When we use the term "living the dream" onboard Aisling, it tends to be a bit tongue in cheek. Life on the water has its ups and downs just as life on land does, and the past week has come with its share of challenges.

We left Montenegro without seeing anything outside of the Gulf of Kotor, due to the intense thunderstorms and high wind that began shortly after our arrival and continued for nearly three days. From our experience in Vlicho last year, we've learned that fall storms over here can get very ugly very quickly. So, with over 400 miles between us and Aisling's winter home in Marina di Ragusa, we decided to grab the first available weather window and at least get the journey across the Adriatic behind us. We pulled up our anchor at around 6.30 on Sunday evening and headed almost due south toward Otranto.

In the beginning it wasn't too bad, and we were even able to sail for the first six hours. Then Rick remembered that he hadn't drained the water lock on the engine exhaust. This could have had pretty serious implications, since he suspects that the new lock that was installed during the winter may be too small based on the size of our exhaust pipe. Sure enough, when he'd drained the lock and tried to turn the engine back on, it didn't catch. Our hearts simultaneously took nosedives...had we damaged the engine? Fortunately, it caught on the third try and all systems seemed normal, but we didn't dare turn it off for the rest of the trip.

It turned into a particularly unpleasant passage, with the wind dead behind us and confused seas that got nastier as time went on. In the big roll, the boom just didn't want to stay put. During a jibe in the dark, I didn't notice that the preventer line had gotten caught up on a cowl vent, and I managed to rip the top off the vent box when I tightened the line. (Fortunately, the vent itself got wedged on a stanchion and didn't go overboard.) Then, about 30 miles off Otranto, I even began to feel seasick; something I haven't experienced in over five years. I guess Doctor Dave was right when he warned me that "When it comes to seasickness, you can never be bulletproof!" It was fortunate that this started near the end of my watch rather than at the beginning. By crawling into my bunk, pulling the sheets over my head and closing my eyes tight, I was able to narrowly avoid making use of the bucket that Rick had very considerately placed near my bunk. Still, it was no fun at all, and it was a great relief to pull in to Otranto.

I'd been really looking forward to getting back to Otranto. It's a beautiful little town that has an attractive waterfront, a very interesting cathedral and some country lanes on the outskirts that are perfect for running or walking. But in the end, I didn't even get to set a toe on shore. With the winds blowing onshore and no space available in the small marina, we ended up tying alongside a raft of four boats on the northern dock. That wouldn't have been so bad, except that the dock was very high and the inner boat was very large and very far from the dock. I climbed over the other boats, took one look and decided that I wasn't going anywhere. Rick was convinced that we could work it out by stretching a plank from the boat to shore....um, no thanks! We could have gone out and anchored or even just launched the dinghy where we were, but somehow it didn't seem worth the effort since we were only staying for one night. I had work to do anyway, so I stayed onboard like a cloistered nun while Rick went off to "clear in" with the coast guard and buy groceries. He came back with pizza slices and a big smile on his face. "I love Italy" he said. Even a trip to the grocery store can be fun here. But we were both so exhausted that we slept over 12 hours that night.

The next leg of the journey was easier. To be honest, I kind of enjoy windless passages. The moon set early, but the stars were bright, the sea was smooth and we had a favourable current much of the way. I passed the time listening to Italian lessons and DNTO podcasts on my iPod and the hours flew by. It almost seemed like a shame to stop when we got to Crotone, but we were concerned that the weather window would close before we could get to Siracusa or Roccella Ionica. So we turned in to Crotone as planned, and were waved in to the dock marked "Transito", where, I'm happy to report, there are laid lines, power, water, washrooms and even a laundry room. I must say, it felt pretty good to feel dry land under my feet for the first time in over three days.

Shortly after we got settled we took a walk into town in search of a place to recharge our internet plan. How shall I describe that first glimpse of Crotone? Let's just say you'd have to look hard to find a place that would be less like the Italy of your dreams. This is definitely not Portofino or Cinqe Terre...not that I've ever been to either of those places, but I've seen other people's pictures and they don't look like Crotone! The streets around the harbour are dirty and unkempt, and the shoreline is cluttered with cheaply constructed apartment blocks that rival the Costa del Sol for the ugliness of the architecture. We eventually recharged our internet plan at the counter of a small gambling facility; where we inevitably wondered...is there a Mafia presence here? Probably, but the people in the town are friendly and helpful, and the place has a gritty realness that makes me feel kind of at home. Last night, one of the old men on the corner near the dock walked with us for half a kilometer to show us the way to a salumeria.

This morning we went for a run, and the view across the water to the mountains was beautiful in the sunshine. A couple from Milan stopped and offered to take our photo on the boardwalk. Pointing off into the distance, they told us that we should see "Le Castello". Later, we stopped in at the office of the protected marine area "Capo Rizzuto" and learned that Le Castella is a 12th century Spanish castle on an island within the reserve. The young man at the desk was mournful about the fact that the reserve is not mentioned in any guidebooks. The photos of it looked quite lovely, so we are trying to do our part to spread the word! Maybe we'll sail past it when we leave.

Next we found the market, where the piles of zucchini blossoms, bouquets of tiny red peppers and braids of red onions had us simultaneously pulling out our wallets and our cameras. Nearby, an attractive pedestrianized street had some very nice clothing and shoe stores. (Is it too early to buy winter boots?) There is an endless selection of fresh fish in the pescherias near the marina and we're having mussels steamed in wine for dinner tonight. Before I knew it, I found myself thinking that maybe this wouldn't be such a bad place to stay for a while. Which is a good thing, because based on the forecast, I don't think we're going anywhere in a hurry.

Cruisers Notes for Crotone:

We stayed in Porto Vechio because the coming strong winds will be out of the North and this harbour is favoured in these conditions. It's blowing Force 7 as I write this and its very comfortable. If there are strong winds from the SW I'm told Porto Vechio is untenable and you should move to the New Port where the commercial harbour is located.

There are 3 choices for "Transito" docks in Porto Vecchio, all with laid lines and two may have someone waving to you as you enter. We paid 35 euro for 12.4m in Sept 2012 at the Yachting Kroton Club on the east side of the harbour. It included toilets, electricity and water. Showers are also available for 2 euros. There is camping gas available, three diesel shops, at least two marine stores, Supermercados, a produce market by the fort in the mornings, several fish markets in Porto Vecchio with great selections of the daily catch.

The other alternative is to stay in the New port (Cortone commercial harbour) the entrance is just to the north of this one. You can see our previous comments about this option in an earlier posting. There is a good anchoring spot there in the port near the cement tanks, with good holding.