We left Bonifacio and headed again for La Maddalena Achipelago. We had been here with Mark's cousin and her family. With winds from the East, we waited in beautiful Cala Longa for few days, catching up with school work, paddle-boarding, swimming and exploring the island.

This archipelago is a perfect spot for chartering a boat in the Med. It has plenty of close-by, nice and well-protected anchorages. They are crowded during the day (with small power boats and other craft) but they seem to clear out at night. The scenery is rugged Mediterranea maquis (low bushes in different shades of dark greens) with granite boulders and rocks weathered by wind and waves. The waters are crystal clear and warm. It would be easy to spend several weeks sailing and checking every anchorage. However, we must move on. We had been thinking on checking out some of the famous islands on the West coast of Italy: Capri, Ischia, etc. but we decided to sail directly to the Aeolian Islands and from there through the Strait of Messina to Greece.

Marta