Messina Straits, the boot of Italy and the Ionian Sea

As we departed the Aeolian Islands we passed a volcanic crater releasing gentle clouds of ash and it appeared to be waving farewell to SV Trilogy. While motoring along the coastline of Sicily, Mt Etna was clearly visible and the crew took take turns at helming, as Trilogy's instruments had stopped working. Not having our reliable auto pilot wasn't an issue, however it was a little unsettling not being able to read the water depth.

As we approached the Straits of Messina, the two red electricity towers (one on the toe of Italy and the other in Sicily) clearly let us know we had entered the Straits, a stretch of turbulent water that separates mainland Italy and Sicily. In Messina we managed to have the instruments fixed and celebrated by dinning out in a superb Sicilian Restaurant. The females on board even had a red rose purchased for them!

The following morning we navigated our way through the busy shipping channel of the Straits of Messina, passing Reggio di Calabria, the town reputed to be one of the principal recruiting grounds for the Italian mafia. The land on both sides of the Straits had a high mountain range as a back drop, with continuous development along the water edge. Both sides have experienced frequent earth quakes and heavy bombing during WW2. Needless to say the housing was post WW2 and generally uninteresting.
As Trilogy rounded the toe of Italy we entered the Ionian Sea and made our way to Rocella Ionica, located just south of the ball of the foot of Italy. This was the closest port to the relatives of Sam and Fiona, who we planned to visit the following day. This meant hiring a car and driving inland to the mountain villages of Oppido, where Sam was born, and Dellianuova, the birthplace of Fiona's father. Both villages were about 20 km apart and had relatives that both Sam and Fiona shared! To reach the villages we drove for an hour, winding our way up the National Park mountain range, through 3km long mountain tunnels (with a 90 km speed limit) that exited onto a massive viaduct that gave us the feeling we were driving along a treetop forest highway. As we came closer to our destination we turned into a minor road, passing olive groves that Sam said were over 3,000 years old, relics of Roman aqua ducts and herds of sheep that shared the road with us.

Sam and Fiona's relatives greeted us in true Italian style with a day of endless introductions, hugs, food, singing around the lunch table, site seeing and more food, and more food! The moment that will stay with me, is actually visiting the room where Sam was born! It was a day of sharing the warmth of family and also a day of over eating, but who could not resist, when we were being treated to authentic Italian cooking at its best. At 8pm we thought we were saying our farewells, but the extended relatives decided to follow us back down the windy Italian mountain to farewell us at Port Rocella Ionica, with more farewells, hugs, kisses and a few tears. This will truly be a day etched in our memory.

The following day we had an 8 hour sail around to Crotone. Geographically, this is the ball of the foot of Italy and was famous for being where the Greek Mathematician, Pythagoras made it his home in the 5th century BC and established his Pythagorean School for over 30 years. Crotone once attracted artists, scholars and medical practitioners. Today it does not have much to show for its ancient glory, although there are signs the town is being revived from jobs provided by the 4 off shore gas platforms and from tourists coming to the beach in Summer.

The next morning, Trilogy continued north across the Golfo di Taranto to Santa Maria Di Leuca located on the stiletto heel of Italy. It was a long calm passage, with the interruption around dusk of a surprise visit from Guardia Finanza (Finance Police) who wanted to know where we were going, how many people were on board, and their nationality. Our late entry to Santa Maria Di Leuca was a little challenging as we docked around 10 pm and our sailing skills were put to the test in the darkness of the night. The morning light revealed Santa Maria Di Leuca was a prosperous town with its architecture showing a strong Northern African influence. It had the feel of a beach tourist resort with very grand villas and a monumental stone staircase built by Mussolini, as a ceremonial gateway to Italy. The lighthouse on the headland (the heel) is known to be the second (to Genoa) most important lighthouse in Italy . Our departure from Santa Maria Di Leuca took us past limestone cliffs that house grottos and beyond them, our entry to the Adriatic Sea.

Our passage from the Tyrrhenian Sea, through the Straits of Messina and the Ionian Sea, was full of fun, laughter, great company, food and wine.