Turkey and the Stuf-fin in side.

I have been in Turkey for over a month now. While I haven’t seen everything, I have seen enough to make a few comments. First off, Turkey is nothing like I expected it to be. I did not expect Turkey to be covered in a carpet of pine forests and lush green vegetation. The physical beauty of Turkey was totally unexpected on my part. The waters are deep rich blue and clear as a cut crystal. The terrain is rugged and colorful with steep cliffs plunging into the ocean in dramatic sweeps. And when you look a little deeper you find natural formations like Pamukkai that nature was willing to take centuries to create.

The people of Turkey are genuinely friendly and good natures. Like the natural inviting beauty of the landscape, it is in their nature to invite you in and offer you a cup of chi whenever they can think of a reason. Sit down, relax, and let’s spend some time together. This is also a can-do country. Every man dreams of opening his own business. I get the feeling that they love what they do most of the time. And if you need something, the answer is always yes. We needed a part for our new engine to be able to flush out the salt water. So we found a dealer and asked for the part. They didn’t have one in stock and Istanbul would take too long to get the part. So the storekeeper sends his son around the corner to a machine shop. Sure we can make that part for you. Have some chi and be back here in a half an hour. It ended up costing less than the original part to have one frabricated.

Yes, chi or tea is the national pastime. The Turks make the British look like amateurs when it comes to teatime. There is a whole tea concession in each neighborhood. Runners come out with trays of tea and deliver it to the shopkeepers and their clients on a regular basis. Any time you have to wait, it is time for tea. It just instantly appears like magic. And since a lot of foreigners don’t care for the traditional chi, they have come up with apple tea which is more like hot apple cider. While it is regularly served to tourists, no self-respecting Turk would drink the stuff.

Their willingness to help each other is also ever-present. When you are in a shop where they don’t speak English, the owner sends for a shop owner down the street who leaves his store unattended so he can help translate for his neighbor. If the shopkeeper has to go somewhere during the day, the store is left open. If a customer waders in, the neighbor comes over to help you with your purchases. Sometimes I am just confuses who owns what store. The other day we needed some parts from an electronic store. He had some of the parts but walked across the street to another store to complete the order. No big deal. Someone on the block is bound to have all you need. The Turks believe working hard will bring them success in life. Each man has a dream and is pursuing it with vigor and determination.

The Turkish guys are for the most part just average looking. But I have to say, when they are handsome, they are very handsome. They tend to be open about sex and don’t seem to draw the line so clearly between gay and straight sex. I think because this is a Muslin country, and the women are so difficult to have sex with, they view sex with a guy as more opportunistic rather than gay. I have had more than one say, hey it is still sex and feels good. They also tend to be tops as if being a top doesn’t really mean you are gay.

Turkey is a place you could come and never leave. Last night at dinner we were talking to a British couple that have been here for 14 years. They told us of a friend that intended to stay a fortnight here. He has had 5 farewell parties to go back to England and is still here 5 years later. I have a feeling this story is not unique. We plan to come back here next year and spend even more time exploring Turkey. I will be sad to go. We leave for Rhodes tomorrow morning. Hoping for good winds and calm seas.

Don’t Spare the Rod, Catch a Fish

We made it to Gocek, a delightful city deep in a fantastic bay. Lots of wonderful anchorages to spend nights looking up at diamond studded skies and down to the depths of the ocean floor. We anchored close to town and knocked off a few more items on our “have to have” list. Steve purchased a rod and reel and has visions of catching blue fin tuna for dinner. I knew I had no chance of catching anything, but opted for a little fish trap. I am going to try and see what we pull up when we anchor out. Since mine cost a tenth of what Steve’s cost, we are waiting to see which one of us hauls in dinner first.

We spent a couple of days anchored in the bay and then did a sail by visit to Fethiye. From there we continued southeast to a quiet bay for the evenings anchorage.

Pigging Out

Right around the bend of the river are mud baths fed by hot sulfur springs. And yes you are promised, if you soak in them long enough you loose 20 years. But they never say how long it takes for that to actually happen. I think we stayed long enough to only knock off a few hours of aging. It was still fun rolling in the mud like a couple of happy pigs and letting the mud cake and crack all over our skin.

Ruins and Tombs of Kings

Ekincik Bay is a great place to anchor out while visiting Dalyan. This area was first settled long before Christ decided to come to earth. Caunos was settled by the Lycians and thrived for centuries. But like so many ancient ports, it eventually silted up by the river that still runs through the ancient harbor and time moved on along with the population. There is still an outline of a city done in ancient stone block with public baths, temples and ancient streets that only hearken to the glory that was once part of this area. It kind of reminds me of when someone is murdered and they outline around the body of what was once a a live person. The stones outline where once was a live vibrant city filled with people and commerce.

We took a water taxi further up the river to the town of Dalyan, which is the modern day replacement. Doesn’t have quite the charm, but there are plenty of restaurants and tourist shops. Right across the river are the tombs of long forgotten kings whose last resting spots were carved out of the solid rock cliffs. These imposing structures look like grand buildings with towering columns that only lead to burial chambers long since looted by enterprising not so royal subjects. They are quite imposing and hey if you are going to die, you might as well go out in style.

We had a nice lunch right on the edge of the water served to us by a very handsome waiter. As we were headed back to the boat, one of the shop owners called out asking if we were interested in Viagra perfume. Lol. Well what can I say, I am a sucker for new lines. So we get talking to him and he swears that if we just buy this perfume it will give you a hard dick. He asked us more by hand motions than verbal English skills if we were together. When we told him we were together, he got more playful and told us it would help our relationship. We told him we didn’t believe him and wanted a demonstration. He laughed, but had that look in his eye that made me sense if he could have figured out how to close his store he would have been more than happy to do a demonstration for us. In the end we left amused, and no perfume.

Marvelous Marmaris

We went back to Marmaris and anchored out right near the center of town. This is a town where you can get anything made for a very reasonable price. Our big purchase was a new outboard for our tender. Up until this point I have been perfectly happy with oaring to shore. But with more people coming aboard, and with more anchoring, we decided it was finally time to join the machine age. It does make it convenient to zip around the marina a little more and take our bikes ashore. After a couple of days, we finally tear ourselves away from Marmaris and head southeast to Ekincik Bay.

Not Bored with Bodrum Yet

The winds pick up again and we are flying toward Bodrum. We spend a couple of days there working out internet for the boat. Yeah! The winds are quite gusty so we decide to spend the night in the marina. We ride our bikes through the city getting some errands done and revisiting some of the highlights. Then we are off again to the well-protected bay of Knidos. This was once one of the Dorian Hexapolis, the six cities of the Dorian confederacy. Roman ruins scatter all around the bay. You can see the skeleton of the once grand city homes and public buildings peaking through the soil. The big theater is still very easily recognized. Before the sun dropped, I dove off the boat and enjoyed swimming around in the waters so clear you can easily see to the bottom.

Cotton Castles of Turkey

We decided to spend one more day in Kusadasi and check out Pamakala. Pamakala is about 3 hours inland. So I signed up for a tour that would pick me up at the marina in the morning. On the way to Pamakala, we drove through traditional villages where the residents still make their way through life in rual farms. On the roofs of some of the houses were glass bottles cemented right into the ridgeline. The guide explained that the number of bottles represented the number of unmarried daughters living there. So if you had 5 daughters, there would be 5 bottles on the roof. When a young man wished to marry one of the daughters, he had to take a rock and break one of the bottles to signify that he was committing to marrying her and sharing his life with her. Not sure what happens if he accidently breaks two bottles at the same time.

Pamakala which means cotton castle is a town that predates the Romans. It has always been a place where people came to be healed by the calcium rich pools. Because a lot of sick people came here, there are also a lot of graves. Most are stone sarcophagus that I learned is Greek for meat eating rock. Later, whole families built mausoleums that were much more substantial. A lot of the stonework is still intact. On up the hill we get a glimpse of the white pools. Over the centuries the calcium has been deposited in such quantities that it looks like freshly fallen snow. The whole hillside is a washed in white formations that cascade down the hill. The ancient pools flow from one to the other to create a series of waterfalls stepping down the hill. The calcium was hard as stone as we walked through them with bare feet. The whole experience did have a healing feeling. From there the bus took us all to another set of mineral pools and a big buffet lunch of traditional Turkish food. These mineral pools were made from iron deposits. Their rich burnt orange pools flowed with scalding hot water gushing out of the hillside that with each consecutive pool cooled to a more tolerable level. It is said that by soaking in them you become 20 years younger. I didn’t put my head in any of them, but I have to say, my feet are looking quite good.

The final stop was an onyx factory. They did a demonstration on how they make onyx works of art. The artisan put a block of onyx on a lathe and within literally minutes honed out an onyx egg. It took just a few minutes and about 5 grades of sandpaper to smooth it into a polished rock egg. I didn’t realize how fast the whole process was. From there we made our way back on the bus and back to the marina. A full day of sightseeing. Are you exhausted yet?

The Edifices of Ephesus

We pulled into the thriving town of Kasadaski, the best port to visit the ancient city of Ephesus. Cruise ships assault this town on a constant basis. And the town has responded by putting up a solid defense of souvenir shops and rug stores. When you walk through the bazaars, storeowners constantly are calling out asking where you are from. They are naturally friendly but sometimes a bit aggressive in trying to lure you into their shops. You soon learn that a quick smile but continue to look straight ahead is the only way to maneuver through the maze of tourist traps.

