Bonnie
05/19/2012

After more than two weeks of completely benign weather, the forecast was predicting Force 7 winds (30+ knots) for Monday. This (naturally) was the very day that we needed to take the boat down the coast to Pozzallo to be hauled at the Scala boatyard. Unfortunately, sailing to Pozzallo on Sunday evening before the wind piped up wasn't an option, since the yard didn't have room for us at their dock. We decided to wait until Monday morning to make our decision.

On Sunday, I overheard Rick discussing our dilemma with our starboard neighbor Chuck from "Cyan" (who was eagerly awaiting our departure so he could launch his dinghy and wax the side of his boat). "But didn't you sail across the Atlantic to get here?" asked Chuck, and I immediately knew that my fate was sealed. Chuck and his wife Lynn are fearless...they even sailed through the Gulf of Aden in 2011, just days before the boat Quest was taken by Somali pirates. You may have read their articles in Cruising World magazine last year.

Since the wind was forecast to increase during the morning, an early departure was essential. We were on deck (literally) at 06:15 on Monday morning, and called the on-duty marinaro to give us a hand with our exit. In winds that were already gusting to 20 knots, but fortunately from the west, Rick managed to reverse out of our slip without giving Chuck more than his wax job to worry about. The next hurdle was clearing "Wraith", the steel-hulled boat tied just opposite us on "E" pontoon. Wraith had just been re-launched after several months on the hard, having sustained damage to her bow in a collision with a tanker off the coast of Malta. Of all the boats in the marina, this would definitely have been the worst one to hit (not only because it would have completely demoralized the owners, but also because we clearly would have gotten the worst of it in a collision with a boat that could survive a direct hit from a tanker moving at speed). We high-fived as we motored past the breakwater, then concentrated on avoiding the sand bar off the point. It would be a rough ride, but at least it would be fast.

In spite of the thick growth on the hull, we arrived at the entrance to the port in Pozzallo at 08.45, just as the ferry from Malta was docking. As we motored toward the Scala boatyard, Rick commented that the ferry's engines were still running. Fortunately, the churning in the water seemed to stop moments later. "Good" he said, "they've turned them off", but as we approached the pontoon in what seemed to be calm waters, Aisling was suddenly grabbed by the remnants of the current and thrown forcefully against an unprotected edge of the dock. "It's OK" said Giovanni, the boatyard owner's son, who had taken our lines. But actually, it wasn't. Rick groaned as he examined a nasty puncture wound in Aisling's fiberglass.

Next, we received some surprising news. Apparently, Aisling had grown during the winter! Giovanni went into the office, appeared with a long cloth tape measure, and held it in the air near Aisling's stern while his colleague held the other end of the tape measure in the air near the bow. Between them, the tape measure drooped in a long arc. "This boat is 13.6 meters long" Giovanni proclaimed. "Our papers say that it is 12.4 meters", I said. "The papers don't matter" he pointed to the tape "this boat is 13.6 meters".

Now, we do realize that Aisling's actual length overall (LOA) is slightly more than the 12.4 meters that is recognized in her official registration, but she is definitely not longer than 13 meters. This was a critical point, since the charge bands increase with each meter of length. Moving to the next charge band would cost us roughly another 160 euros. We got out our own tape, measured the boat ourselves and came up with 12.9 metres (which coincidentally is the exact LOA shown in the manufacturer's brochure). Rick went to the office and explained the problem to Giovanni's sister Maria (who speaks excellent English). Both arrived back at the dock (Maria in 3-inch espadrilles, her hair whipping wildly around her face in the wind) and the boat was measured again. "It is 13.6 metres" said Giovanni. He had apparently included the Monitor wind-vane in the measurement, which to me didn't seem like a reasonable way to calculate a price for applying paint to the bottom of a boat. However, having been previously warned to say nothing, I managed to bite my tongue. "OK" said Rick, "I'll pay the price. I just want a good job". We were completely over a barrel, since sailing back to Marina di Ragusa in a 30 knot headwind was not an option and we'd already committed to renting an apartment in Pozzallo for the week.

But I started to warm up to them when the boat was pulled out of the water. The yard is clearly a top-notch operation, with modern equipment and good safety practices. Best of all, when Aisling was settled on the stands, a portable staircase was rolled up to her side. Not a ladder, an actual staircase, with a handrail! Luxury! I almost wished we were staying aboard.

