So, “Mamma said there’d be days like this, Mamma said…” I am finished with days like this, rainy days. We are slowly crawling our way to the next anchorage. We have to motor more than we would like because of the non-cooperative, fickle wind. Motoring is loud and dull; kind of like a really long… read more

We have made it down to Elba to anchor and go ashore. We were here last year and I remember enjoying the charm of the place. It was mid-summer last time we visited, the beach was a mass of colored beach umbrellas, the teens were everywhere, and everyone enjoyed an ice cream cone! Now, it… read more

We have been surrounded by heavy, swollen rain clouds since May 10; it has been dismal, dreary, and gross. We are still even wearing long pants and sweaters! Motor-sailing along, we have spent the nights at anchorages and the days hoping for sun and wind. Our hopes brought more rain. Our only surprise, late one… read more

We have left Pisa and continued to Florence, the capital of the Tuscany region; a city with great art, gelato, and “bistecca all fiorentina” from the famous Tuscan Chianina cattle. These steaks are renowned for their flavor and tenderness, and always served rare. (5/10) We began navigating the streets of Florence, in the rain, beginning… read more