Just a short bus ride from here is the ancient city of Ephesus. Yeah that same city Paul wrote those letters to that made their way into the Bible. John also spent time here and legend has it that he brought Mary, the mother of Jesus, here to live out her final days. There is a little home nearby where she was allegedly to have lived. John is suppose to be buried nearby in a tomb that is surrounded by an ancient Basilica of St John fallen in ruin all around his final resting place. What is known for sure is that the city of Ephesus was once a major metropolis with a population of around 200,000 inhabitants. The ruins attest to its former glory. I think it is one of the biggest ruins ranking easily with Pompeii and Herculean in size and grandeur. Lots to look at and learn about as you walk the broad marble streets of this once great city. Ephesus eventually declined because the harbor finally silted up for good. By then, a new power in the region, the Byzantines, took over and the city was eventually abandoned after a few earthquakes hurried the process along. It is now about 40km inland as the river continued to deposit thick layers of silt between it and the sea. That night we met a nice Turk as we were getting ready to go back to the boat. We invite him on board and give him a ride to the boat. I thought the guy was straight, but Steve is chatting outside in the cockpit area. It soon becomes apparent that is not straight at all. He ends up hanging out with us for a couple of hours.

Apollo’s Little Place

Our next port of call is the small town of Altinkum. It is the sleepy little village that is the jumping off point to visit nearby Didyma, the location of the Temple of Apollo. Darisu of Persia destroyed the original temple around 494 B.C. It lay in ruin until Alexander the Great arrived around 300 B.C. This magnificent sacred site just missed being one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world by a couple of columns. The temple of Artimus near Ephesus beat Apolllos temple by 7 columns. While it lost out to that fame, it seems this site got the last laugh because it is way more intact today than the temple of Artimus. A bad earthquake ultimately destroyed Apollo’s temple in the 15th century.

Castles and Underwater Treasures

Bodrum is a thoroughly enchanting town. The core of which is a beautiful complete castle build by that band of knights of St John. Evidently they set up a branch office here in Turkey from Rhodes. Now the castle contains treasures from the ocean. A museum that has collected vases, glass pieces, anchors, dishes and other artifacts from the unfortunate demise of sunken ships. We roamed around the grounds accompanied by a couple of strutting peacocks. This is a stopping point definitely worth checking out. I finally figured how those vases with the pointed bottoms worked. They store them together in the hull of the ships interlocking and nesting them together. Since they are mostly used for transporting, it is not necessary to set them on a table. It is more like tiny container boxes of centuries past. We anchored out and slept to the beating of the local discos into the night.

Turkey with all the Trimmings

The next day we set sail early in the morning headed for Datca. Datca is a sleepy little village that has some resort feel to it. After our first day sailing we decided to pull up to the town quay. We dropped the anchor and backed into the stone wall that has been used for centuries to welcome boats from around the world. After a little dinner aboard, we made the leap to land and wandered around the charming town. The streets were filled with merchants and restaurants. We bought some desserts from a pastry shop and a few souvenirs to cement the remembrance of this little town.

The next day we left in the early quiet of morning. I like sailing before the sun rises high in the sky. Often the water is glass smooth and the quietness of it all sooths the soul. This time of year a sweatshirt and jogging pants are enough to keep the brisk morning at bay. But before too long, we are peeling those off in favor of shorts and a tee shirt. As we turn the boat north around the peninsula, the winds pick up and we unfurl the white sails. There is nothing like a strong breeze and turning off the motor to get my blood excited.

Back on the boat

All the trauma instantly melted away as I stepped aboard our sailing home. It feels so good to be back aboard. The boat is no worse for wear over the winter season. While it is a bit dirty, it is nothing a bucket of soap and a scrub brush can’t fix. So for the next couple of days we scrub, wax, sweep, dust and shake out. We went to the local market to get some new supplies and are ready to set sail for a new adventure. We plan to spend about 5 days heading to Ephesus.

Stamped, Signed, Delivered.

While we were surprised how easily it was to get them on the plane and through London, our nightmare began when we tried to get them through customs in Turkey. We waited for our baggage to come off the plane and when the last piece of luggage looped around the belt, none of our luggage was to be seen. Just when that acid reflex was starting to build up deep inside of me, this nice woman came over to us in broken English that had enough recognized words to give us a clue that we were to follow her. We tagged along to the brand new international terminal. You could still smell the damp concrete that had been poured not that long ago. My heart leaped as I saw our lone items regurgitated from the plane in this lonely terminal. We were virtually the only passengers in the entire structure. So we gathered things up and took them to customs to screen. We explained our prize solar panels and they told us we would have to get a special paper from the customs office before we could take them. With a full smile on his face and a look of hopefulness, it didn’t seem like too big of problem. To save you a very grueling torturous story from totally depressing you, 12 hours later we had been stamped, signed, approved, 200 euro fees paid, stamped again and when we though it might be all over, stamped again and interviewed. I am positive I met every bureaucrat in the entire city of Dalaman only one of which spoke just a little English. Ok, I am still traumatized by the whole event. If you can’t tell, then I should have given you more horrific information into the whole affair.

Summer 2010, Back in the Mediterranean

After spending a cold wet winter in San Francisco, we are back to the Mediterranean. It feels so good to be back. After a little delay caused by the volcano in Iceland that grounded all flights into Europe for a week, we left San Francisco on April 24th and a grueling flight later, made it to England. I am still waiting for the transporters promised to us by Star Trek. Until then, I guess my lot is to be stuffed into economy class with the rest of the herd. We stayed a couple of nights on the banks of the Thames at Rob and Dave’s condo. What a luxury to have such a beautiful place to stay. We spent a day wandering through the Tate Modern and meandering through the streets crowded with people and history. I love London. The next day we jumped aboard our magic carpet to Istanbul and after a 9 hour layover, (yeah pretty much as horrible as it sounds) we flew the final leg of our trip to Dalaman.

Along with our prized possessions from the states, we were carrying 2 solar panels with us. I am excited about having solar on the boat. It will give us much more flexibility and independence when we anchor out. So now we are even greener, the latest buzz thing to be. But it was not without a lot of pain and suffering.

London Bridges Falling Down

Sure I have passed through this world-class city but I have never spent time here. Steve’s friends Rob and Dave let us stay at one of their condos right on the Thames that they were not using. Right out our balcony we were surrounded by century old warehouses that have been unloading cargo since the old sailing ships ruled the sea. Now the warehouses are mostly fashionable residences owned by those that can afford the spectacular views. We used the same waterway by jumping on a catamaran that swiftly takes us to the center of London. Even though it is the first time I have spent time in London, everything strangely looks familiar. It is De Ja Vue all over again. There is Big Ben, and the parliament building, Westminster Abbey, and down the street is Buckingham palace. This is the London that Mary Poppins flew over with her umbrella and Peter Pan lead Wendy and her brothers by the hand as they flew above, on their way to Neverland. The closest we got to flying over the city is a ride on the Millennial Eye. And how can you not visit London without seeing the crown jewels. You gotta love these hunks of precious gems as big as a bar of soap that have been crowning royalty for centuries. We wander up and down the tower of London where Anne Boleyn and Mary, Queen of Scotts, lost their heads. It was like walking through a movie set. I was a bit disappointed to find out that Piccadilly Circus was no circus at all, but just means a circular road where several roads come together. Not a clown in site. And really, Buckingham Palace looks more like some boring government accounting building than a royal palace. I guess the inside is supposed to be pretty nice, but we were not invited in.

The Magic Carpets of Istanbul

We spent a couple days visiting the ancient city of Constantinople, where east meets west. This is a city that was the seat of Christianity until the Turks invaded and imposed Muslim rule. Beautiful iconic gold mosaic Christian domed churches got plastered over and the Muslim images painted in bright vivid colors. When these two major religions meet, it is hard to decide which one should be shown. Do you peel off the plaster that was added to the ceilings when the church was turned into a mosque to reveal the ancient Christian artwork? Or do you keep it the way it has been for centuries with the wonderful Islamic paintings.

The streets of Istanbul are crowded and the bazaars are overflowing with exotic handmade goods. Precious spices of deep rich colors and textures are displayed in mounds on top of wooden barrels. Old men stand shoulder to shoulder on the bridge that crosses the Bosporus river throwing their lines into the water below hoping to pull dinner out of the rough waters below like they have for centuries. Yet there is also something very modern about this city. Few women wear the traditional berka and I am told that those that do are probably visitors from Saudi Arabia. Hamans are sprinkled throughout the city where men and sometimes women gather to spend the afternoon on heated marble slabs pouring cool water over themselves as they discuss the important and not so important issues of the day. Carpet store owners suck you into their shops and offer you ceremonial tea to keep you there while they talk knots and thread count of these magical hand woven carpets. And the sounds of the city also let you know you are in a much different country as the muezzins stand atop the minaret towers that spike from the numerous mosques calling all faithful Muslins to prayer. It is quite loud and they start their calls early in the morning way before you are even considering getting out of bed. As I left this city, my only thought was how soon could I come back here. I am looking forward to my return in April.