Well, not really. The next afternoon, it was blowing so hard that the boat was shaking on the cradle, and the wind instrument was showing over 40 knots in the gusts. The yard is also a long hike from the town, and while Rick has preferred to spend most of his days on the boat, I've been enjoying the change of scenery in Pozzallo. In contrast to Marina di Ragusa, which is mainly a resort town, Pozzallo is an authentic, vibrant Sicilian town. Our apartment is lovely, with a sweeping view of the sea and enough room to host a party for about 40 people. It's quite a change compared to living in a space where we barely have enough room to swing a cat! (not that I ever would...) We're right in front of a nice beach, and everything we could ever need is within walking distance. The bakery has delicious bread and there's a wonderful fruit and vegetable shop called "Non Solo Frutta" just around the corner. A cappuccino at the cafe down the street only costs 1.20 euro. One morning, the barista wouldn't let me pay for the croissant that I had with my coffee. I'm still trying to figure out why!

Early yesterday morning, Katherine and her friend Leah arrived in Catania on the ferry from Naples. We were up at 5:00 and waiting for them at the dock at 8 a.m. Then we headed straight for Taormina, which is at the top of most of the "must see" lists for Sicily, and for good reason. It is a delightful, touristy village perched on a mountainside just north of Mt Etna. The view from the Greek theatre was so incredible that it exceeded all our expectations! We hope to tell you more about it later, and post some photos.

The boatyard has already finished all the work on Aisling, and we were pleasantly surprised when they gave us a price reduction on the final invoice and did not charge us for repairing the damage to the fibreglass, (although Aisling was left with a bright white bruise on her portside flank). By noon today, Aisling had been relaunched and Rick and I were on our way to Marina di Ragusa, while Katherine and Leah went off on the bus to explore Modica. We've certainly been treated well by the Scala yard, and would definitely recommend them. Maria was even kind enough to meet us at the dock in Marina di Ragusa and drive us back to Pozzallo, where we will be staying in our apartment until Monday.

At the moment, all four of us are hunkered down in front of various electronic devices in the living room. We have a new wifi router that allows us to connect multiple devices to the internet, yet is small enough to fit in your pocket. On the other hand, this may not exactly the best way to experience Sicily! I assure you, this is just a temporary situation. Tonight, we'll try out a local restaurant in Pozzallo. Tomorrow we're off to the the flower festival in Noto. Ciao!

Sicily 2011/12

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Rick
05/09/2012, Marina di Ragusa

Sicily is wonderful! Bon and I are running every second day and as you know that gets the juices flowing. I get so much more done on run days. Yesterday while running down the shore road we came upon an old man with only one leg sitting in a wheelchair on the side of the road watching the sea. I said Buongiorno and he launched right into, what we took to mean, its a beautiful day as he spread his arms at the view. Then he pointed to his missing leg and seemed to be saying we were lucky to be able to get out and about. Bon said "we only speak a little Italian", and he smiled and said "but you understand it really well!". All of this in Italian of course and with a smile on his grizzled old face. We both said arrivederci ran on.

It's spring, temps are in the 70's in the day and down to 60 at night, no rain, only sun, the flowers are out in droves, farmers are cutting the first hay and wheat, the hillsides are green instead of brown and the tourists are not here yet, except us and a few others. The locals flock here from Ragusa on the weekends and fill the villas. It's their beach. The food is outstanding and cheap, the cold beer is delish, decent wine can be had for 1.50 to 3 euros per bottle, the coffee, oh the coffee......., groceries are cheap, the women are beautiful, the men are cool, the passagiata is a joy to take part in and watch, the Italians have a great sense of style in so many things from architecture to housewares, to clothing. It's a wonderful experience to just walk around with your eyes soaking up all this style...... as you can tell there is lots to like.

The marina is emptying out; many left at the end of April, as their contracts expired. We booked an extra month and were unsure if it was wise or not. I now think this may have been one of the best ideas I have had. We have another 3 weeks to go. Katherine arrives next week.

We are working away on maintenance of the boat and have lots yet to do but its fun messing about on Aisling. The social life here is busy. We are meeting some interesting people and having some great Sicilian experiences.

At the moment, life is good!

Sicily 2011/12

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Bonnie and Rick
05/07/2012

May 7th...fingerprint day! We were particularly impressed with the preciseness of our appointments- 0925 for Rick, 0931 for me. So the whole process should take no more than six minutes each, right?

