STILL SYRACUSE

1 Jul 2011

So long since the last blog and so much has happened, even though we are still in Siracusa. We are having a lovely time just pottering about while we free up the steering gear and generally moseying about. It is so unspoilt and I have at last some pikkies to put in.
‘Jen’
‘Yes, Dave’
‘People will think we are idle tossers’
‘Will they?’
‘Yes. You never mention the 2 days we spent in the very back of the boat squashed up with spanners trying to get that gear box in. Or the days we spent testing Terry and Harriet and entertaining the Coast Guard as we went up and down. Or the hammer and chisel stuff, or the scrubbing stuff, or fixing the dent where the fishing boat hit us’
‘Hm. Thought it might be a bit boring for land folk’
‘ Not to mention all the walking to find stuff’
‘OK. Will try to do better or everyone will think I just sit and sew’.
We are in the harbor off Ortigia, the island which is only a few metres off the mainland, and accessible by bridges, and it is the oldest part of the area. Actually it is one of the oldest parts of Sicily with a very distinguished history. The sea front ends in a huge castle and fortifications, and I have tried in the photos to give some idea of the place. The ‘new town’ over the bridge is where we have found the little shops for boat bits. These you need to know about as they are not very apparent, mostly hidden behind small doors with no signs on them. But once inside there are all kinds of treasures. Ortigia is a mass of small lanes and alley ways which still have cars going up and down them as there is no main road as such, and in the heat the cool breeze generated and the shade is so welcome. Did I say it has been hot? Well over 30 in the day, 24 at night, but with the wind scoop thing rigged up front we get a good breeze through the boat so it is not too bad. And all the covers which I had made have come into their own. Dave paled at the amount of canvas that turned up in Gibraltar, but is now delighted to sit in the shade and look out.
That’s another of Dave’s jobs – keeping abreast of the goings on in the harbor.
We have been thinking of solar panels as the fridge is eating the battery output in this heat, and we have had to run the engine twice a day to recharge. There has not been enough wind for the wind generator to be able to keep up. So eventually we were introduced to a chap who had some for sale. Forget the solar panels, I noticed his T shirt and the next thing was he was ex Italian Air Force and I am ex RAF and he has a small aeroplane, and he found out I had my licence and the flight was booked for the next day. I was going flying!!!!! First time for years!!
Sunday morning up at 5am, kick start Dave, breakfast, dinghy down and over to the jetty by 8am. We were picked up and taken to the small air field the local aero club uses and introduced to the aeroplane. It was a 2 seater Scirocco, much like a Piper, and he had polished and prepared it beautifully. Dave had a look and declined an invitation to get air borne. So in we got and it was just like yesterday, and up we went and around the area, over the coast, Ortigia, over the boat in the harbor, back down the cast and back. Perfect morning and perfect flight and one very happy lady.
So that is why you have aerial photos too.

So now the photos



ORTIGIA
A good view of the old buildings and the castle.


















Our view of the waterfront











Aerial view of the harbour. Spirit is on the far left line, second from the front behind a catamaran.
























FLYING!!!!!!