Trekking to Turkey

It is just a couple hours’ sail from Rhodes to Turkey. We head to Marmaris, which is a deep bay surrounded in lush green trees and jagged rock outcrops. It is so verdant that I am surprised the difference between the Turkish coast and the rocky arid Greek islands we have been sailing through. We spend our time getting the boat ready for winter and filing all of the government papers necessary to be in Turkey. The marina is one of the largest in Europe with acres of boats drydocked. They are parked so close to each other that it looks like a Walmart parking lot. There are two large cranes pulling boats constantly out of the water. It never stops. They don’t call it dry docking, they call it “having your boat on the hard”. The date they put the boat back in the water is called your splash date. The boating community is quite close here. We are there for a little over a week before flying to Istanbul.

Road to Rhodes, Our last Greek Isle

One more stop takes us to the Island of Rhodes. Its claim to fame in the ancient world was the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The statue represented the sun god Helios, which stood 107 feet tall at the harbor entrance. Ships would sail into the harbor through its legs. You can still envision where the statue stood, but nothing is left of it. After it was destroyed in an earthquake in 226 BC the bronze was sold for scrap.

What makes Rhodes unique in the world today is it’s medieval town that still thrives inside the fortress of the stone walls built in the 14th century by the Knights of St John. With twelve feet thick walls and a mote surrounding it, the city was protected for centuries while other islands were conquered. At its zenith it had a population of over 40,000 residents. Maybe what is more amazing is there are still 10,000 permanent residents that are living in the exact same apartments built centuries ago. The old town is not a museum that you wander through and wonder how life might have been. It is a living, breathing city where it doesn’t take much of an imagination of how it must have existed 8 centuries ago. The horses and armor are gone, but travelers pass through as they have for thousands of years buying trinkets and memorabilia to remind them of their time on this ancient island.

We spent almost a week there climbing through the stone-paved streets and visiting the museums that document the centuries of history. It rained a couple of days while we were there but when the sun came out; it was still warm enough to head to the beach in the afternoons. One of the days we took the local bus to the town of Lyndos about an hour south along the coast. There perched on the top of a sheer cliffs that plunge into the ocean are the ruins of a once thriving Greek acropolis.

We were wandering around the markets and ended up meeting George, a gay store owner. He gave us suggestions of what to do. We went to the local Hamam and had a great time with the guys there. In the evening we met up with George and had some drinks with him. He ended up inviting us back to his apartment for the night that was originally built in the 13th century. It is quite amazing to be in a place that has been in continuous use for that many centuries.

Sometimes I feel so connected to these people that lived on this earth thousands of years ago. When you visit a city like Rhodes, you realize that not much has changed over the centuries. The signs have gone from hand carved wooden ones to neon lit plastic but shop owners are still hocking their wares, couples are sipping drinks and eating in the sidewalk cafes, children are playing in the fountains and chasing the pigeons, adolescents are checking each other out, old women are kneading bread and birds are still eating the scraps that fall from the tables.

Spectacular Santorini

Sailing into Santorini may very well be the most breathtaking place I have ever sailed into. It is one of the few islands in the Aegean that was created by a volcanic explosion. And what an explosion. Experts estimate that around 1600 bc more than 24 cubic square miles of mountain top blew up creating a tsunamis somewhere between 110 to 490 ft high. The aftermath created crop failures and famine as far away as China, so sever that it brought down the Xia dynasty. It is one of the biggest volcanic explosions every on the face of the earth. What is left in the aftermath is a spectacular volcanic caldron with sheer chocolate volcanic cliffs soaring hundreds of feet high. The old volcanoes steep sided rim and fertile volcanic soil made it perfect for building villages safely from the notorious pirates. As a result we get beautiful Santorini today with its white buildings rimming the crater top giving it a look of snowcapped mountains in an almost perfect circle.

It is quite a hike up to the towns from the ocean floor. Most people take the tram to the top or following years of tradition ride donkeys up very winding switch-backed trails. When you get to the top you are rewarded with perhaps the most scenic villages of the Aegean. Our favorite was the town of Oia with its softly sculptured white structures that sparkle in the sunlight as you wander through the streets of polished marble. And the sunsets from the ridge of this natural theater makes everyone stop each evening to watch the lightshow. The sky becomes ablaze in oranges purples and hot yellow-white light. Cameras start clicking and don’t stop until the last of the golden orb sinks into the deep blue ocean of Greece. Spectacular.

The sheer walls don’t stop at the ocean, but continue to plunge over 400 feet deep. As a result, it is just too deep to lay an anchor out. There aren’t any real ports because they can’t lay a breakwater, so we tied up to a buoy and the quay. We stayed for three nights before heading further east towards Turkey.

Rushing Winds and Raging Seas

This time of year, the weather is becoming problematic. Stronger winds and rougher seas are more common. We were only on Naxos for a day when the weather turned again to super strong winds. Everyone in the marina hunkered down by running extra lines from their boats to shore and tying the boats together for added protection. And the winds came with a vengeance. The open sea had wave height of almost 10 feet and winds up around 40 knots. Fortunately in the marina, it was just strong winds and a little rocky. Nothing like a safe harbor when mother nature decides to throw a tantrum.

We headed further south and spent a couple of days on Ios. It is an island much like Mykonos with a town nestled safely at the top of the hill. This city has the traditional narrow winding streets lined with whitewashed buildings selling postcards and all the souvenirs a tourist may need to remember this beautiful island. This time of year, the crowds are gone and it feels like you are walking through a movie set that once was teaming with actions. Lots of bars and nightclubs attest to the pulse of activity that is present during “the season”.

The Cobalt Blue Waters of the Aegean

When you think of the Greek Isles with their whitewashed sculptural houses punctuated by deep blue shutters and doors, you are thinking of the Cyclades. It is a group of islands whose history goes back literally to the dawn of civilization. We headed from Athens to Siros, the capital of the Cyclades. It is a busy port with shipyards, and a quaint town. The whitewashed town starts at the waters edge and climbs like sugar cubes stacked up the side of the hill with a beautiful church crowned in light blue domes.

This group of islands get their name because they all circle around the island Delos, the birthplace of Apollo. Delos was considered a holy island to the ancient Greeks where no one was allowed to live or be born on. Still to this day, no one lives on the island and boats are not allowed to stay past 3 pm.

Perhaps the most famous of all the Cyclades is Mykonos. It is clearly the most popular tourist destination. While we were there 3 or 4 cruise ships would be anchored in the bay even during this time of year which is considered the off season. I can’t imagine the crowds that must pulse through the very narrow streets of this small village port during the summer. It was afternoon so we anchored out in Super Paradise Bay. Just a beautiful clothing optional beach. The far side near the rocks is the gay section. What a surprise huh? While we were anchored, a cute Greek swam out to met us. We welcomed him aboard an enjoyed spending time getting to know him. That night we anchored out in this serene bay. Early in the morning the first water taxi came into the bay packed with visitors. We were still hanging out naked and when we saw our friend from the day before, I waved. Well I guess that is all it took. All of the people on the packed boat waved back. Then I see about 30 cameras out taking snap shots of me and Steve. I guess they just needed to know I was friendly. We enjoyed another full day in the sun swimming off the boat, but strong winds were predicted so we headed to the new port that has been under construction for the past 7 or so years. It is almost completed, but still has not had the power or water turned on yet. Since we haven’t been in a port with electricity for almost 2 weeks, we were starting wring out the very last of the power stored in our batteries. The winds did come and though the new port is a little more protected than the old port, it was difficult for most boats to dock safely. We watched the harbor theater as boat after boat got blown into other boats by the strong gusts as they tried to reach the safety of the berth. Every available hand would scramble to the decks of the nearby boats and help with sliding fenders or pushing off until finally the boats settled into their slips. It was hard to watch, but a real lesson on what not to do in strong winds when coming into a berth.

We rented a scooter for 10 euro a day to explore the island and visit the famous beaches of Mykonos. We went back to Super Paradise Beach and while soaking in the sun, we started talking to a couple of Aussies, a Brit and a guy from Philadelphia. It was just one of those situations where everyone liked hanging out together. We ended up hanging out with this group for most of the week, going to dinner together and a couple of the gay disco clubs in the evening. One afternoon our international gang all came over to the boat and we sailed to a secluded bay on the north part of the island where we had lunch at a really great restaurant. Stuffed with traditional Greek cusine, we went back to the boat and hung out naked, toasting in the afternoon sun.

Towards the end of the week, the winds and sea finally calmed down enough to head out to Paros. We stayed there for a couple of days and then headed to Naxos.

Welcome to the Aegean Sea.

First stop the island of Aegina. It is an island right off the coast of Athens. At night you can see the sprawling lights across the water twinkle up the hillside like a Christmas tree in October. Really a perfectly charming island with a bustling mix of restaurants and shops along the port. Boats are docked there with fresh vegetable stands spilling out onto the sidewalks as they set up their impromptu fruit stands. We shop for fresh ripe tomatoes plucked right from the vine and oversized watermelons that have to be eaten right away because they barely squeeze into our scaled down refrigerator.

