weakening wind.

Sailing to Byzantium - 13

It is all too easy to get wrapped up in your own problems and think the worst of it but time and events always take their proper course, if not a little protracted at times. We maybe a little disappointed at or progress but last night 490 passengers were taken off the Vicenzo Florio, a Neapolitan registered car ferry en route to Palermo.

The Vicenzo Florio being hosed down by tug boats 6 miles north of Palermo

It is reported that a fire broke out in the hold 25 miles offshore and since then the vessel has been towed to a position approximately 6 miles offshore and hosed down by tugs repeatedly throughout the day in an attempt to put out the fire(s). The volume of smoke reduces intermittently and the horizon would clear every so often but not long after the ship would be engulfed in smoke once again.

Life rafts being towed ashore

We sat on the tender for half an hour and viewed the tragedy unfolding and returned to shore to venture up the town to take in the flavours and scents of a summer evening. The media report that the ship will be brought in to the port of Palermo later today, however this will not happen today as the fires have not been extinguished.

Tuna roe in its raw form for sale in the Mercatto della Ballaro

The tuna boats have all but gone pursuing their prey and the market is not short of large tuna. One interesting by product of the tuna catch is the availability of tuna roe, or bottarga, which is sold in various stages of preservation fresh, cured salted and dried. The end product varies greatly in consistency and some may be a deep dark colour while others are not dissimilar to a mis cuit foie gras. Bottarga is sold throughout the Mediterranean but principally in the places where the tuna pass. In Palermo Street sellers appear from nowhere with small stalls and wooden blocks selling this prized delicacey which can be eaten with lemon and olive oil or grated and sprinkled over cooked into spaghetti like a condiment.

A Palmeritan street seller selling Bottarga and his stall

The sea is calm this evening and there is a gentle breeze which should make it easier to deal with the disabled car ferry. We will leave tomorrow and make our way eastwards towards the straits of Messina and Greece. There has been very little wind forecast for the next 24 hours but thereafter the situation is beginning to develop. The most recent forecast we have received is giving us head winds for when we expect to pass through the straits of Messina and for the initial hours of crossing the Ionian Sea. We may not get to do as much fishing as we would like but at least we will be sailing and not as dependent on the engine.

Sailing to Byzantium - 12

Three amigos; Conor, Steve and Ian on the slopes of Mount Etna

We are coming to the end of our stay in Palermo and a small amount of tinkering and tuning remains to be completed on the new engine. The crew has assembled on board and we expect to carry out sea trials running the engine on Friday afternoon and hopefully we will depart on Friday evening making our way towards Messina.

A view of the peak from the 2900 meters level looking north

In the last ten days Summer has arrived and the midday temperatures are now soaring into the 30s. With little or now wind this sweltering heat has become uncomfortable at times and has caused us to seek some shade or alternatively the cooler airs at altitude. The extra days in Palermo presented us with the opportunity to do a day trip to Mount Etna.and to try and ascend the mountain and reach the rim. At approximately 3350 metres it dominates the City of Catania which is situated on a volcanic plain just to the south of the volcano on the eastern coast of Sicily.

We left early on Wednesday morning and arrived at the cable car station at Rifugio Sapienza at around 10 a.m.. This station is positioned at 1900 metres and the road that winds its way up the mountain was not old as it was built upon the lava flows from the 2001 - 2003 eruptions. Great expances of volcanic debris and matter have cloaked the mountainside covering and destroying everything in its path. This formidable black flow is slowly breaking down and flowers and shrubs are emerging from this bleak, unearthly but fertile wasteland.

A view of the peak from above 3000 meters looking north east

After purchasing a handful of tickets we ascended to 2500 metres by cable car. Leaving the small capsule of the cable car you felt a distinct drop in the air temperature. During the Winter the slope of the nearby lava flow is used for skiing, but at this time of year there was not much snow left and what was there was blackened with volcanic sand and red dust from the Sahara carried by the winds.

The next stage is taken by bus, which shares more characteristics with an open cast mining dump truck than a commuter vehicle. This wound its way on a volcanic ash and sand path surrounded by snow on either side up to 2900 metres passing the recently created cones of Centenari, Simone and Escriva. Upon exiting the bus the air temperature was close to freezing and as we ascended to the 2900 metre level rain had gradually turned to hail and then to snow. We were clearly not dressed for the occasion and kept warm by marching around the steep sided rim of a cone from a recently created volcanic vent. The air temperature rose and fell as we were walking clearly being influenced by the heat of the rocks we were walking upon. Every few seconds plumes of steam billowed up from the black granular rocky surface and carried away by a gentle breeze.

At 2900 meters the gently sloping lava fields around the peak were largely covered in snow. In some places the snow was over 2 metres deep but in others the snow had melted away being heated by the warmth of the porous rocky ground below. After a dull start to the morning the weather cleared and the sulphurous rim of the volcano was clearly visible crowned with clouds of steam below a blue sky. I ascended to just 50 metres below the rim and peered around trying to take in the panoramic views surrounding the west side of the volcano, but at just over 3000 metres there was very little detail of the surrounding countryside visible, and the mountainside appeared to drift away into a hazy abyss. The weather was changing rapidly and clouds of steam continued to bubble above the rim and I decended the mountainside meeting Ian and Steve at the 1900 meter level. Before long the peak was recaptured by the cloudcover and as we drove away towards Palermo an electric storm was clattering away around the darkened peak.

