We've known Chris and Donna forever; Chris was one of Larry's college roommates. Sometime in the mid 1980's we began taking trips together. It all started with a Thanksgiving escape to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. By the end of our time there, we had planned a vacation for the next year to Cozumel. Then it was Cayman, St. John, Honduras, Belize, etc., etc. And in between the bigger vacations, there were regular boat trips, ski trips, road trips, and weekends away. We learned each other's likes and dislikes, quirks and limitations. It was comfortable, which made traveling together great fun. Then, they started having babies, and we moved to Australia, so our vacations together ended. That was fifteen years ago, and we were surprised when we received an email that said they wanted to join us on our next adventure, be it on land, or by sea. We did a little of both. They flew into Roma (Rome), we docked Berkeley East on the Tuscan coast, and we each took trains to meet in Firenze (Florence), where we saw the sites and easily fell back into our travel routine. We are all much older now and we have led very different lives for the past 15 years, but all of us seem to have pretty much the same likes and dislikes, same quirks and limitations as before. It was really nice to be able to pick up where we left off.

Firenze (Florence)





When we thought of Firenze (also known as Florence), we thought of art and culture. A city that is famous for its writers, poets, painters and sculptors.







We were anxious to see the classic works of masters, but our last-minute trip left us unable to get into some of the most important museums, (the Uffizi and Galleria dell' Accademia) that are apparently booked months in advance. So we did something completely out of character for us, we joined a walking tour that included entrance into those museums. We could not go to Firenze and miss seeing Michelangelo's David (among other works). It was an all-day tour of the city, its buildings, palazzos, churches and museums.












We were overwhelmed. The Uffizi alone has enough to occupy your time for days.











On this particular day it happened to rain. Correction, Firenze had a torrential downpour that lasted for hours, during which we had to run across the city, without rain gear or umbrellas, in order to catch up to our tour group. We saw many people duck for cover, obviously changing their plans, but we could not go to Firenze and miss seeing Michelangelo's David. We have never been so wet with clothes on. But it was all worth it. We did see Michelangelo's David. And at the end of the day, we all commented on how clean our shoes were.









Pisa

We've seen the cheesy photographs of people pretending to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We thought about how silly it was. But when we got there, we just couldn't resist. It's difficult to believe that even though the Tower had begun to tilt early in construction, they continued to build for nearly two hundred years.









It is an amazing structure, typically seen in photographs standing alone, as if there is nothing else around it. But it is just one element of the Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles).










We spent the day just hanging around the Campo, touring the Duomo, and then climbing the Leaning Tower. Until recently, the Tower was closed to visitors, but now you can get an appointment and go to the top. Inside, the steps were slick from thousands of years of traffic; you lean first one way, then the other. It was a good orientation for Chris and Donna to how they would feel on the boat. Once at the top, the views were magnificent.







Elba

We've said it before - train travel in Europe is fantastic. It's simple, convenient and affordable. It was just a 30-minute train ride from Pisa to Rosignano Solvay, where we had parked Berkeley East. Unfortunately, there aren't taxis on hand in this small town, so we had to walk another 30 minutes from the train station to the marina. Our travel buddies, Chris and Donna, were still with us. They had paid close attention when we told them to bring what they needed as there would not be opportunities to do laundry, so they were hauling heavy bags in the heat. They had said that they wanted to do whatever we do, so we thought they should have the full cruiser experience of walking, hauling and sweating.

The next day we headed for Elba, an island about 35 miles away. It was Donna's "29th" birthday and she said it had always been a lucky day for her. That day was lucky for all of us, instead of the zero wind that was forecast, there was 10 knots on the beam and we had one of our best sails in months.



Birthday dinner in Portoferraio







We began our circumnavigation of Elba in Portoferraio and moved clockwise with the weather and our mood. Elba doesn't have the chic-ness or glamour of much of the Med. It is a natural beauty, 50 percent of which is a national park.






Elba's main claim to fame is that Napoleon spent 10 months in exile on the island, but that is almost insignificant now, as people go there more for the beaches, secluded bays, historic towns and low-key environment.







We spent nearly a week exploring the island, sailing, swimming, fishing, grilling and introducing Chris and Donna to cava sangria before Chris and Donna had to leave us to go home.











As we said goodbye to them at the ferry, we almost felt as if we should be going back to the states, to go back to work, as we had done so many times at the end of our previous vacations with them. We quickly pushed that thought from our minds and returned to BE to plan our next move.




View of the harbor at Portoferraio


View into Porto Azzurro