The highlight of our stay was a visit from my sister and her husband. They have been enjoying a whirlwind trip through Europe and were finishing up in Athens. In the morning they took a ferry over to join us on a sightseeing excursion of the island. We had a little lunch on the boat and then rented a car to check out the historic ruins on Aegina. The best preserved is the temple of Aphaia. You have to marvel at the tall fluted columns and substantial pediments supporting this once grand temple. It is a feat of early engineering and craftsmanship. While time and weather has long since take away its polished surface, and knocked down a substantial part of its façade, the grandeur is not lost on us. In the late afternoon, the two of them caught the last ferry back to Athens. While the Acropolis and national museum should not be missed if you are in this area, the dirty and polluted city of Athens does not really seem that inviting to us. Since we have seen its historic treasures before, we decide to not stop there this trip through. Instead we head to the sun washed and whitewashed islands of the Cyclades.

From there we sail through the Corinth Canal.

South America has the Panama Canal. Greece has the Corinth Canal. Cut from limestone up to 250 feet deep, this waterway shortcut was first started by Nero using 6,000 Jewish slaves but he didn’t even get to the rock before insurrection in Gaul diverted his attention. Before that, the Romans would sometimes drag their ships across the dry land by putting logs under them and rolling the ships the 3.2 miles. It wasn’t to be completed until 1893. At each end of the canal, the roadways sink to the bottom rather than raising like a bridge. Really a cleaver way to deal with the heights required by cruise ships and big freighters, though I wonder how they can squeeze some of those monster liners through. It is only about 81 feet across.

The Gulf of Corinth

After almost a month and a half of the Ionian Islands, it is time to sail to Athens and the Aegean Sea. Connecting the two is the Gulf of Corinth. It is a two-day sail to Athens from Keffalonia. At the beginning of the strait is the city of Patros, the third largest city in Greece. Not a particular pretty city, but a port that has ferries coming in and out of it as often as the ringing of a church bell calling people to mass on Easter morning. There is a veneer of dirt and grime but underneath are wonderful plazas and thriving shopping districts. It is a bit of a shock from just leaving the solitude of the white sand beaches off the Ionians. There is not much between Patros and Athens except the jewel of ancient Greece, Delphi. Virtually a Mecca for worshipers of ancient Greek gods and drug-induced oracles guiding the superstitions of one of mans most ancient civilizations. In fact, many claim that western civilization started in Delphi. As worshipers came from all over the known world, they began the first exchanging of ideas. philosophy and finally trade. It is through this contact of multiple cultures that the ideas of self-rule and the dignity of man began to take shape. Delphi is built high on the cliffs overlooking a fertile valley of olive orchards that seem to go on as far as the eye can see. After the Acropolis, I would say that this site ranks as the second most important ancient site of antiquity. Don’t miss it if you are in this part of the world.

Keffalonia. Say that three times fast.

Ok this island is my favorite one to say. It sounds so exotic. Keffalonia. If it is possible, Keffalonia has even more beautiful beaches than Lefkada. The sand more fine, a little more pink and the bays a little more seductive. We continue to sail down the west side of the island to one of the top 5 beaches in all of Europe. It easily lives up to its sterling reputation. But instead we opt for one just a little further north for a much smaller and more intimate paradise. And for us, that day, it becomes our own private beach. There is no other way to get to it except by boat. The sheer cliffs that tumble down to the very edge of the beach make it our own fortress to lie around and soak in the Greek sun. In the afternoon, we do a little snorkeling exploring some caves and lagoons that have been carved out of the sandstone cliffs. If you like your beaches so peaceful that the only signs of human presence are your own footprints, head to the west side of Keffalonia.

The Rest Of the Ionians

This group of Greek islands is some of the most beautiful in the world. They sweep down the west coast of the mainland one right after the other like a rock skipping across the water. Corfu is the largest and most northern. Paxi, Lefkada, Ithaki, Keffalonia Kythira and Zakynthos follow as you make your way south. Unlike previous trips, this time we sailed down the west side of Lefkada. For some reason this side of the island has the most beautiful beaches. White sand with a slight tint of pink in it and long beaches awashed with the warm turquoise ocean surf. The land has sharp cliffs that have prevented much development on this side of the island. We are able to sail right into a deserted beach, anchor the boat and dive into the refreshing water. You can see the bottom of the ocean even when it is as deep as 50 feet. Yeah it is that clear. And the ocean temperature is around 86°, a far cry from the freezing waters of Northern California, makes it just that much more inviting. There are also no protective bays on this side of the island so we end up staying on the mainland of Greece that night near the southern end of the island.

Greece Lightning

Corfu is a beautiful verdant green island with inviting bays and crystal clear azure water lapping at all sides. We sailed around the east end of the island to the main port area of Corfu. Down at the end of the bay is the large port of Gouvia, one of the largest marinas in Europe. It is very popular for people planning to live on their boats while staying in Greece. It didn’t take long to figure out why this island was so green. While most of the islands rarely have rain in the summer, Corfu is like a sponge, grabbing every cloud that sails by and wrings it out to rob it of all the moisture. Sometimes the clouds put up quite a fight. The first week I was there I was caught in a horrific electrical storm. I have never seen anything like it in my life. The sky was ablaze with lightning. Strikes all around and within seconds of each other. Thunder beats out a drama that anywhere else would be considers a little over the top. But this accompaniment to the light show seems like the expected piece of crackling noise that the show deserves. Not only was the lightning bolts coming down from the heavens but they were also traveling horizontal, circling the sky above. I have never seen lightning do that before. And the winds were just incredible. The storm came up instantly and the winds were gale force. Even in the safety of the marina things were rocking and rolling. I can just imagine what it would have been like out in the open sea. The brunt of the wind was at the first part of the storm and the sea was so unsettled. It was just an amazing site to see. The rain came down in sheets. My tender on the back of the boat filled up with gallons of water in just a short period of time. I have been told that it is not uncommon for storms like this to occur during the winter. You can tell it is getting later in the season. This island gets as much rain as Seattle area where the exception is seeing the sun at all. It was very exciting but also a bit unnerving. I just hope one of these storms don't come up when we are out to sea. The interesting thing is that right across from Corfu, less than a mile away lays Albania. Its hills are dry barren rolling grasslands that look like they have not had a drop of water since last April. How could this island have so much water and be so close to such a dry landmass.

I ended up staying on Corfu for about 3 weeks while Steve flew home to take care of some personal business and to make his annual pilgrimage to Burning Man. I stayed and took care of some boat maintenance items that we have been putting off. Robert, Steve’s friend from Munich joined us when Steve came back and we hung out for a couple more days on Corfu. I took them to one of the three nude gay beaches that are near by. The beaches are more rocky but the guys there are friendly and love meeting Americans.

Charming Southern Italy

Every since my first visit to Southern Italy, I have been charmed to it like a snake dancer in a trance. It is so beautiful with quaint fishing villages and deep blue oceans that turn emerald green when the sand underneath rises close to the surface. It is by far the most under rated part of both Italy and maybe even Europe. Americans just don’t go to Southern Italy much past the Amalfi coast. Yet nestles on the high sheer cliffs are towns that have been surviving the elements of weather and raids of pirate ships for centuries. The pirates are no longer there, and the reason for the protective sheer cliffs have long since past, but the beauty still remains. If you have read my past blogs you know that I am in love with Tropea where the ancient town sees to morph from the cliffs below into a charming town where midnight only means the night has just begun.

We sailed through the Straits of Messina where Sicily and the mainland come so close together they almost kiss. The seas are shoved together causing confused seas that have given us ancient legends of monsters and sirens to explain how many ships of yore sunk to the bottom with their unlucky crew going down with them. You still have to respect the seas but the ruthless danger is overcome by power engines and efficient sails. At the end of the straits is a gay beach. We drop anchor for a few hours and check out the local boys. Yeah they are sexy as hell and very friendly. We anchored out right off the coast of Sicily and woke up the next morning to favorable winds that winged us across and to the strange port of Roccella.

Roccella is a new port build a couple years ago with EU money, but never managed. It feels like the wild west. People just come in and find a spot for themselves and stay as long as they want. No fees are collected and no electricity or fuel is available. The town that we never made it to is a ways away. We just spent the night and continued on to our next port along the sole of the Italian boot.

Almost as strange is the port of Crotone. I remember it from our very first visit there as a port that loves amateur singing. I thought then that they were having a special festival or something. As it turns out, it seems to be a nightly event that lasts all summer long. The music blares across the water as out of key lyrics are spewed forth. You would think it was over indulgent parents that are so taken with their children’s voices that they are willing to overlook the fact that they can’t sing. Except it is both the parents and the children that are indulged. As the music drones on until past 2 in the morning, you wonder if anyone in that town can sing at all. We listened to a rock band playing cover songs. The musicians actually were quite good. They had a great guitar and keyboard player. Then their singer steps up to the mike and started blaring out the lyrics. Sorry, he couldn’t sing on key either. It must be that the musical gene pool never arrived at this place.

Our last port in Italy is Santa Maria de Leuca. It is a port right at the heel of the boot of Italy. The sail from there to the island of Corfu takes most of the day. We however lucked out and had strong winds all day long that allowed us to sail faster than if we would have had to motor. We got there in record time. There is nothing quite like sailing under the power of the wind. You feel like nature has grasped you in her arms and giving you just what you need to transport you to the next port. The sheets are stiff. The boat seemingly pulsing with the waves to do what it was born to do. It is not quite beam me up Scotty spectacular, but a good substitute until we can obtain molecular travel.

