Last of Montenegro

Our last two weeks in Montenegro were spent getting EN back into cruising mode. We did a few days out to Tivat and Kotor to practice a bit of anchoring and docking with Shaunagh and Max which went really well. We discovered that the GPS had taken itself off to an incorrect source while we were away (how does that even happen?) and the auto pilot was all over the place. It got sorted out and everything else is working well, bought a new set of flares as ours go out of date this week.

The boats of H Dock had looked after out herbs really well and they are as healthy as they ever have been. John and Sue from Catabella (ex Didim group) have returned to their boat in Lazure Marina and we had a dinner with them as well as another catch up to discuss South Atlantic crossings and for me a game of Scrabble with Sue. We are now looking for a weather window to get us down to Licata in southern Sicily.

This duly arrived a week later than hoped for and we set off for the heel of Italy. We overnighted in a lovely little town called Otranto where we checked into Italy. There was a very cute old town within the walls and a super interesting cathedral. All but unknown on the tourist trail and is of Norman origins so very old. In the 14thcentury the Turks over ran it and killed thousands of people including 800 who were trying to guard the cathedral. The excuse was that they wouldn't convert to Islam. All of those killed had their heads cut off on a stone that you can see in the cathedral and their skulls and bones are behind glass panels behind the alter - quite spooky. The ceiling is a magnificent Turkish creation from that time until the Italians took it back. The crypt space downstairs was a hospital during the war. The entire floor of the cathedral - not just some of it - is a very unusual mosaic that has defied description and interpretation over the ages. A massive tree depicted over elephants backs with features of mythical creatures such as unicorns, winged griffins and bearded centaurs, also King Arthur and Alexander the Great. We were so happy to have seen it. No one has worked out if it is a religious theme, social as in good versus evil or political or just trippy!! Designed by a mad monk??

Our trip across the foot of Italy (two nights and one day) and around to the south coast of Sicily was uneventful with beautiful weather and calm seas. The highlight was an exceptional view of Mt Etna -with smoke. We had read that this is unusual as it is often hidden in cloud or mist. We were lucky enough to see it right on sunset - very atmospherically appropriate for an active volcano. It looked just like it was going up, with red and gold streaks from the top and what looked like lava flowing down the side. Just as well it wasn't. for real…