Tim from "M" pontoon, an American who has already successfully navigated the Permesso di Soggiorno process, had scoffed at the idea that we actually had an appointment for a specific date and time. "Trust me, it's not a real appointment" he said. "I went to the Questura three times before they finally took my fingerprints." We sincerely hoped that he was wrong. In any case, the wisest course of action seemed to be to show up at the appointed time.

When we arrive at the Questura shortly before nine, a long line of would-be immigrants is already waiting outside the blue gate. Maybe they didn't have appointments? But the officer on the desk is unimpressed when we show him our notices. He shakes his head and (I think) says that we are too late, and that we will have to come back at 7 a.m. on Friday and sign up for a time. Oh oh. But since by now we know that things aren't always as they seem, we ask to speak to Doctor- Professor Carbone.

Dr. Carbone is as gracious as he was during our previous visit. He takes us to the forensics department, where we are told that we must first speak with the immigration department. Alas, back at the immigration department, it becomes clear that we will not be fingerprinted today. Dr. Carbone speaks with the Director and then gives us the bad news. "Your paperwork has probably arrived from Rome" he said "but it is in a very large pile that hasn't been sorted yet. Perhaps in a fortnight...." then reconsiders "....or at the end of the month, to be safe. Be sure to have four passport photos with you when you come back." We exchange worried looks and explain that our contract with the marina will end at the end of the month, but Dr. Carbone reassures us that everything will surely be sorted out by then. And even if it isn't, we shouldn't worry, because it isn't our fault. He is very apologetic about the sad state of the Italian bureaucracy and actually looks relieved when we explain that the immigration system in Canada is probably not much better than the Italian system and in fact may be worse.

Now we are off in pursuit of passport photos. We are told to go to an optical shop near the roundabout, then we are told that the shop will probably be closed, because it is Monday morning, but finally we find the shop and it is open after all. Rick's approach to communicating in Italian achieves even better results than usual. "Per favore, passport photos?" he asks, and the man behind the counter says "We speak English here, sir!" In fact, both the optician Giovanni and his father Pietro (also an optician) speak perfect English. My photos are ready in less than a minute, and when I comment that they are far more flattering than the one in my Canadian passport (which admittedly isn't saying much) Giovanni tells us that he and Pietro are also Canadians.

As Giovanni takes Rick's photos, Pietro tells me his story. He explains that he emigrated to Montreal with his parents as a young boy, but decided to return to Italy in 1980. "I had three optical shops in Montreal and I was making lots of money." he says. "And my parents were not happy with me when I left. But what good is money without the time to enjoy life? You don't get a second chance at living your life!" He explains that when he decided to move to Sicily, he had been advised to set up his business in either Ragusa or Syracusa province. Why? Because in these provinces, there was no Mafia. "It is very safe here" he said. "Twice I have forgotten to lock the shop when I left at night, and both times no one took a thing."

Meanwhile, Giovanni asks Rick how we came to be in Sicily and they discover that they share a mutual passion for the sea. In Giovanni's case, this revolves around fishing. He takes Rick to his computer to show him photos of the many large fish (mahi mahi, tuna and others ) he has caught in the waters off Marina di Ragusa, where his family owns one of the large waterfront villas. But he also tells Rick that the Italian economy is in big trouble, business is slow and he is thinking of moving back to Canada. I doubt his father will approve. "Buon vento!", he calls as we leave, and Rick replies "Fair winds!".

Before going back to the bus station, we drop in at the Hertz office to confirm our reservation for the day before Katherine's arrival in Catania. Then, with a little time to kill, we decide to have coffee in a small bar across the street. All the patrons seem to be men over the age of 70, drinking espresso or buying lottery tickets. Rick asks for "Due cappuccino" and an elderly gentleman corrects him "Cappuccini" he says. "Plurale". When Rick digs in his pocket to pay for the coffee, the elderly man smiles and shakes his head. "Drink your coffee before you pay", he says. "And if you don't like your coffee, don't pay". "Buon consiglio" he adds (good advice). The barista scowls, and points out that I have already proclaimed the coffee to be "molto buono". Not just buono, but molto buono. So of course we pay.

It has turned out to be a good morning after all. Suddenly, all worries about fingerprints have evaporated. As we walk to the bus station in the warm sunshine, I think how lovely it would be to spend a few months here every year. Even if the entire Permesso di Soggiorno scheme turns out to be a bust, we're allowed to stay in Italy for 90 days every six months. And maybe, just maybe, someone at the Questura will eventually find our paperwork!