A solitary butterfly on the upper slopes of Etna

It is difficult to see how lfe can survive in this firey world withsulphur, ice and snow but small spiders made their way through the volcanic rubble and butterflies stood still on the snow attempting to absorb all the available solar heat. The human hold on the mountain is tenuous and temporary; houses and volcanic shelters litter the slopes as destroyed empty shells or buried up to roof level in volcanic matter.

Grib weather chart for the Mediterranean Saturday 1200 hours

The weather situation for the moment remains stable but the wind is decreasing all across the Ionian sea to the east of our postion. If we do not leave soon we will become completely dependent on the engine to get to the Greek mainland. We can expect headwinds in the Aegean and thereafter but the works must be concluded as soon as possible.

Sailing to Byzantium - 11

A box of small fish from the Mercato della Ballaro

We are still in Palermo and will remain here until various parts of the engine finally come together. While the new engine has the same bolting pattern as the old engine, the block size is a little different and as a result some parts must be fabricated locally to accommodate these differences in dimensions. I am making a fiber glass box to house the main control panel, which needs to fit into a space where the main electrical boards are located. With the temperatures in the 20s centigrade the epoxy resins should cure quickly and the box can be completely quite quickly.

The old coffee mill

We also have time for other small projects on board. I am cleaning and restoring an old coffee mill which I bought while in France. It has been knocked about a bit and incredibly dirty, but was in working order. The coffee is excellent here as the beans are not over roasted resulting in a beautiful mellow but strong coffee flavour. We currently buy our coffee from the coffee shop close to the Mercato della Vucciria. The shopkeeper has a stylish old black and white portrait of himself at the Victor Emanuel monument in Rome hanging on the wall. He has five jars containingg different varieties of coffee beans and grinds the beans in a grand old electric mill which pushes waves of everchanging pungent aromas into the shop's still air.

The milled coffee beans heat up during the milling process and the wonderfully rich intoxicating scent is the result of the natural oils being released from the beans during this process. The hand mill does not generate heat as it crushes and grinds the coffees beans with the result that the fine grounds it produces should be far superior in quality retaining the esential oils of the bean, which normally evaporate off and are lost when an electric mill is used. This is the theory and in any event I am looking forward to milling my own coffee!

Saturdays always involve a shopping adventure to the markets and in particular the Mercato della Ballaro. I had been hoping to try the ricotta cheese made here and Palermo, which is very different to the feeble excuse for the chalky and dry ricotta sold in Ireland. In Palermo each ricotta cheese is individually stored in its own basket which in turn sits in a big bath of whey. The consistency of the cheese is dense and damp; very much like a mozerella but less elastic, and it has a rich and almost sweet taste.

The Palermo ricotta cheese with egg yolks and egg whites

Purchasing this wonderful ricotta seemed to be the perfect opportunity to try a recipe I found for gateau du fromage blanc from a book entitled "Bonne Cuisine d'Aujourhui", edition du Club du France Loisirs, 1989. It could be a possible sposa bene (good marriage) of Italian and French cooking. The published recipe is not perfect as it does not describe what to do with half the sugar allocated, but I think I have solved this mystery. Also some of the ingredients were not readily accessible here in Palermo and I have substituted the coarsely ground almonds for whole hazelnuts (I have no idea how the latter could have worked).

The whisked egg whites, blended egg yokes and bowl containing the remainder of the ingredients

The basic ingredients I used were as follows; 150 grams butter, 150 grams caster sugar, 150 grams ricotta cheese, 150 grams coarsely ground almonds, 6 eggs, zest of one lemon and a pinch of salt.

Egg whites being folded into the mixture

Firstly, cream (blend) the butter with hallf the sugar. After seperating the yolks from the egg whites, whisk the yolks with the remaining sugar until they are twice their original volume. In another bowl whisk the egg whites till they form stiff peaks. Mix together the ricotta, coarsely ground almonds, lemon zest, salt, creamed butter and sugar mix and the blended egg yolks. Then gradually and carefully fold in the whisked egg whites. Once entirely combined, the mixture can be spooned into a greased sprinform tin, and then placed into a moderate oven at approximately 150 degrees centigrade. The published recipe recommended cooking the cake for about 35 minutes. However, my cake took just over an hour. The tip here is to check it after 40 minutes and treat it like a sponge using a clean knife to test if tthe mixture is completely cooked.

Cooling on deck!

Once the cake has cooled it can be released from the tin and placed on a plate. Just prior to serving, I sprinkled two spoons of icing sugar on the top of the cake which seemed appropriate and it looked the part! The book, full of recommendations, suggested serving a rose Anjou with the cake. However, we chose the Italian option once again and served it with a chilled sparkling Lambrusco rose which was a fitting end to our comfortable afternoon meal. The cake was just moist and rich, yet remained light with gentle flavours coming from the combination of ricotta, almonds and lemon zest. We have not been too greedy over lunch, and despite a few approving comments from Italian visitors on board, a good portion has been kept to one side to be served with a chillled sweet Marsala wine [Malvasia Sicilia, Duca Di Castelmonte] to take the final heat from this hot day at sunset. The harbour is still and calm, and the lights have just illuminated the roads that lead up to the mountain villages and passes that hang over this great city. Ciao!