We are also changing the photo pages a little with this update. We have added a new page with just photos from the past month. That way you won't be slowed down by all the "old" stuff if you just want to check out our pictures. They are all in small format for the web, but if anyone wants to download one in higher quality, just let us know and we'll send it to you.
Now, for the update:
We recovered from our passage and went into Cannigione by dinghy on Wed. morning. We found this excellent anchorage (41 07 N, 9 26 E) just inside of the little island called Ziu Paulu, in an SSCA post, and it has clear water for avoiding the grass, shallow depth, and very good holding. On the island is this sculpture No information around, but it is probably a saint--since this is Italy. In Cannigione we visited the tourist information site to find out about the park, and after much discussion we decided to buy a 15 day pass. Sailboats get a 40% discount and a 15 day pass costs the same as 7 days on a daily rate, so we went for the flexibility. The next day we sailed just over 4 miles north, to Porto Palma on the island of Caprera, and we are still here.
Caprera was once entirely owned by Garibaldi, and he spent his last 21 years here and died at home, in the house which is now a museum and tribute to the man called "the hero". We did a little research on his life, and to us it seems as if he just wanted to go to war, wherever the war might be! He fought lots of battles in Italy, all over South America, and even offered his services to Lincoln when the Civil War broke out. However, when Lincoln offered him a generalship, he turned it down because he would accept nothing less than "commander in chief of the US armed forces".
We have hiked to the geologic museum and the museum of the sea as well as to the Garibaldi museum. The island is dry, and covered with twisted piles of granite. Vegetation is a kind of scrub called "maquis" with salt and wind tolerant plants predominating. Because of the narrow strait between Corsica and Sardinia, the winds really whistle through here. As a nature preserve, life is abundant, and we even saw two wild boar running across the road, in the middle of the day. There are lots of other anchorages, but for now we are happy here. And finally, today is a red letter day. Jane finally decided it was warm enough for a swim! Harry is still holding out for bathtub temperatures.