Sicily 2011/12

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Bonnie
05/05/2012

Be forewarned, this is a long story. Fortunately, when it's a blog that's telling you a long story, you get to decide whether to continue reading to the end or not.

This is the story of our quest for a "Permesso di Soggiorno" (literally, "permission to stay") a magic little card that would allow us to come in and out of Italy as many times as we wish for a full year. This is also a story of the bewildering Italian bureaucracy, which makes our Canadian bureaucracy seem like a well-oiled machine in comparison. (Actually, that last sentence is just a joke. I'm pretty sure the Canada immigration process is much worse. )

Why did we apply for the Permesso? Canadians are only permitted to remain within the territory governed by the Schengen agreement (in other words, most of the European Union) for 90 days in each 180 day period. This year, we need a lot more than 90 days in order to get the boat ready for sailing, explore the Adriatic and return to Marina di Ragusa in the fall. Any time we spend in Croatia, Montenegro or other non-EU locations will stop the clock, but Italy is really where we want to be for most of the time. Although many of our cruising friends cheerfully over-stay their visas without fearing the consequences, we've never been ones to enjoy "sailing close to the wind", literally or figuratively. So, back in Halifax, we optimistically accumulated a lot of paperwork to prove that we would not be a burden to the Italian government and called on Mr. Rodolfo Malone, the Italian consul in Halifax. After a pleasant 30-minute visit, much of which was spent discussing the activities of the local Italian wine society, our papers were stamped and cleared to be sent with our passports to the consulate in Montreal. Less than a week later, our passports were returned with a coveted one-year, multi-entry visa inside. We could hardly believe our good fortune and thought, OK, that wasn't so bad!

But there is still one hurdle to be cleared. Mr. Malone had mentioned that we had to check in with the Italian police within eight days of our arrival in Italy, bringing copies of all the paperwork we'd submitted with the initial application. So the day after our arrival in Marina di Ragusa, we gather our papers and head up the hill to the local police station, where not a soul is in sight. Fortunately, the local tourist office is in the same building, and a helpful senora advises us that we should to go to the Questura in Ragusa. The Questura? As an avid reader of Donna Leon's novels, I realize immediately that we are headed for police headquarters. Maybe this process will be a bit more complicated than we'd expected.

Thirty minutes later, we join a small group of migrant North African workers who are waiting outside a large blue gate under a sign that says "Questura" . After a few awkward moments where we stand there trying to act nonchalant and they look at us in puzzlement, one of them takes mercy on us and leads us down the street to the main entrance of the Questura. Unfortunately, it seems there is no one available who can check us in, or perhaps no one who speaks English. We are told to come back "domani matina" (tomorrow morning). At the front door, the policeman guarding the entrance smiles at us and salutes. Rick salutes back and marches out of the police station.

We arrive at the Questura bright and early the next morning, and are taken to the office of a scholarly-looking gentleman whose business card identifies him as "Dr. Prof. Ignazio Carbone, Funzionario Linguistico". Dr. Prof. Carbone briefly consults with another bureaucrat, and then proceeds to explain the process. "There is a lot of red tape, but it's really all about the money", he said. "You will need to submit papers that prove you have enough money to look after yourselves. For you, I don't think this will be a problem." (Well, hopefully not.) "But" he continued, "the Questura no longer processes these requests. You need to go to the post office on Via Risorgimento. They are authorized to process your application. Don't hesitate to call me if you have any difficulties."

Dr. Carbone's English is so perfect that I can't resist asking him where he'd learned it. He smiles modestly. "I was an English teacher for many years" he says "and I like to think that my students were well-served. And if I may say it, your own English accents are also very good... almost British!" It is strangely flattering to be complemented on our ability to speak the English language. I decide it is best not to try out my Italian on him.

