Friday morning we had a terrific sail across from Favignana Island to Marsala (famous for its sweet wine) on the west coast of Sicily - upwind with flat water and 12 to 15 knots of wind - perfect conditions for ALMA and we made great time and were in the harbour just after midday. Just as well as the wind was up to 20 knots by the time we'd finished securing all our lines and up to 30 knots within an hour followed by torrential rain and thunder (with even stronger gusts) - I haven't seen as heavy rain since Singapore's monsoon rain.

Hope to explore the west coast of Sicily next week and then next weekend make the final stage of our journey along the south coast of Sicily (would like to visit the ancient Greek temples at Agrigento and Selinunte) and across to Malta (which lies about 70 miles south of the southern point of Sicily).

Hope you're all well.
Best wishes
Iain and Helen

Favignana island (the island of goats in Homer's Odyssey) was lovely with a spectacular high ridge in the centre of the island with a commanding fort built for Catherine of Aragon on the highest point. Favignana is a local (ie Sicilian) tourist destination but not many non Italian visitors and so hardly any English spoken. After Portuguese, Spanish and French this summer we're now trying to learn a few words of italian. I confused a shopkeeper in Favignana by saying thank you in Portuguese! We had a wonderful dinner watching Palermo beat juventus in the Italian Football league - a very popular result - absolutely no-one in the restaurant cheered for juventus! The restaurant was on the quayside and of course the "menu" was almost exclusively fresh fish but what was particularly special was the whole tuna on the counter - steaks were just sliced off and put on the wood fire grill - basic but marvellous. Favignana was a major tuna port and the old warehouses line the harbour - but now its a centre for tuna conservation (apparently)!

20-27th September 2010

Hi,

We are now in Malta for the weekend but on the move again today and tomorrow. Iain sailed the boat with the help of Andy, Ian and David from Minorca to SIcily where the boat now is while Helen flew from Minorca to the UK and then to Malta. Andy and David flew back from Sicily to the UK and Ian has remained on board to sail a little further towards Malta with Iain. There was not much wind on the way to Sicily so the engine was on so that deadlines could be made.

After a weekend here of R and R plus the gym and some inevitable admin, Iain leaves this evening for Sicily and Helen tomorrow for the UK before meeting up in Sicily next weekend.