Cariati, Ciro, Crotone in Calabria

Leaving Cariati Marina

As I mentioned previously, the weather has suddenly changed and the predictable sunshine every morning and afternoon has given way to some heavy downpours and cooler temperatures this past week.  On the bright side the rain has been clean, not like the red kind we sometimes get in Turkey that takes tons of elbow grease to remove from your deck and sails if you forget to close the sail bag.  With all the accompanying thunderstorm activity though we have been somewhat sedentary (I am not a fan of being struck by lightning) and inadvertent guests of the three Cs of Calabria; Cariati, Ciro and Crotone.  These are not the most distinguished of places and I doubt many of you will have visited them or after seeing what I post, visit them in the future, but that does not diminish the adventure of discovering them. 

Ciro Marina - main shopping district - just the shops are missing

The end of the holiday season means that many places are boarded up and the streets have already taken on a forlorn look, which is likely to last until July next year. Shops selling essentials are only open a handful of hours a day and lack the choice found in Puglia. Only the Pizzerias and bars seem open for business and they continue to offer good value and a great atmosphere. If we share a Pizza and have a drink each we can get away with a dinner bill of € 7. This of course is before ice cream, grappa, coffee, etc. Actually our favourite local drink has become Amaro, which is a bitter, herbal liqueur somewhat akin to Jaegermeister. Some are better with ice and others not as you are bound to discover, as if you ask a knowledgable barman for ice in a Capo for instance, you are likely to get a severe talking to. 

A common sight in ports	Supermarket?	Safely below the clouds
Calabrian beach all to yourself	No crowds in Crotone	Fenders are a dog's best friend

We have a couple of long stretches ahead of us before we reach the straights of Messina and head toward the Aeolian Islands this coming week and the uncertainty about finding berths in Marinas has been compounded by no one answering calls. We just figured out yesterday, after speaking to an ormeggiatore in Crotone that it is because they don’t answer foreign numbers.  So, the first place we went to after we arrived was the Vodafone phone shop to get an Italian number, second place was the dictionary; Ormeggiatore = man who ties up your yacht.

Upmarket part of Crotone

Essential transport

No swimming today

Again we have had interesting neighbours, all of whom give us insider tips that are not to be found in the pilot books. Ciro Marina was recommended to us by Rene and Anneke and upon saying that the harbourmaster said ‘Ah! Le Hollandese?’, and promptly gave us a day for free.  I have yet to tell Rene how often I am going to try that down the coast.  Actually the port was full to capacity with small fishing boats but that did not stop Enzo finding us a spot in the Lift Bay. This meant we were super-protected in the strong northerly and only had to leave it once briefly for him to haul another boat out the water.  Crotone, despite its reputation, ended up being relatively luxurious. Washing machines on top of potable water within sprinting distance of the fish market have all contributed to a pleasant stay thus far.

Deserted aside from our bike	Crotone Centro Storico
Siesta for some	Forza Crotone!