The Italian Style

In the evenings we sometimes sit at a café right along the main street of town that we were at. Sometimes looking on as unobserved commentators, we would philosophize on the difference between Italians and others in the Mediterranean. While it is not unusual for most European cultures to be up late in the night and enjoy walks through the shops and restaurants, it is the Italians that bring this custom to an art. I am not sure how this evolved. Perhaps it is the very warm evenings. Maybe it is that little two-hour break during the day where most of the shops and businesses close. Or is it something that has just been for generations. In the evenings most people will start the evening meal at around 10 pm. You can go to a restaurant at 9 when they open for the evening and it will be completely empty. You think this must be a horrible place to eat. But come back an hour later and there won’t be a table to be had. If you arrive at 8pm, the place won’t even be open for business.

After the evening meal, people spill out of the restaurants and strolling up and down the main road in town. Shops are open and the participants are dressed to the nines. I am not talking about Sunday best. I am talking about dresses that would be appropriate for the social ball of the season. The perfect black dress or the glittery sequined red dress with various body parts oozing out in all the right places to attract attention. This outfit comes complete with very fashionable stiletto heels. Not a 4 or ever a 5-inch heel. I am talking about the devil wears Prada 6 or 7-inch stiletto heel. These are shoes I have not seen in the states for decades. And the women are not walking on smooth marble surfaces. The streets are rock blocks mortared together generations ago. Every crack and uneven block fitting together of these stones becomes a potential humiliating somersault. But the women hold their heads high and gracefully walk down the street as if they are wearing their most comfortable tennis shoes. Even the very little 7-year-old girls are walking in their two in training heels down the promenade.

And the men are not to be out done. They walk arm in arm or arms draped on each other’s shoulders in ways that would raise an eyebrow in most cities in America except maybe San Francisco. Their pants are tight and their shirts even tighter. They want every bulge and muscle to ripple through the fabric. Collars are turned up and accessories such as belts and shoes are all carefully placed and coordinated. You don’t see as many designer brands like you do in France, but the clothes on both men and women are all very stylish. There is a passion that flows through their personas and speech alike. This style is followed from even very young boys, certainly teenage, as well as the old guys. It is the Italian way.

Dudes Hanging Out Nude

We dropped anchor right next to a cave and some great rock formations. The weather was warm and the ocean inviting. We did a little swimming and enjoyed lunch. While we were eating, Steve spotted a couple of guys hanging out on the rocks naked. We decided to take a closer look. So with a little swimming and a little climbing, we had stumbled on the nude gay beach. The guys were very friendly and though they didn’t speak much English, we seemed to communicate in a more tribal fashion.

That night, we sailed to the other end of the island and anchored out in the bay under the shadow of an old fort that once defended its population. The next day we sailed over to the other side of the island to visit the still active hot springs. There are several hot springs on the island but the most popular is the ones that run directly into the ocean. They have stacked stones to form hot pools from the shore and the closer to shore you get the hotter the pool until the one that is next to the source is scalding hot and very dangerous if you should fall in.

The Tyrrhenian Sea

The Tyrrhenian SeaJust off the coast of Italy there are a string of volcanic islands that strung together like a pearl necklace. The most famous of this group is Capri, the pearl of the Gulf of Naples with its famous Blue Grotto and captivating coastal cliffs. Originally it was settled by the Greeks and later used by the Romans where it was a popular resort area for Roman nobility. Augustus Caesar built roads and aqueducts but it was Tiberius that made it famous by building his royal house and for a time ruling Rome from there. Today the island is under siege from tourists enjoying the legendary beauty of the island and exploring the famous Blue Grotto.

The other famous island in this group is Elba, where Napoleon was exiled to and later escaped from to briefly lead France into more battles seeking to capture his former glory. You can still visit Napoleon’s villa, which is beautifully hanging atop the plunging rugged cliffs of this historic island.

What is not talked about so much are the other volcanic islands that follow the Italian coast in the Tyrrhenian Sea, such as Giglio, Ponza etc. Probably my favorite island in this group is Ischia. It is every bit as beautiful as Capri without nearly the number of tourists mobbing around the streets. It is the island that Italians go to for vacation. As you approach the island from the north you can see the distinctive crater of the volcano that created this now lush green island. Grottos can also be found along its shoreline and sheer cliff walls rise a couple hundred feet from the ocean. It is not uncommon for the ocean depth to be over 100 feet deep just few feet from the dramatic coastline.

A Real Italian Port With No Tourists

Yeah they exist. We have been staying in some small fishing villages. Several have become resorts for weekend getaways. Last night we stayed in Neptuno. It is probably the most Italian place I have been. No tourists are here. We went to a small restaurant last night and had fresh calamari and pasta. Two guys played the guitar and sang all classic American rock songs. Even though we were the only visitors, all the Italians knew all of the words and everyone was singing along and enjoying the whole thing. The waiter told the little band that we were from America. One of the singers welcomed us and told us he visited California and loved it. I told him I have visited Italy and love it as well. They all thought that was funny. Then they sang Hotel California for us. We bought them a couple of cokes and they gave us a copy of their CD as a present.

After dinner we wandered the streets eating gelato and watching all the Italians in their designer clothes cruise each other. There was a whole section of town that was very crowded with lots of bars. Everyone was out in the plaza talking in groups and flirting with each other. The interesting thing is the boys stayed mostly in groups of boys and the girls stayed mostly by themselves as well. There was not much gender mixed groups.

Lean on Me

Pisa was as beautiful as ever. Even though we arrived pretty late, we took the time to climb up to the top of the tower. I hadn’t done that before in previous visits. Now that was an interesting experience. The floors tilt so much it feels like you are off balance. Combine that with the height and it disorients you pretty good. There were quite a few people that were clinging to the rail because they felt like they were going to fall. After climbing up the tower, we went to take the bus back to the port. It was pretty late and no one else was waiting at the stop. We were a little nervous that maybe the buses stopped running at some point, so I asked the guy at a near by souvineor stand if the busses were still running. He said yes and to take the blue bus that said Lucca on it. Well; shortly after that the bus came and we hopped on. Everything was going fine until the bus turned right and started up the hills. Something was wrong. We asked one of the passengers if the bus was not stopping at the port first and they said no, it was going straight to Lucca. Humm, that is a problem. We didn’t have much choice so we decided to try and catch the bus back from Lucca and start over. But when the bus finally arrived, the driver told us the next bus back to town was tomorrow morning. He told us we might be able to catch the train back that night and told us some complicated instructions on how to get to the train station. We stepped off the bus a bit confused but headed to the station. I guess he could tell we were a little out of our element and pulled up beside us told us to get in and drove us to the train station. You gotta love the Italians. That would never have happened in the US. Everything turned out well. We caught the train back to the port and made it back to the boat ok.

Au Revoir, Bon Joruno

Ah Italy, where the pasta gets better, the bread gets heartier, the language gets more passionate and hands are required when speaking. The other day I saw someone on a Vespa on his cell phone. One hand on the phone, another waving wildly in the air and no hands on the motorscooter. You gotta love the Italians. We head to La Spezia where we meet Mike. He and Nanette spent a couple of days in Rome before joining us. Nanette had to fly home to take care of a little emergency with her dog, but joined us later in the week. We once again did one of the most beautiful walks anywhere in the world along the Chinqua Terra coastline. It is like a walk for the gods. You feel like you are halfway suspended between heaven and earth. The crashing sea below punctuated by five postcard villages that were once small fishing ports. Now they are fishing for tourist dollars. It has been while since we have run into Americans, but this is definitely on the American Itineary. Despite the mob of tourists, it is hard to resist the charm of this part of the Italian coastline.

The Riviera That is not a Car From Detroit

The coast of France continues to ooze beauty and charm. Seamlessly blending from the Cote d’ Azur into the French Riviera the ports of call continue to be some of the best in Europe. Punctuated in the middle of this stunning coast is the tiny principality of Monaco. Presided over by the oldest continuing ruling royal family, the Giramaldi’s. They have governed this little kingdom for centuries by figuring out how to extract more money from visitors than most. With their copper domed Casino where fortunes are won and mostly lost in a single evening and upscale shops lure people off the streets like a diamond crusted worm on a hook, few people leave Monaco without leaving a piece of their bank account with them. Red Ferrari’s and yellow Lamborghini’s roar up and down the tightly looped roadways that every May becomes part of the Grand Prix. Everyone has some kind of fluffy ball attached to a leash. The streets are so clean that the 5-second rule of dropped food does not apply. The entire country less than the size of Central Park in New York.

We continue to anchor out away from the marina’s where possible, but can’t always find a sheltered cove in this part of France. After 10 days aboard, Jody leaves us at Nice to fly home. A couple of days later, we are hanging out in Menton, famous for its lemons. Each year they have a festival where they build huge sculptures solely out of citrus fruit. This is our last stop in France and where John leaves us to return home.

The Cote d’ Azur is the Best for Sure

The playground for the rich and famous, nothing beats the Cote d’ Azur. It’s famous ports run off the tip of the tongue like honey: St Tropez, San Raphael, Cannes, Antibes, Nice, are all like precious jewels set in the glittery coast of France. Super yachts are outdone by mega super yachts. Sun worshipers wash the beaches in golden tans that blend with the terracotta rooftops of the quaint fishing villages. John suggested we spend a few days anchored in the bay near the point des Fourmis just east of Nice. We spent some time visiting the Rothchild’s estate with its exotic gardens and walking past David Nivens old estate that was originally owned by Charlie Chaplin. While we didn’t exactly get a dinner engagement, we did have a light lunch in the Rothchild estate tea room.

