To get from Croatia to Sicily involves many long hours and plenty of transfers. The night ferry to Bari departs at 10pm and arrives in Bari at 8am. This is the same time that the bus leaves from Bari to Sicily. So i spend 1 day in Bari and cover plenty of ks. One thing about Bari is the lack of tourists. It has a nice old town with plenty of little old lanes.
I am sharing an apartment for the night with some university students. One of the questions i ask them about is the presence of the Mafia, to which they tell me yes they are here. We talked about many other subjects till midnight before heading to bed.

The bus form Bari to Sicily leaves at 8am and does not get to the ferry crossing till 3.30pm. The car ferry takes us across to the town of Messina, where i take another bus to Milazzo. From Milazzo its a ferry to Lipari, my final destination for the day. A very long travel day that was.

Now in the Aeolian Islands, the first day starts off with a huge storm, then by midday its a nice sunny day. I short walk from my apartment is the really nice pedestrian street in Lipari. Its like time has stood still here, with nice old buildings, nothing new or modern at all.

The ferry ride to Stromboli Island is nearly 2 hours. This island is an active volcano with a few hundred residents. There are next to no roads, so there are only scooters and Ape cars(small 3 wheel car/utility). It is a very cool place, ever so quiet. The only beach here is all black sand and rocks. Stromboli is just under 1,000 metres high, but i only get to around 700 metres. You are not meant to go more than 400 metres without a guide, big fines. Plus i have stopped at a point that offers great views. The volcano is only belching smoke, no lava is flowing. The views are magnificent. Life seems good on Stromboli, very slow and relaxed.

Today i take the ferry to Salina. This is one very slow paced island. There is not much to see here, its more about the very very relaxed lifestyle. The town pretty much closes at around midday and nothing opens again till 5pm. Lucky the odd cafe stays open.

Vulcano is the last island i visit. Its only a 10 minute ferry ride. The moment you step off the ferry all you smell is sulphur gas. My visit to Vulcano island is to climb to the top of the volcano. Takes just under an hour, and it is tough going in parts. The views are worth the pain and sweat. The little village is pretty cool, and has a very relaxed atmosphere. By the end of the day you dont notice the sulphur gas smell any more.