| After our explorations of Lipari and Salina | | | | China and grown in warm climates around the |
| yesterday the weather was going to keep us on | | | | world today, are similar in appearance to apricots |
| the island of Salina today. I woke up early at | | | | and are similarly sweet and juicy. |
| about 6 am and stuck my head out of the boat. | | | | We appreciated this little roadside snack, thanked |
| A beautiful sunrise was in the making so I | | | | Sabina's dad and continued our journey towards |
| grabbed my camera and took in the pink, orange | | | | the next town on this island: Malfa, a small |
| and peach coloured hues of this glorious sunrise in | | | | fisherman's town. Along the way we stopped to |
| Santa Marina. Dark coloured clouds were hanging | | | | admire the malvasia vineyards as well as patches |
| on the horizon. A catamaran had just pulled out of | | | | of capers which are big export products for the |
| the harbour and provided an interesting anchor | | | | island of Salina. |
| point for my photos. | | | | Malfa features a big church dedicated to San |
| Shortly after it started to rain and when we got | | | | Lorenzo and incidentally was the hometown of |
| up for breakfast our skipper Francesco explained | | | | our shipmate Lorenzo's grandparents and a place |
| that the weather forecast today may not be | | | | that he was going to spend some time in. Sabina |
| good enough for us to leave the island, so we | | | | took us down to the fishing harbour and then |
| have to have a briefing in the early afternoon. | | | | back up the hill to a lookout point called the |
| Two additional guests had arrived, Franco, another | | | | "semaforo", a surveillance tower erected in the |
| Italian teacher and the co-owner of Laboratorio | | | | early 20th century which was also used during the |
| Linguistico, and his friend Agnieszka, a young | | | | Second World War. Sabina mentioned that |
| music student from Poland who was learning | | | | UNESCO offered to buy this tower, but the local |
| Italian since she was studying music in Rome. Our | | | | town turned down the offer. Today it is |
| trusted four-cabin sailboat, the Solitaire II, now | | | | abandoned and blocked off. |
| had passengers in every cabin, and there were | | | | Sabina stopped the vehicle and we walked out |
| seven of us traveling now. | | | | onto a lookout point which provided a gorgeous |
| Herbert, the German television travel journalist, | | | | view of the Mediterranean with a great view of |
| was on an official location scouting trip for his | | | | the island of Filicudi - the "reclining pregrant |
| travel show to gather intelligence for next year's | | | | woman", so called because of its shape, featuring |
| shoot which would feature the Italian learning | | | | a head and what looks like a big belly, protruding |
| experience on board of a sailboat, provided by | | | | from the sea. To our left was a deeply indented |
| Francesco's company, Laboratorio Linguistico. | | | | valley which Sabina explained is an ancient volcanic |
| Herbert needed to check out all the interesting | | | | crater, half of which has broken off and |
| spots, the lighting, the locations and the facilities so | | | | disappeared in the sea. Today it is the location for |
| he would be able to make plans for the script and | | | | the village of Pollara which has one main tourist |
| the camera crew that would come down from | | | | attraction: the house where the movie "Il Postino" |
| Germany next year to film the extraordinary | | | | was filmed. |
| experience of learning Italian on a sailboat while | | | | Of course we needed to check this out so we |
| cruising through the beautiful Eolian Islands. | | | | drove down some narrow winding roads, parked |
| So in order to get to know the island better | | | | the car and walked up a short stretch on a dusty |
| Herbert had asked Francesco to make | | | | road to see a rather unremarkable simple and |
| arrangements with some local experts to take | | | | small pink-coloured house with some vines, which |
| him to different spots on the island. Herbert | | | | is one of the most famous locations on the island. |
| graciously offered to take other people along on | | | | Seen from outside, there was nothing spectacular |
| his island exploration, and Claudia and me excitedly | | | | about this house, and Sabina indicated that it is |
| agreed. Sure enough, Sabina Giuffré, who | | | | available for short-term rentals. |