On to Toulon

Not my favorite city, Toulon is more a working city with a strong French Navy presence. The port is at the foot of the town, but quite old and out of date. I was surprised when the capitanari remembered me from being there almost two years before. They remembered the girls traveling with me and asked how things had been going. We spent four days there picking up a couple more passengers, Jody, a friend of a friend that chartered the boat for the next 10 days and John who spent time with me when I was in Barcelona. John’s ability to speak French quite fluently endeared him to the crew immediately. We did a big stocking up at Carrefour to last us for a couple of weeks and then set sail for the golden sun of San Tropez.

Sheer Clifs and Sheer Delight

We headed out to one of my favorite ports in the Mediterranean, Cassis. Instead of attempting to squeeze into its tiny marina, we ended up anchoring out in one of the beautiful bays nearby. That experience was to change the way I sail in the Mediterranean. While we don’t get to plug into electricity and fresh water every night, we do get to plug into nature in a very beautiful way. Picture perfect soaring cliffs embracing us with the moonlight shimmering on the ocean lighting a pathway to our boat. The slight summer breeze under a canopy of stars and a peace that is not possible in port fills the air with a magic not found in port. The boat rocks a little more during the night and you hear the ocean lap against its sides. It is a very connecting experience. We embrace it and want to do more of this kind of overnight stays. We stayed a couple of nights only going into port for gas before heading to Toulon.

Why is Everyone Naked

We sail back to Cap d’ Agde. It is a nudest town of over 20.000 people during the summer. I have been here before with my friend Kip. It is mostly a straight crowd. The beaches are broken up depending on your interests. The first part of the beach is reserved for families. Walk a little further down the beach and you run into straight couples. Keep going and you run into couples that are more sexual. You can find pockets of people gathered around watching a couple having sex. Walk a little further and you get to the gay section. Gay boys don’t have sex on the beach, they wander to the bushes and sand dunes behind the beach. You are free to choose what group you want to hang with.

Even in the town wearing clothes is optional. Though I have to say it is a little strange wandering down the aisles of the grocery store stark naked looking at the frozen meat section. The restaurants are also optional though most people tend to wear something while dining. Maybe the most interesting part is what happens at night. There are plenty of clubs bouncing with people. Most everyone is dressed. The women wear the most provocative clothing. Boobs hanging out about tight corsets and tight short skirts. The guys don’t dress up quite so much. While there is a gay bar, we had more fun hanging out at the mixed gay/straight bar.

Crossing the Dotted Line

Yeah we crossed the national boundaries into France. Immediately the bread got better the yogurt more fruity, and we had more choices in cheese, While it is wonderful to be back in France, I already miss not being understood. Everyone is very helpful and most people speak English “juzt ah little”. The winds were still pretty strong and we got some perfect days of sailing in with strong winds that pushed our sailboat faster than if we were under motor.

The Wild Costa Brava

In Spanish, Costa Brava literally means wild coast. It sure did live up to its name. The first couple of days into our journey along the north coast of Spain, the winds whipped up to around 35 knots and the waves kept growing until the height was somewhere around 6 to 8 feet. While the boat did fine, it gets a bit tiring after a while. These winds are known as Tramontana, which are part of the Mistral winds coming from France. The marina we planned to stay in was a little too far and we ended up taking shelter in the protected bay at Cadequez. As soon as we entered the embrace of the bay, the waves calmed down and the winds, while still strong were tamer. We threw out the anchor and made sure it sunk deep into the sandy bottom. It wasn’t long before some other boats joined us. A couple from Germany anchored right near us and later in the evening a large yacht anchored a little further away. For the next two days the winds continued to howl and we continued to hunker down. We awoke on the third morning with relative quiet winds and from where we were, it looked like the seas had calmed down a bit. So we ventured out. It didn’t take long before once again the winds whipped up and waves began to pound. By then, we were far enough to make the marina at Port de la Selva. So with an E ticket rollercoaster ride on the crest of the deep blue waves, we surged into port. There were just a couple of slots opened, but we managed to wiggle between two boats and finally tie up to the quay. All the people nearby helped us with the lines and welcomed us out of the storm. A couple of hours later, the German couple limped into port as well. I guess they tried sailing with the same optimism that we had.

Three Two One, Blast Off

It was hard to leave Barcelona. After so many months living there, it feels like my home away from home. I know my way around, and can find the supplies that I need. My Spanish has gotten just to the point where I can express myself well enough to make my point. Just when things are starting to come together language wise, it is time to say goodbye. My friend Steve came the first part of June and we spent the first couple of weeks finishing up things and gathering supplies for our summer journey ahead. It is not that they don’t have food where we are going, it is just the difficulty in finding all the things that we need. So we visited the big grocery store here one more time and carted it back to the boat. It looked like we were setting out for a ocean voyage to far off lands. Had a nice farewell party with my friends that I have made here in the marina and left the middle of June.

More Canals than Venice

When this port city was first laid out, the city planners decided to dig long canals to aid in the trade and mercantile industry that it would become famous for. Even though the streets are quite narrow, the canals running through make the city very open and the water gives it a wonderful tranquil feeling. There are far more canals in Amsterdam than Venice. It certainly is a very livable city. We rented bikes for the time we were there and were able to get everywhere on them. We even rode to the outskirts of town following the Amstel River, which the town is named after. There are still a few windmills standing after 300 years.

One of the main reasons I wanted to visit Amsterdam is to make a pilgrimage to the Van Gough museum. It is the largest collection of his works. What surprised me the most about the exhibit is how many of his works I have already seen from the traveling exhibits of his work over the years. It was still wonderful to see them all collected thanks to his brother Theo’s wife who still believed in Van Gough even after his death.

One night we went to the famous red light district. It is just kind of bizarre. Women dancing in tiny windows waiting for their customers to choose them like chocolate in a candy box. I personally found it more interesting to see the young guys as they reacted and were enticed by what was going on. Much bravado goes on about which one they would pick. The whole area had kind of a frat house feel to it. Some do get picked because the curtains are drawn in some of the windows, but mostly it is young girls of every size and shape in clothes that revealed about as much as what you would see on any beach. Actually the system seems to work better than having the prostitutes wander the streets. They are kept in just one area of town and if you want to see them, you go visit. It is probably much less violence and better city oversight.

Holland has a reputation for being cold and overcast much of the year. Fortunately for us the weather could not have been nicer. It was shirtsleeve weather in the daytime and just a light jacket at night. When the sun comes out, so does everyone else. The parks were packed with sun worshippers getting in their dose of vitamin E. Everyone speaks English as well as Dutch of course. You should not ask people if they speak English. They would take it as an insult that you thought they were not well educated. Bob’s friend that we stayed with is originally from Portland and teaches English to high school students. He has lived there for years and loves it there. I asked him if the students prefer an American accent or a British accent. He said most prefer an American accent. It is because of all the music and movies that are imported. I guess one thing America does well is export it’s pop culture. Well that and fast food restaurants

Bikes, Bikes Everywhere in Amsterdam

Bob came back here and Dui went on to Morocco. Bob had another week here with me so rather than Madrid, we decided to take a quick trip to Amsterdam. He has some friends that live right in the historical part of town, so I only had to pay for the airfare. Seemed like a great opportunity.

When you first step onto the streets of Amsterdam you are struck by the incredible number of bikes. Thousands are lined up near the train station. All are very simple one gear or 3 gear bikes. I haven’t seen this many bikes since Beijing. There are really very few cars especially in the old historic part of the city. Built mostly in the 1600’s these mostly brick buildings have a unique architectural style. They are built very narrow, about 4 stories high with tall roofs and lots of detail. The stairwells are too narrow to bring furniture up so each building has a large hook built into the roof so people can hoist their furniture through the windows. Some of the buildings actually tilt forward a couple of degrees to accommodate furniture being moved it. They are all out of square because of all the canals that surround them have caused the structures to settle unevenly. Thank goodness there are no earthquakes there. The whole place would be leveled in about 10 seconds.

More Guests in Barcelona

We made it back to Barcelona at about 7 that evening. On the bridge was a friend of Tom's who he had met on the cruise he was on. Holly is a very attractive lady in her early 40's. She ended up coming on the boat and we hung out with her, had a little dinner and talked a lot. She seemed very interested in gay guys. One of the funny things she said to me is that I act so straight, am I sure I am gay. Tom wondered why she didn't think he was straight acting and she told him he is most of the time, but every so often he seemed gay. lol.

A couple of days later John, the kid from Sitges called me and wanted to come over. We talked a little about him doing porn and he wanted me to shoot some photos of him so he could audition. Well who would say no to that. They turned out pretty hot.

Tom was suppose to only stay on the boat for 4 days but ended up staying for a week. That was fine with me. I think he just loved being on the boat and was in no hurry to leave. The last part of his trip he was planning to go to Rome by himself. He left at the end of last week. As he was leaving though, Bob and his friend Dewey arrived. Bob has become a good friend of mine. Dui is also a great guy that I have really enjoyed getting to know. He is from Vietnam, a very smart guy and very sexy as well. The first day we hung out at one of the gay beaches here in Barcelona. They both stayed here for the following week and again, I found myself hanging out with them showing them around Barcelona. In the middle of all of this, my friend Rudigear who I knew from last time I was here was doing some interior design work on the yacht next to me. He was really stressing out trying to get everything done. I ended up helping him for 2 or 3 days, sometimes working until 2 in the morning. The yacht was trying to leave for Croatia but had to get this work done before it left. We finally got everything done. A couple of days later, Bob and Dui left for a week in Rome. Then they come back here. Dui will be here just one night before heading to Morocco for a week. Bob is going to stay here with me. We are thinking about going to Madrid for a couple of days, but haven't finalized anything.

