So we've been in Sicily three months now and we felt it was time for a bit of an update. Marina di Ragusa and indeed Sicily is a wonderful place and we have been overwhelmed by both the friendliness of the locals as well as our winter live aboard community in the marina.
The marina itself is big, with capacity for over 400 boats, the marina is not quite full but almost. Having first taken our allotted slot right by the main runway we have since moved to a quieter spot in the 'burbs' on the outer reaches of one the pontoons, and are very happy to have space either side of us. The marina community is great with British, Dutch, Canadians, Swedes, Australians, Belgians, Americans, Germans, French, Norwegians and a host of other nationalities too boot all wintering over. Because Marina di Ragusa is a relatively new marina & appears to have got its pricing right for the winter, the number of people returning over the last few years has meant the community here is pretty well organised already. There is a radio net every morning hosted by different boats, telling you whats going on, where to access services or help or advise, and whats happening on a social level. We've had a boat jumble & Halloween party, a Thanks giving meal & every Tuesday & Friday we take over one of the local bars for a happy hour evening... Although we aren't apart of them there is also knitting groups, guitar lessons, and thai chi on the beach every morning amongst other things. And the Marina itself offers very good services to all the boats, from the chandlery to the laundry, to the excellent Pizza takeaway & bars...
Marina di Ragusa itself is a lovely, lovely place. From the marina you walk along a sea front promenade by the beach to the main square where you find cafes & bars & restaurants dotted about. With coffee & ice cream to die for, 'Cafe di Rosa' being our favourite. In fact the coffee in Italy across the board has been amazing, with a fixed price of 90 cents for a maciarto, you can't help but develop a coffee habit. The prices for food and drink are increadble, and the quality is simply out of this world compared to the super markets in the UK. There is a small market on a Tuesday morning we always go to, and for under 40 euros we have a plentiful weekly supply of fresh fish be it Sardines, Calamaries, Dorate or Octopus for the BBQ and so much fresh fruit & veg, which just tastes amazing. What we don't get at the market we get at the local Spar which has a everything else including good cheap local wine & beer.
The Sicilians themselves are some of the nicest people we have so far come across on our travels. Everybody greets you in the street with a Bonjourno or Ciao, and with Audrey & Bertie all we hear is countless Bellissimos & Bella blonidia. They are so friendly & can simply not do enough for you, it really is quite staggering compared to the hustle and bustle and busy lives we lead in London.
So what have we been up to? Well up for the first 4-6 weeks we were splitting our days between being on the beach, visiting the areas around Marina di Ragusa & doing small jobs on the boat. Our first priority was to get some transport & Rolf managed to find some abandoned bikes in the marina which needed doing up & getting some kids seats on the back. This has meant we are able to get around Marina di Ragusa with ease as well as head up and down the coast on bike trips. Audrey & Bertie have loved playing on the beach, but now the weather & sea are a little cooler Audrey has started nursery here, in a small nursery in the town which she seems to love, three mornings a week. Although we do still often toddle along the beach with the kids in all weather suits, climbing rocks, finding treasures and playing. We've visited Ragusa which is set in land 20mins away by bus, with the old town being a stunning old Baroque style. We have also been to Catania & Siracusa which are both stunning, Siracusa in particular. The morning market in Catania in something else, with the most incredible variety of fresh fish, meat, cheese, fruit & veg on offer. And Siracusa is an amazing city, which we can't wait to go back and visit again. The winding back streets are made to get lost in, and we would really like to go back there again and stay for a few days. Perhaps early spring when the weather is nice we will sail down and anchor off.
We are all loving the outdoor simple lifestyle here. And have enjoyed also having people come to visit. We've find ourselves out and about allot going on long walks to places like Punta Secca Lighthouse, or along the beaches. Family time is more plentiful and it feels nice to slowly be relaxing into the cruising lifestyle and slowing the pace down, but keeping the excitement high! We have found that we have managed to find a rhythm around when Audrey goes to nursery & the days we need to get food & do jobs on the boat. And with the weather having been so warm up until a week ago, just being out doors has been a real joy compared to in London at this time of year.
Audrey unfortunately had a bad fall back in October/November splitting her top lip quite badly. A trip to A&E and 3 stitches later, with no pain killers, she was really brave. The stitches are all out now and the scar is healing really well. Again we were amazed at the genuine kindness, where in our initial panic, a local bar manager drove us all the way to the hospital, stayed with us for the 2 hour wait, and even had Bertie sleeping on his shoulder. Our first emergency A&E trip as parents, hopefully not to be repeated often.
We've just had a lovely Xmas, with our traditional Schnitzel Christmas eve meal, followed by some friends coming over for drinks once the kids had gone to bed. Christmas day morning was spent Skyping family near & far and then down on the beach as it was that warm. Unfortunately the party we had planned for Rolfs birthday was blown away by 50knt winds, but New Years was fun with the all the marina community coming together for a big party & a swim in the sea on New Year day.....
On Saturday we are off on a road trip up the east coast of the Island to visit Acireale, Riposto & Taormina, and go up Etna for some sledging in the snow or see the volcano spouting lava as it has just had an eruption we were told.