| we had already met last night at dinner, and her | | | | The weather was starting to clear up and the |
| local friend Giancarlo, came to pick us up in a | | | | view from the northern tip of Salina was |
| rented vehicle to give us a tour of the island. | | | | gorgeous. The distances on this island are tiny, but |
| We were nice and comfy in the small Italian | | | | due to the narrow and winding road it definitely |
| vehicle and after just a 10 minute drive, we had | | | | takes a while to get around. By 1 pm we were |
| arrived at our first stop: the "Gola del Diablo", a | | | | back at our boat and had a briefing with our |
| gorge cut into the black and brown volcanic rock, | | | | captain: Francesco indicated that due to the |
| featuring an ancient Roman bridge. The stone | | | | weather forecast we were not going to sail |
| formations were indeed impressive, and the | | | | today. So we had a comfortable on board lunch |
| layers of ancient lava flows were clearly visible. | | | | and I then headed into Santa Marina to walk |
| We also stopped in the village of Lingua where we | | | | around and make some phone calls back to |
| visited a local ethnographic museum that featured | | | | Canada. Unfortunately the Internet café |
| various exhibits, illustrating the ancient ways of life | | | | was closed since it was siesta time, which often |
| on this local island. An ancient millstone, various | | | | lasts from about 1 or 1:30 pm to 4 or 4:30 pm. In |
| farming implements, even an original bedroom | | | | Sicily you definitely need to time your shopping |
| from a farm were exhibited in this museum. This | | | | experiences carefully to make sure the shops are |
| small museum provides great insight into the | | | | open. |
| traditional lifestyle on these islands. We then | | | | From 4:30 to 6:30 pm Claudia, Agnieszka and I |
| walked around the corner and steps away is the | | | | had our first Italian language lesson, provided by |
| main square of this tiny town. Here at the Bar | | | | Franco on the outdoor terrace of a local bar. Now |
| "Da Alfredo" we congregated and received free | | | | here is a concept: language learning on the terrace |
| samples of granitas - the semi-frozen Sicilian | | | | of a bar - I definitely like it. It made the |
| dessert composed of sugar, water and different | | | | somewhat painful exercises dealing with the |
| flavourings such as strawberry, melon, peach, | | | | complexities of the Italian "congiuntivo" (the |
| orange, lime, coffee, almonds and many others. | | | | subjunctive) much more palatable. I have studied |
| Similar to sorbets, granitas usually have larger | | | | a lot of languages with different language schools, |
| crystals, and the locals often eat them in | | | | and Laboratorio Linguistico has definitely created a |
| combination with a brioche. The black sky | | | | very unique language learning concept here. |
| overhanging the mountains was ominous, but a | | | | After our intense lesson I took another stroll |
| bright ray of sunshine lit up the façades of | | | | around Salina and this time the Internet |
| the houses around the square. A big husky dog | | | | café was open. So far I have found fairly |
| was snoozing contentedly on the floor and I was | | | | good public Internet access in different parts of |
| wondering how this poor dog with his thick fur | | | | Sicily, and it's always great to be able to connect |
| would be able to handle the hot Sicilian summers. | | | | with home. Our boat crew spent a quiet evening |
| The locals were very hospitable and humorous | | | | on board, we fixed up a lovely home-cooked |
| banter was flying back and forth. | | | | dinner with potatoes, salad, sweet carrots, cheese |
| From here we drove back through Salina, | | | | and various sweets for dessert. Some of my |
| dropped off Giancarlo and stopped at Sabina's | | | | travel partners played cards while I organized my |
| house which she has turned into a bed and | | | | photos on the laptop which was conveniently |
| breakfast . Salina's dad came to greet us and I | | | | hooked up to the electricity supply provided by |
| couldn't help but detect a resemblance to famous | | | | the harbour commission in Santa Marina di Salina. |
| actor Kirk Douglas. He graciously picked some | | | | It was nice to have a day of rest in Santa Marina, |
| "nespole" (loquat fruits) for us from his fruit tree. | | | | but I am definitely looking forward to exploring a |
| These fruits, originally indigenous to Southeastern | | | | new island tomorrow: Stromboli! |