The last couple of days I have been catching up on things. Cleaning the boat and working on a web site I am suppose to finish. I did go to the beach for a couple of hours yesterday. It was just too nice out. Last night I went to a little party at Roland and Mar's place. We just had a little dinner and kicked back for the evening. Then at midnight, three of us went to the movies to see the new Star Trek movie. It was a fun movie. Good story and lots of special effects. What do you expect. Yeah I know it is kinda crazy going to a movie at midnight, but I tell you, people in Spain never go to bed at a decent hour. Since the clubs don't even open until about 1am and don't even get started until about 2, I guess we had an early evening. A lot of people don't even get home until 8 in the morning. Crazy huh. In a couple of weeks, I head back to the Bay Area for the winter. It is a little hard to leave Barcelona. This is really one of my favorite cities in the world.

In Stiches at Sitges

Well, back to Barcelona after our excitement in Venice. Three guys chartered for a couple of days. We sailed down to Sitges which is a little resort town just south of Barcelona. It is very gay, kind of like Provincetown. We anchored out at Playa de Morta which is the gay beach. it was late in the afternoon and some of the crowd had already started heading back to town. But the weather was still warm and the sun felt great. This cute 18 year old kid, John, swam out to the boat and we invited him on. He didn't speak much English and I am still working on my Spanish but we were able to understand most of the conversation. It turns out he is starting a career in modeling and wants to also do porn. He wondered how to get started. I told him he just had to look up the companies and audition. It is not the hardest job to get if you are cute, have a great body and a big dick. He assured us he did have a big dick and gave us his phone number. I wasn't really interested in doing anything with him but was glad to give him a direction at least. After he swam back into shore one of the guys swam in and tried to talk to him a little more. But the guy didn't speak any Spanish so he didn't get very far. John asked him who had all the pennies. I think he meant who owned the boat.

That evening we went into Sitges and wandered around the streets. There is a gay bar called Parrots that is on both sides of the street. Guys sit out there and watch the cute boys come up from the beach in their little speedos. Everyone kinda makes comments but it is all in fun. Afterwards we had dinner and went to a couple of the clubs in town.

The next morning two of the guys took the train back to Barcelona and one, Tom, stayed on the boat with me to sail back. There wasn't much wind so I turned on the engines. Things just didn't seem right so I dove down to check things out. Sure enough, the propellers were encrusted with barnacles from sitting so long in Barcelona. I got a metal spatula and began to knock them all off. They were really encrusted on there good and I ended up spending about an hour knocking them off. The water was a little chilly, but nothing like San Francisco bay. I wasn't that cold diving, but when I came back on deck I started to just shiver and couldn't stop. I think I got a little hypothermia. My temperature must have just been dropping from being down there so long. But with enough blankets and the warm sun I finally returned to normal. Tom was very helpful.

Back in Barcelona

It is good to be back in Barcelona after spending the last 6 months in the U.S. Everything looks the same and yet different. Stepping on to my boat once again felt like home. I really missed living on the water. Looks like everything survived just fine without me. That is pretty remarkable since while I was gone, Barcelona had two of the biggest storms in the last 30 years. I have heard from other people that were here during the destruction this storm caused. The big yacht that is moored next to me tore the cleats right out of the dock. They had to throw lines around the piers to keep the boat from crashing into things. The captain told me that I tied my boat up so good it barely moved. That is a nice compliment to hear from a guy that has spent his life at sea. He also told me that there was such destruction going on that everyone was looking for any extra lines they could find to tie their boats up better. Not all boats fared so well. One boat sank and out where the really huge yachts are, the pier totally broke apart and sunk. One of the big yachts headed out to weather the storm in the open sea. They figured there would be fewer things to bang in to. Around the marina there are covered areas for shade. The wind was so strong that it blew one of the heavy metal roofs off of the structure and it sheared two sailboat masts in half. I saw my friend Roland from C dock a couple days later. He told me he was keeping an eye on my boat and it looked like it fared better than most. A couple of days later they had a little welcome back party for me. His wife Mar fixed a bunch of Catalin dishes and some of the people around the marina joined us. We enjoyed catching up on things since I was gone. One of the fun things about living in a marina is people are from all over the place. There were people from Belgium Scotland, England, New Zealand, France and yeah, Spain.

Because of the width of my boat, yachts that are much bigger than me surround me. The one next to me is quite huge. I have gotten friends with Marsella who for the first couple of weeks back was by herself. We traded DVD’s and she gave me a huge bowl of shrimp. She had a famous Spanish pop singer and her boyfriend staying on the boat. Marcella planned a big dinner for them, but they changed their minds and went into town to eat. A couple of days later, I gave her back the bowl filled with chocolate yum yum’s I made for her. After about a week, the captain returned from England. He had been recertifying. Then a couple of days later, the rest of the crew returned. The boat has about 5 people on it most of the time, cleaning, cooking and maintaining the boat. That thing must cost a fortune to maintain. They told me it has a 25,000 liter fuel tank. The irony of it all is the crew enjoys the boat way more than the owner who is only on the boat a couple of weeks a year.

Way Up North to Chiang Mai

After spending several days in Bangkok, we took an overnight bus north to the city of Chiang Mai. It is a very large city with about a million people. The roots of the city go back centuries when it used to be on the trade route that brought silver, handmade goods and jewelry. Remnants of the ancient city walls still wander through the city. Scattered throughout the city is over 300 Buddhist temples. The most famous is Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep. Perched up on the hill overlooking the city. It is another island of glittering gold. We rented scooters for the day and headed up there. Once there you have to climb another 309 steps to the top. On our way up, we took a little detour off the main path and came across our first elephant. It was chained at the foot but immediately started dancing back and forth. A big smile on his face and glint in his eye gave every impression that he was glad to see us. Just like a dog greeting a stranger, this elephant was reacting to us being there. If they weren’t so big, I would love to take one home.

In the afternoon, we rode to the other side of the town where they were having an umbrella festival. Thousands of handmade umbrellas were on display. We visited the factory where women were taking raw bamboo and literally carving each spoke in the umbrella. Each piece was amazingly exactly like the others. They were then all assembled together interlocking each piece with precision until the piece was finished. Then they were all hand painted and laid out to dry in the sun. This factory that produces thousands of umbrellas had absolutely no machinery. All were handcrafted by women who devote their life’s work to producing one part of the whole.

One of the amazing things about Thailand is how cheap everything is. You could get a hotel room for as little as $10 a night and a real nice one for $24. Our cheapest meal was Phat Thai for only 3 cents. And that included the paper plate and fork. Most of the tourist things were free. An hour massage was typically $6.00. You could rent a taxi for the afternoon for a dollar. The only problem is they want to take you to their “special shops” where they get vouchers for gas by bringing in customers. We were not really shopping so asked that they just charge us more.

While we were up north we went on a trek up into the mountains. There are hundreds of mountain tribes that have remained virtually the same for centuries. Some still don’t even have running water. Or trek began with an elephant ride through the jungle. It was really a fun experience riding these mammoth beasts. The one thing that we quickly learned about elephants is that they are constantly eating. They literally never stop, consuming about a quarter ton of food a day. Everywhere we went, they were reaching out with their trunks grabbing half of a bush. It is a good thing things grow quickly in the jungle. From there we hiked up hill for the rest of the afternoon. We finally arrived at a very isolated village that seemed to tolerate tourists like the elephant tolerated the flies that buzz around them, a little annoying, but nothing to get upset about. Our guides fixed us a nice Thai meal and then had us sleep in a one room thatched hut. We slept right on the wood floors with absolutely no padding. That was difficult but the hardest thing was to keep from freezing to death. The sleeping bags were so thin you could see through them. Temperatures dropped to around zero that night. I was curled up in fetal position under my sleeping bag just waiting for morning. Mike finally got up around 3 in the morning and spent the rest of the time waiting for the sun to rise next to the campfire. It was a far different climate from the 80-degree weather in Bangkok.

We took a plane down to Phuket, which is at the south end of Thailand. This town was clearly built for the American GI’s who had their R&R in Thailand during the Vietnam War. There was one bar right after another. And standing in front of each bar were beautiful Thai girls literally trying to drag you into the bar to buy them a drink. When you go to a bar in Thailand, you are customarily given a woman who is your companion for the night. Her job is to try and get you to drink as much as she can and to supply her with as many drinks as you will buy for her though I doubt her drinks have much alcohol. I felt like Pinocchio when he is on the Island of Lost Boys. So much alcohol and so much sex steaming through the streets. It all didn’t do much for me, but there were plenty of guys who loved the attention and who knows what else. We didn’t stay long in Phuket. Instead we headed to one of the hundreds of resort island, Phi Phi.

