After last night’s thunderstorms, we were surprised this morning by sunshine and calm water, so we’re off to Ponza! Known for its colorful homes, aquamarine waters, and dramatic cliffs, Ponza is a quiet, sleepy, laid back paradise.

Large barge-like ferries filled with trucks, cars, and people, deliver necessities to the island. Once the goods are unloaded, they are manually transported to businesses on the upper level roads where cars are not permitted. Cleverly, smaller boats zip around the bay selling cocktail drinks or ice cream, delivered right to anchored or excursion boats.

Ponza is also known for its blue grottoes. We explored several by dinghy. The Grotte di Pilato is a complex system of tunnels and pools dating back to the Roman period. The caves served as elaborate fish farms for moray eels. In 1997, it is said a Roman statue was discovered submerged in one of the tunnels. Ponza offers breathtaking cliffs sheared by the weather. I am not very interested in geology, but the island’s topography is magnificent.

Just like your home, there is always cleaning and maintenance on a boat. It seems we are always attempting to keep the boat free of the heavy layers of salt that constantly accumulate. At times, we even need to climb to new heights to repair things mother nature has destroyed! This is Rich in a bosun’s chair up the mast, 67 feet in the air. Unfortunately, the repair was not completed and we will have to do it all over again.

PS. Happy birthday to Emily, May 24th! Enjoy your day!