After 4 months without rain, we have spent the last 2 nights in the marina in Palermo where it has poured down! We never thought we would ever say this, but it has been quite a novelty (sorry to everyone back home who we know wish it would stop raining). It has meant that it has been cooler and we have been able to get on with some jobs more easily and Chris had an excuse to watch the Italian Grand Prix on the TV. We will probably be here for another day or so waiting for the weather to settle down before we set off again. We are heading for the Aeolian Islands (a group of seven apparently lovely volcanic islands) off the northeast corner of Sicily as soon as we can. We hope to get the chance to look around Palermo too. From what we have seen so far, whilst it is very grubby and dirty, there are also many lovely buildings to see too. The city was founded by the Phoenicians (they get everywhere) and then the Romans conquered it. The Saracens made it the centre of Arab civilisation and then the Normans added to the architecture. The Aragons and Normans followed until the city was liberated by Garibaldi in 1860. Today, it is the centre of the mafia though we don't expect to see much of that - hopefully.