The reference to our "application" has made us a bit uneasy. Back in the car, we realize we have brought only one copy of our information. Thinking that it might be wise to have a second copy, we make a quick stop at a photocopy shop, then fire up our TomTom GPS to navigate to the Risorgimento post office. Leaving Rick waiting in the car in a no-parking zone, I enter the post office through an automated security booth of the type no one wants to use in airports. Once inside, I have to select a category of service in order to get a number from the ticket machine. With no hope of deciphering the list, I take one ticket of every type. But after waiting for about ten minutes, it dawns on me that Rick probably needs to be there in person to have his application processed. I dash out the nearest door to look for him, and alarm bells sound. I have gone out the emergency exit. Apparently, one is supposed to use the security booth on the way in AND on the way out. I beckon to Rick, then go back through the security booth, muttering "mi dispiace" (I'm sorry) to the staff. When one of my numbers finally flashes up on a screen, I approach the booth and show my paperwork, but the attendant frowns and shakes her head. "Non qui" she says (not here). "Posta Centrale". She writes the address of the central post office on a piece of paper and summons the next client.

Here we go again. Now our Tom-Tomis leading us deep into the streets of Ragusa Ibla, the baroque centre of old Ragusa. We are driving through an amazing World Heritage site but are too distracted to appreciate it. Miraculously, we find a parking spot right around the corner from the post office. Even better, the "take a number" machine actually has "permesso di sogiorrno" listed as a selection. We are closing in on our goal. Or so we think. The attendant looks at our paperwork, takes out two thick envelopes filled with applications, passes them to us and says something about going to a consulate. We are sure there must be some mistake. I try to explain that we have already been to a consulate and show her the Visas in our passports, but she doesn't seem at all impressed. Finally, I show her Dr. Carbone's card and ask her to call him. She gets him on the line and passes me the phone, looking exasperated. "You will need help filling out these forms" says Dr. Carbone. "Come back here and I will show you what to do".

Back at the Questura, Dr. Carbone is apologetic. "We can't help you with the forms here at the Questura" he says. "But an agent can handle it all for you. " He points out his window. "There is one just up the street." As we leave the office, one of the North Africans is sobbing openly. After a few more hours of this, we may be doing the same, but I suspect he has a lot more at stake than we do.

Fortunately, we manage to find the agents' office before it closes for lunch. (Have I mentioned that they take very long lunch breaks here?) The only English-speaking agent is busy with a client, so we take a seat and wait. I amuse myself by surreptitiously watching the woman beside me. She is dressed to the nines...taupe suede jacket, elegant taupe boots, purple pants, a fuchsia belt and a large expensive looking handbag. The overall effect is dynamite. I wonder if I should shop for a pair of purple pants and a fuchsia belt, but decide that I would succeed only in looking like a member of the Red Hat Society (not that there's anything wrong with that!).

The agent finally takes our forms, fills them out, photocopies all our paperwork and hands everything back to us. When we ask what we owe, she motions us away with a smile. "You owe me nothing!" she says "But I'm sorry to tell you, you will be paying a lot of money at the post office". We try not to gulp as she points out the additional fees due. "And don't forget to buy your stamp!" she calls after us as we leave. Which seems like a strange thing to say, considering that she knows very well that we are on our way to the post office.

Back in the car, we add up the additional fees and wonder if we should forget the whole thing. But we've already got a lot invested in this, so we head back to the post office, take another number and speak with another agent. We hand her our forms and she hands them back. "You need a marca da bolla", she said. "A stamp". She continues in rapid-fire Italian and I catch the words "tabacci" "chiuso" and "stasera". I think she has just told us that we need to buy the stamp at a tobacco store, but that they are all closed for lunch and we will need to come back this evening. I think I must have misheard, but then I remember reading something about the bollos on an ex-pat website. The tabaccis are all-powerful here. At least now we understand why the agent had reminded us to get the stamp.

We have lunch in a small café, where the excellent cappuccino cheers us up immensely and convinces us that we really do want this permesso. Rather than hang around in Ragusa until the tabaccis re-open at 5 p.m., we decide to go back to the boat and regroup. But on the way out of town, I spot a bar with an open tabacci inside. "Pull over!" I tell Rick, and ten minutes later we are back at the post office with two impressive-looking bollos in hand. The senora accepts our applications, stamps everything with a satisfying flourish, and hands us each a piece of paper.

What's this? An appointment to be fingerprinted in the Ragusa Questura, on May 7th. Yikes! We are told that, after the fingerprints are taken, it may take months for the actual permesso card to arrive. Since it will be delivered to the Questura in Ragusa, we are unlikely to receive it until we bring the boat back to Marina di Ragusa in the fall. But we've also been told that with the Visa in our passports and the receipt from the post office, we won't be arrested as illegal immigrants. Hopefully that's true. We'll keep you posted.

Sicily 2011/12

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