We will be returning back the UK on the 12th January for a number of weeks, so hope to catch up with as many family & friends then...
The marina itself is big, with capacity for over 400 boats, the marina is not quite full but almost. Having first taken our allotted slot right by the main runway we have since moved to a quieter spot in the 'burbs' on the outer reaches of one the pontoons, and are very happy to have space either side of us. The marina community is great with British, Dutch, Canadians, Swedes, Australians, Belgians, Americans, Germans, French, Norwegians and a host of other nationalities too boot all wintering over. Because Marina di Ragusa is a relatively new marina & appears to have got its pricing right for the winter, the number of people returning over the last few years has meant the community here is pretty well organised already. There is a radio net every morning hosted by different boats, telling you whats going on, where to access services or help or advise, and whats happening on a social level. We've had a boat jumble & Halloween party, a Thanks giving meal & every Tuesday & Friday we take over one of the local bars for a happy hour evening... Although we aren't apart of them there is also knitting groups, guitar lessons, and thai chi on the beach every morning amongst other things. And the Marina itself offers very good services to all the boats, from the chandlery to the laundry, to the excellent Pizza takeaway & bars...
Marina di Ragusa itself is a lovely, lovely place. From the marina you walk along a sea front promenade by the beach to the main square where you find cafes & bars & restaurants dotted about. With coffee & ice cream to die for, 'Cafe di Rosa' being our favourite. In fact the coffee in Italy across the board has been amazing, with a fixed price of 90 cents for a maciarto, you can't help but develop a coffee habit. The prices for food and drink are increadble, and the quality is simply out of this world compared to the super markets in the UK. There is a small market on a Tuesday morning we always go to, and for under 40 euros we have a plentiful weekly supply of fresh fish be it Sardines, Calamaries, Dorate or Octopus for the BBQ and so much fresh fruit & veg, which just tastes amazing. What we don't get at the market we get at the local Spar which has a everything else including good cheap local wine & beer.
The Sicilians themselves are some of the nicest people we have so far come across on our travels. Everybody greets you in the street with a Bonjourno or Ciao, and with Audrey & Bertie all we hear is countless Bellissimos & Bella blonidia. They are so friendly & can simply not do enough for you, it really is quite staggering compared to the hustle and bustle and busy lives we lead in London.
So what have we been up to? Well up for the first 4-6 weeks we were splitting our days between being on the beach, visiting the areas around Marina di Ragusa & doing small jobs on the boat. Our first priority was to get some transport & Rolf managed to find some abandoned bikes in the marina which needed doing up & getting some kids seats on the back. This has meant we are able to get around Marina di Ragusa with ease as well as head up and down the coast on bike trips. Audrey & Bertie have loved playing on the beach, but now the weather & sea are a little cooler Audrey has started nursery here, in a small nursery in the town which she seems to love, three mornings a week. Although we do still often toddle along the beach with the kids in all weather suits, climbing rocks, finding treasures and playing. We've visited Ragusa which is set in land 20mins away by bus, with the old town being a stunning old Baroque style. We have also been to Catania & Siracusa which are both stunning, Siracusa in particular. The morning market in Catania in something else, with the most incredible variety of fresh fish, meat, cheese, fruit & veg on offer. And Siracusa is an amazing city, which we can't wait to go back and visit again. The winding back streets are made to get lost in, and we would really like to go back there again and stay for a few days. Perhaps early spring when the weather is nice we will sail down and anchor off.
We are all loving the outdoor simple lifestyle here. And have enjoyed also having people come to visit. We've find ourselves out and about allot going on long walks to places like Punta Secca Lighthouse, or along the beaches. Family time is more plentiful and it feels nice to slowly be relaxing into the cruising lifestyle and slowing the pace down, but keeping the excitement high! We have found that we have managed to find a rhythm around when Audrey goes to nursery & the days we need to get food & do jobs on the boat. And with the weather having been so warm up until a week ago, just being out doors has been a real joy compared to in London at this time of year.
Audrey unfortunately had a bad fall back in October/November splitting her top lip quite badly. A trip to A&E and 3 stitches later, with no pain killers, she was really brave. The stitches are all out now and the scar is healing really well. Again we were amazed at the genuine kindness, where in our initial panic, a local bar manager drove us all the way to the hospital, stayed with us for the 2 hour wait, and even had Bertie sleeping on his shoulder. Our first emergency A&E trip as parents, hopefully not to be repeated often.
We've just had a lovely Xmas, with our traditional Schnitzel Christmas eve meal, followed by some friends coming over for drinks once the kids had gone to bed. Christmas day morning was spent Skyping family near & far and then down on the beach as it was that warm. Unfortunately the party we had planned for Rolfs birthday was blown away by 50knt winds, but New Years was fun with the all the marina community coming together for a big party & a swim in the sea on New Year day.....
On Saturday we are off on a road trip up the east coast of the Island to visit Acireale, Riposto & Taormina, and go up Etna for some sledging in the snow or see the volcano spouting lava as it has just had an eruption we were told.
We will be returning back the UK on the 12th January for a number of weeks, so hope to catch up with as many family & friends then...
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