Rain gullies

Through ash layers so soft you can dig through with your fingers.
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Don't breathe the volcano smoke!

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What happens when

The wind shifts suddenly in a crowded anchorage.
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Under the volcano

In Porto Ponente, Isola Vulcano
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Looking for pumice

Easy enough, on an island called Vulcano.
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No! and Vulcano

No!

Mommy's leaving in a few days! I can't do without her! Well, anyways she'll come back in three months with more loot for Orion and I. So we'd better get in some last snoogles!

Vulcano

We were here a long time ago, and I've finally seen it again. There are these stem vents that are constantly spewing steam out. Yes, vulcano is an active volcano. You should see it. Really.

--By Rigel

Etna

I have now seen the great Sicilian volcano that towers over the town and marina of Riposto. We were not planning on visiting Etna, mainly because the marina there is very expensive. They were charging 115 euros a night, maybe the second-most expensive marina I have seen. Then we heard the weather forecast for the next several days and did a 90 degree turn right towards Riposto. The forecast was for a gale in the wrong direction. So we got to see Etna. We had planned on passing it at sea, but if we were going to be staying right under it, we thought, why not? The mountain was awesome. We were almost ten thousand feet up, and the air was only half the pressure at sea level. Mom got winded, and all of us felt tired very quickly. We drove a rental car most of the way, then took a gondola thirteen hundred feet higher, then rode a jeep-bus thing the rest of the way. There was volcanic ash everywhere, and we took some back for our basil plant. We could see where the lava flows had solidified across the landscape, and apparently they kept having to re-build the cable car lines because they were destroyed by the flows. Etna was really cool, and I’m looking forwards to climbing the volcano of Vulcano.

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Yikes! Whirlpools!

Juno's stern is getting sloshed around! Just like what happened to Odysseus!
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Shooting the Strait of Messina

Settled seas, after getting pounded by gale force headwinds and waves for two hours. Unforecast gale force winds, by the way.
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Fresh snow? In late July?

Cold front passed late yesterday, so, yup, neve fresca per Etna.
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Etna

We took a rented car to a gondola station and took that to a place where we can take a rover/bus to the top of the place. I noticed that even the slightest tasks made me huff and puff. This is actually because the air pressure up there is half than what it is than down here. Then you can't get enough oxygen. So anyway we took a tour of the place and I'd like to inform you that I had to layer up as not to get cold in June. I know. It's weird. Oh, and I'd like to mention a good place to do research. It's a school website. It's called Factmonster.

--By Rigel

It's COLD at 9,654 feet!

Ah, a nice steam vent on which to warm one's hands!
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At the still-smoking top

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Waiting for our special 4-wheel drive bus

To take us the rest of the way.
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First time behind the wheel

In a full year. Driving up the volcano.
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Change in plans

Heard "sette" and "otto" on the forecast -- so hung a fast left turn into the waaaaaay expensive marina (which had a berth after all).

So here we are, under the shadow of Europe's most famous volcano.
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Etna

The marinas near the base of Etna are full (and waaaaaaay too expensive this time of year, anyway), so this is as good a view of Etna as we're going to get.

Ah well, maybe next time.
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Strolling the same promenade Archimedes once strolled

Except he was busy dreaming up contraptions to sink the blockading Roman galleys and we were mainly looking for pizza and risotto.

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Laundry

Today we went to the Laundromat! So now we just washed our clothes for the first time in a year! This was one of my favorite times in this trip as I like pushing buttons. So, for a while we were walking around, moving loads of laundry, folding them. After a while we were done and brought the clothes back to the boat. Yay!

--By Rigel

A laundromat!

First opportunity for clean clothes since Athens!

So much fun will it be to keep spray off the clean clothes on the dinghy ride back?

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Ouzo

Please examine the word above. Ouzo. What is it? It's a drink that my parents love, and I can never find out why. You want to do this:

1. Get a glass.
2. Get the bottle of ouzo
3. Decork the bottle.
4. Pour the drink into the glass.
5. Put some ice in.
6. Take a sniff of the licorice smell that it makes.
7. Drink the glass slowly.
8. Decide that you like it and repeat steps 1-7 until you get drunk. (Just kidding)

I miss Greece.

--By Rigel

Sicily

The passage from Greece took three days, and now we are in Sicily for the first time in our lives. Even my dad hasn’t been here, Sounion never got beyond the Balearic Islands. We worked out this really good system for watches, Rigel and I do the day watches, and the adults do the night watches. Rigel and I relieve each other every hour, and watch from ten until six. It’s worked really well, because it keeps us quiet during the day, and lets the adults rest after being on watch. It’s hot here. Very hot. Almost as hot as July in Florida. I am glad we are doing laundry because I am out of fresh T-shirts. You don’t know how bad it can get having to wear salty and sweaty T-shirts. Even in the evenings it is 85 degrees in the cabin. I will really miss Greece, but it’s sure nice to get back to Italy.

More Greek ruins!

