We are back on Italian soil again!

After an overnight journey from Othoni, we arrived in Crotone 22hrs/118 nautical miles later and were welcomed by the Kroton Yacht Club to tie to their pontoon in the Old Port. It was our first time here and we were eager to venture ashore and see the place that many of our friends had talked warmly about.

We set out in our usual cruising summer attire, trekking sandals/flip flops, shorts and t-shirts only to get a few strange looks from the locals. Was it my blue painted toe-nails? No, we think it was just that we looked like something out of the Beverley Hillbillys compared to the stylish Italians. All the guys wear jeans with either a nice polo shirt or a freshly ironed, slim-fitting, long-sleeved shirt. All of them! The women are usually wearing very high-heeled shoes, tight fitting leggings, fitted jackets and lots of jewellery and they are all wearing large sunglasses. No wonder we were getting funny looks.

Our week in Crotone was spent visiting the Old Town with its great food market where they sold chill peppers still on the branches, local Crotone cheeses and meats and everything in between. The butcher laughed when we told him we wanted him to cut us some thick pork chops as they are used to having thin ones but boy did they taste good.

And only in Italy.... walking back to the boat, I needed the loo so decided to stop in a local cafe for a quick drink so that I could use their facilities. A beer and coke arrived together with a platter each which was full of delicious tasty bites; some pasta in tomato sauce, several small sandwiches etc. At first we thought that someone had ordered food and they had brought it to the wrong table but no, it was for us, just something to go with our drinks. Now, why can't they do that everywhere??

CRUISERS NOTES
Kroton Yacht Club - mooring lines on quay and floating pontoons. With southerly swell, do not go on quay unless you like your boat to rock from side to side, big time. We had a strong swell come in and the marinaro moved us to a pontoon in anticipation of this. Laundry, showers, camping gas and internet on site. Oct - 30-35 euros a night inc water & elec. But we only got charged just 20 euros on our last night.

Fuel on quay to the right as you enter.