By this time in our trip, we had seen enough temples and done enough shopping. We were ready to kick back and enjoy a nice week of resort living. Our bungalow was just steps from the beach. We ate our meals with the sound of the surf slapping against the white sand. During the day we would lay around the pool reading books and soaking in the sun. In the evenings there were plenty of fire dances and disco dances to entertain us. It was really just a very relaxing part of the trip. We took day trips on long tail boats, which mean they were regular boats with a car engine mounted on the back. Where the drive shaft is was a very long pole that attached to a propeller. They were fast and cheap and took us to some of the other islands where we fed the monkeys and dove into the crystal clear water. This was one of the islands that got wiped out by the tsunami a couple of years ago. It was a bit unnerving to see tsunami signs scattered throughout the island keeping you always aware of where the highest point of refuge would be in the event of an emergency.

Spending time in the kingdom of Thailand only made me want to come back and spend even more time. I want to explore the surrounding countries of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. It is an amazing part of the world that has a history and culture going back for centuries.

The Magical Kingdom Here On Earth

We went to visit the royal palace and center of religion for the country. Now I have been to some pretty spectacular royal settings: The commanding grounds and palace of Versailles, the royal palaces of Vienna, the Vatican, temples of Bali, the forbidden city of China etc. But nothing is like the magic of Thailand. Its royal grounds literally glitter in the sunlight. Everything is gold and silver. Buildings are covered in mosaic mirrors and porcelain tiles. The wealth is displayed in 24 karat gold leafing. The statues are monumental. The architecture is fanciful and beautifully carved in detail. It is like a movie set for Shangri-La. An image of heaven could not be much different from what was created. To be the king of Thailand meant to be surrounded with opulence and luxury. I almost expected this section of the city to be lifted up to the heavens. It is a site to behold,

There are hundreds if not thousands of statues of Buddha all over the city: the reclining Buddha, the standing Buddha, the emerald Buddha the sitting Buddha. But maybe one of the most amazing is the solid gold Buddha cast in the 13 century. When the Burmese were threatening to invade, they covered it in plaster and there it remained forgotten for centuries. It was thought to be old but of little value. Then in 1957 this statue was moved to a new temple. When they were lowering it in place, one of the ropes broke and as it crashed to the floor, part of the plaster fell off revealing what was hidden for all this time, a solid gold statue of the sitting Buddah. It is the single most valuable piece of religious art in the world at least price on its actual raw worth.

Bangkok

It is a big city choked with traffic and pollution. Cars buses scooters and tutus all crowding the city streets. There is a crescendo of horns honking and police yelling out directions. The people on the streets trip over the constant street vendors selling everything from live eels to temple offerings. It is hard to separate the saturation of color and noise from the waffling of smells that permeate this beautiful city. The fragrances are like individual links of a chain that come one right after another. There is no part of the city that does not have a smell. Frying fish, fragrant flowers, barbeque chicken pungent smells from who knows what are all linked together and mixed with whiffs of incense. Temples dot the city and you first come across them from the smell of incense before you lay eyes on their golden roofs of delicately carved wood. Buddhism is the predominate religion with a sprinkling of Hinduism and just a smidgen of Christianity. The dominance of Buddhism makes the city glimmer in gold. Every temple shimmers in the sunlight. The attendants of these ancient shrines are young boys with shaved heads and wrapped in saffron robes. Every young man is expected to serve the church for a period of time. Most serve 18 months. But if you have a good job and are supporting your family, that time can be cut down to 7 days. Offerings are made with carefully arranged flowers and fruit. Devout worshipers carefully take off their shoes and enter with reverence and bow before the huge golden Buddha statues that dominate each temple. The priest blesses the people with holy water and ties a string on their wrist to bring them luck. It is a very inclusive religion. I was standing back watching the priest bless the followers when he looks at me and motions for me to come over to him. I too receive the holy water and the string around my wrist. The parallels with Christianity are not lost on me. They too have commandments that include no lying, no murder, and no adultery, honor your parents and no alcohol. The last commandment seems to be routinely ignored by at least part of the believers. While they don’t have weekly services they go to temple when they feel the need to connect with Buddha. Scripture study is more an individual thing.

The Kingdom of Thailand

My friend Mike calls me up and tells me he wants to go to Thailand in a week. I guess I was the one friend he knew that would always be up for a little adventure. And he was right. We booked our flight and off we went, to explore another part of the world.

Dinner with Elton John in Venice

We had about a week left before everyone had to fly back home. So we went on to ClickAir to see what cheap flights we could find. After checking out flights to Prague, Canary Islands, Milan, the winner for the cheapest fares was Venice. And what a winner it was.

Venice is everything you expect it to be. After a short bus ride from the Airport, we caught the water bus down the grand cannel to get to our hotel. Yeah that is right, instead of busses using roads, they really do use the cannels of Venice. You can buy a 3 day unlimited pass for 20 euro’s. Venice is such a small city that I recognized a lot of the grand palaces built right on the cannel from movies that have used this magical city for its setting. Really there is just one big cannel cutting through the center of Venice with a lot of side cannels feeding off of it. So it is pretty easy to not get too lost. We arrived at our hotel which was just steps from the Rialto Bridge one of only 2 over the main cannel. It proved to be an ideal location. We spent the day taking in the sites and exploring St Mark’s square. This is the big square that is framed by impressive government offices and a spectacular basilica at the far end. It is also the square that frequently floods when the sea is pushed up the gulf by strong winds and raging storms. Fortunately for us, this time of year it stays dry. Towards the far end of the square, they were setting up a huge stage and seating for about 2000 people. The rumors going around was that Elton John would be giving a concert there that evening. So around 7pm we headed back to the plaza and found a nice restaurant to have dinner out on the square. We took our time to eat and were treated to Elton John appearing at about 8:00 on stage at the other end of the plaza. We could hear perfectly and could even see him when we stood up. He sang through his signature songs for the next 2 hours. Wow what a treat and what a way to see this legend in concert. Much better than some stadium event with him just a dot on the stage from the nose bleed seats. No one hurries you through dinner in Europe and a 3-hour meal is the norm. So the waiters were very nice making sure we were taken care of the whole time the concert was going on. Thanks Elton for a wonderful magical evening under the stars of Venice.

And the magic did not end there. The next day we visited the Basilica and governors palace. Beautiful marble structures filled with all the bounty and treasures of a couple of centuries ago when Venice was the richest trading city in Europe.
We also did a “Secret walking tour of Venice”. It was fascinating to hear how this sleepy village was able to transform itself into a powerhouse of Europe. Starting with a simple market and expanding to include trade in spices, fabrics, and exotic handcrafted treasures from all over the western world.

That night we went to our second concert. Held in one of the large palaces we were treated to classical pieces that brought back the sophistication of Venice’s glory days of fine composers performing their works with all the brocade and silk fabrics of the day.

Romans in Spain

Mike Jose and David came to join me for a couple of weeks. Mike and Jose have been to Europe a lot and were well familiar with Barcelona. It was David’s first time. So we spent a couple of days showing him the highlights of this wonderful city. I never get tired of all the things this city has to offer. By now I can get anywhere I want by metro. I love public transportation over here. It works so efficiently and is really so cheap. We decided to take a little sailing trip down south. So off we go to Sitges, a wonderful resort town just south of Barcelona. We spent the day anchored right off of shore enjoying the sun and the warm Mediterranean Sea. It is a fun way to spend the day at the beach without getting sand all over. In the evening we sailed to the port in Sitges and spent the night exploring the cute shops, hanging out and having a wonderful dinner together. It was so much fun, we decided to spend a couple of days there. After soaking in the sun and the local flavor of this quaint village, we headed further south to the town of Tarragona. It is an old town established by the Romans to guard their foothold in this part of Spain. There are still remnants of this foothold the most impressive being a nice sized coliseum. Scattered around are crumbled walls and watchtowers. A lot of the ruins were destroyed during that most uncivil civil war in Spain. It is still worth a visit, which should include a visit to a 14th century church and monastery, the old governing palaces and a gothic area of town.

We spend the night there and sailed back to Sitges the next day. Just a brief overnight stop in Sitges and we were off to Barcelona. But we didn’t stay long.

We Need San Juan’s Day

As you probably have figured out, Spain has more holidays than a dog has fleas. Sometimes I wonder how they get anything done at all over here. The latest is San Juan’s Day. Who would have thought that Saint John the Baptist would have his own holiday? And if you are going to have a holiday named after you, why not make it an all night party on the beach.

I was having dinner with my friend Kevin. We were well aware of this holiday. It comes with an endless supply of fireworks making the 4th of July look like an amateur celebration. Every kid in Barcelona has his own stash of bottle rockets, pinwheels, firecrackers guided missiles and anything else they can get their hands on. So all day long we were treated to a constant attack of loud bangs and shooting rockets. At dinner things started to build. So after a nice plate of local cuisine, we decided to wander down to the beach. You see, this holiday involves an all night party on the beach. And the beaches were packed. What started out as a quilt-work of blankets and candles turned in to shoulder-to-shoulder dancing and partying. It was truly amazing. DJ’s blasting out music and people clustered in groups that fluidly welcomed everyone on the beach for a fun time. And this party doesn’t end until the sun rises over the horizon. With the first rays of day, everyone jumps into the ocean fully clothed. Their sins are washed away and they can start a new year sparkling clean. Thanks John the B. Nice night by a guy that really knows how to throw a party.