In SICILY! We can't escape them!
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We're back in Italia

Which means . . . Real cappucino!
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Sunset on Grand Harbor, Siracusa

Just off to the north, only now emerging from the haze: Mount Etna.
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Closing in on Siracusa

After two days of motoring through calms, finally a breeze to sail by.
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Goodbye, Greece

Hope to see you again soon.

Onward to Italia.
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Last day in Greece.

Today is the last day that I will be in Greece for a while. Now, we will go right back the may we came. Well, not exactly right back. We'll take a different course. Anyway, we are going to Sicily next. I've very good Italian now!

--By Rigel

History of Methoni Fortress

The fort of Methoni was a castle built by the ancient Greeks in
the fourth century B.C.E. It remained fortified through the Roman era,
and several Emperors favored the small town. It remained a good harbor
through the Byzantine times, but was conquered by the Venetians in 1145.
The Venetians built the fort outside of the castle walls, but the
Ottoman Turks captured the city in 1500. They built the octagonal tower
to seaward of the fort, and then lost the port to the Venetians in 1680.
They Venetians only had the city for 35 years before the port was taken
from them by the Turks. Under the Turks the city declined, and the fort
fell into disrepair. It was then used as a residence by several
important people before it became a tourist attraction today. The fort
is extremely cool, and I'm very glad that I got a chance to visit it.
Tomorrow we leave for Sicily, and I am enjoying this last day in Greece
to the fullest extent.
--Orion Date

Siracusa harbor, Sicilia

310 nautical miles that way.
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Our last Greek anchorage

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The Turkish tower at Methoni

Where Cervantes was imprisoned and wrote Don Quixote.

And the boys are imprisoned until they finish their blog entries.
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Another ancient Greek seaport

Another Venetian castle.
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Looking for unsecured wi-fi

Among the Turkish tower and Venetian fort.

No luck.
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Entrance to Hades

Dad's picture today was of the southernmost point of the Pelopenese, in ancient Greek mythology it was the supposed entrance to Hades. It does look kind of stark and forbiding, at least from the sea. There is also a strange crack or chasm in the shore, easily imaginable as the entrance to Hades. Anyway, for non-sailors, that is the explanation for his strange caption.
--Orion Date
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Sailing to Hades

And (we hope. . .) back.

Cape Tainaron, the mythological entrance to Hades, on our starboard bow as we make a dawn get-away for Methoni, our last Greek port.
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The far away...

...bottom of the sea. Like the bottom of the boat, I don't like the bottom. Maybe it's because it's far away. I don't know. To make it worse, here there is a piece of a wreck. It looks like part of a bow. I really don't want to know. Well, I'm starting to be OK with it.
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Passage to the Pelopenese

Our fourth overnight passage since Sibari, this one from the Cyclades to the Pelopenese Peninsula. No detectable signs of seasickness in any of us, but we did have a hard night, at least for the bit that I was standing watch with my mom. Yes, I did my first late-night watch, or part of one anyway. We saw a lot of traffic for a most of the time I was up there of the time, although I did go to bed at around 11:30. Anyway, I now know what my parents feel like in the morning when they have just been on watch.
--Orion Date
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There's a protected harbor

In there? Really? Can someone, um, show it to us? Parakalo? Per favore? Se faz favor?
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The Greek Pilot book

Author's advice for this place, Andimilos: "Keep well off!"

No harbors, no place to land a dinghy, howling gusts from all directions. . . . We kept well off.

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Saying bye

To Milos, our last Greek island port of call. Next stop: the Peloponese, en route to Sicilia.
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The looming...

This is a little bit embarrassing for me, but I'm afraid of the bottom of the boat. I know, That's weird, but The shape of the keel, rudder, propeller, and propeller cage together creates a looming sight. It would help if we chose red bottom-paint instead of black. Now, when I see it, This is what happens in my brain:

Subconsciousness: A monster!
Conscious: It is not! It's just the Boat.
Subconsciousness: It will hurt me!
Conscious: It won't! I know it won't! The boat from the top looks nice, but this is the same thing! Just a different angle!
Subconsciousness: Stupid Conscious.

So please don't make fun!


Italian...

Questo è un po 'imbarazzante per me, ma ho paura di fondo della barca. So che è strano, ma la forma della chiglia, timone, elica, elica e la gabbia insieme crea uno spettacolo incombente. Sarebbe utile se abbiamo scelto rosso dal basso invece di vernice nera. Ora, quando la vedo io, questo è ciò che accade nel mio cervello:

Subconscio: Un mostro!
Cosciente: non lo è! E 'solo la barca.
Subconscio: E mi farà del male!
Consapevole: Non sarà! So che non sarà! La barca dall'alto sembra piacevole, ma questa è la stessa cosa! Solo una prospettiva diversa!
Subconscio: Consapevole Stupid.

Quindi per favore non prendere in giro!

Portuguese...

