It was gloomy, drizzly, and overcast when we left Taorimina for our next anchorage just outside of Spiaggia Di Scilla, a town and commune in Calabria, Italy. It is the traditional site of the sea monster Scyalla from Greek mythology. We had planned to sail to Syracuse, but a couple from Philadelphia, also from the Metropole, had visited the town with not many favorable things to share.

While sailing, we noticed the water was full of large, burnt orange colored jelly fish. The size of a dinner platter, the fish supposedly are not harmful. We also noticed them on the way to Taormina. Since Rich was stung last year, we kept our distance, taking no chances.

We did not stay long in Scilla. There were terrible fires inland causing ash to blow through the air, the wind smelled like cigarettes, and you felt as if you had been relaxing at a campfire way too long. We left early the next day, still able smell the fires, the air stinging your eyes. Airplanes soured over the region carrying buckets of water to help dowse the fires, hoping for the afternoon rains.