Isto é um pouco embaraçoso para mim, mas tenho medo do fundo do barco. Eu sei que é estranho, mas a forma de quilha, leme, hélice, hélice e gaiola junto cria um espetáculo iminente. Seria útil se nós escolhemos fundo vermelho em vez de tinta preta. Agora, quando eu vejo, é isso que acontece no meu cérebro:

Subconsciente: Um monstro!
Consciente: não é! É apenas o barco.
Subconsciente: Vai me machucar!
Consciente: Não seja! Eu sei que vai! O barco bonito de cima, mas esta é a mesma coisa! Apenas uma perspectiva diferente!
Subconsciente: Stupid Aware.

Por favor, não tease!


French...


C'est un peu gênant pour moi, mais je crains que le fond de la barque.Je sais que c'est étrange, mais la forme de la quille, le gouvernail, l'hélice, l'hélice et de la cage crée ainsi un spectacle imminent. Il serait utile que nous avons choisi un fond rouge au lieu d'encre noire.Maintenant, quand je vois, c'est ce qui arrive dans mon cerveau:

Subconscient: un monstre!
Consciente: il n'est pas! C'est juste le bateau.
Subconscient: Allez à me faire mal!
Aware: Ne soyez pas! Je sais que je vais! Le beau bateau d'en haut, mais c'est la même chose! Juste un point de vue différent!
Subconscient: Consciente Stupid.

S'il vous plaît ne pas taquiner!





--By Rigel

The Goats

Okay, the incident with the goats that my brother mentioned was
simply weird. We went again yesterday in fact, and we saw the goats
again. This time they ran away though, it was a bit of a disappointment.
It would have been funny if they had immediately ran towards us when
they saw us, but instead they ran whenever we got within a certain
distance. Oh well, the one time was silly enough.

--Orion Date

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Bleat!

Yes, the famous goat cry. In fact, I have a story involving that. Here it is: we all got in the dinghy. Daddy had installed the 15-horse motor onto it earlier today. After a terrifying, up-on-plain dinghy ride, we got to the beach and decided to make a hike to the top of the hill there. When we got to the top, we heard some bleating. Yes, we had found some goats. After a while, I decided to talk back.
"Bleaggggghh!" I said. They started to group up, protecting the young. Two stepped forward, bleated, and continued coming forward.
"Bleaggggghh!" Pretty soon all of them started running at us. "Whatever you said," said Daddy. "un-say it!" I shrugged. So we went back to the beach. Orion and I played in the water for a while. Then we went back to the boat.
As you can see, some scary things can be kind of silly.
--By Rigel
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Meltemi howling up top

Time to make up a big vat of curried lentils. First ingredient: 10 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly.
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The Disease

We have had the worst cold that I have ever had. I hadn't gotten a cold in months, so this was a big surprise. Mommy got it while traveling, and so then we all got it except for Ms. Edee. I got it five days ago, and I'm still coughing up phlegm. Now we are all recovering, and we all are hoping that Ms. Edee will not get it.
--Orion Date
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Rowing the Dinghy Upwind

All of the rowing to and from the beach in Sibari are paying
off. Because of them my dad was able to row the dinghy back to the boat
the two times that the engine failed. If he had not been able to we
would have had to pick up the anchor and go get him. I am very glad that
even though we complained so much all winter he made us row, it is now
quite clear to me that it was necessary.

--Orion Date

I am about to explode

because the five horse motor on our dinghy is sure to fail each time you
use it. Annoying! And no matter how hard we try, it will not be
repaired. Doesn't that sound nice? What? YES? Well, you try to be with
it. After that, THEN what would you say? Exactly. We hope we can fix
this problem.

--By Rigel

This

Mommy brought a camera that's water, shock, freeze, and dust proof. Apparently it can take underwater photos, but I'm not sure about that. It has tons of seals on it, and it looks water proof. Well, we are to find out someday.


--By Rigel

Paros

An interesting place, Delos. Once thought the birthplace of Apollo and
Artemis by the ancients, it is now forbidden to approach the island
closer than 500 meters, half a kilometer. It has a large complex of
ruins that are much visited by cruise ship tourists. We had the
misfortune to be there when there was a cruise ship in Mykonos, and
visiting Delos was apparently the day's activity, judging by the amount
of people there. There are lots of ferries that go to Delos from
Mykonos, and they are much utilized by pre-packaged tours of Greece. My
friend Porter is in fact on one right now, and will be in Mykonos soon.
Unfortunately we have to be out of Greece by an absolute deadline,
otherwise we could have met up. Anyway, Delos was an amazing sight, one
that I will never forget.

--Orion Date

The Dinghy Motor

My dad had a very difficult time with the dinghy motor today. When he
tried to come back here from town, the motor died not halfway across.
Try as he might he could not get it started, so he had to row back. It
took him about forty minutes, all of which we spent watching him through
the binoculars. When he got back I got an ice-cold Coca-Cola Zero out
and put it in a glass with some ice. He drank it in about seven seconds.
It was a very hot day, and I'm glad that he got himself hydrated again
with a cold bottle of water. Thank goodness he got back safely.

--Orion Date