{"id":12007,"date":"2022-10-21T12:45:41","date_gmt":"2022-10-21T09:45:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/?p=12007"},"modified":"2022-10-21T12:48:30","modified_gmt":"2022-10-21T09:48:30","slug":"tai-returns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/index.php\/2022\/10\/21\/tai-returns\/","title":{"rendered":"Tai Returns"},"content":{"rendered":"
Position: 39\u00b006’48″N 8\u00b022’14″E<\/a><\/h6>\n

\"\"<\/a>No matter how many nautical miles you\u2019ve got under your keel, or how many oceans you\u2019ve crossed, you still have to find your sea legs when you reboard your ship. Every sailor gets queasy at some point. Some lay comatose in their berths until thrashed into action by a first lieutenant. Most find their footing a few days from port.<\/p>\n

So it was with our bosun and engineer, Tai, when they re-joined Aleta after two years ashore. Putting the drudgery of a 9 to 5 job and escaping the post-pandemic dreariness of life in general, Tai had booked a ticket for Sicily that cleverly coincided with our return from London. There wasn\u2019t much time for swanning around the marina in Ragusa, however. Aleta was due in Spain in three weeks, including a stop in Sardinia.<\/p>\n

Goals<\/h6>\n

Tai had several items that needed ticking off a long list of life goals, including visiting the ancient ruins of Sicily and eating authentic pasta whenever possible. There\u2019s nothing like a deadline and the right weather window to throw the best plans overboard. Carol\u2019s Schengen clock had only a couple of weeks left on it and Aleta needed to be back in Cartagena before we left the EU for 90 days.<\/p>\n

To combat seasickness, Tai glued on a Scopolamine<\/a> patch. Although a proven cure, Scopolamine comes with side effects like drowsiness. Couple that with the stress relieving powers of Aleta under sail and Tai went down for about 18 hours of solid sleep.<\/p>\n

Egadi<\/h6>\n

With that we immediately set sail from Ragusa to the Egadi Islands at Sicily\u2019s far west end, bypassing Agrigento and its ancient ruins. We reassured Tai the ruins would still be there when they returned at some point in the future. The Egadis are perennially magical. Bleached by brilliant sunlight, cooled by fresh sea breezes, and replete with restaurants serving local specialties, there is something for every taste. Gelato shops abound. The last time we landed there Marlon was our only crew member. While you could argue trading Tai for Marlon is more than a fair swap, all of us missed the little bugger. (Time for an update from Marlon \u2013 ed.)<\/em><\/p>\n

Sardinia<\/h6>\n

\"\"<\/a>Calasetta lies some 386km (240 miles) from the Egadi islands. On arrival it looks like you never left Sicily. Whitewashed buildings and narrow streets swept by warm sea breezes and, well you get the idea. Tai\u2019s list ran long, and we dashed down to the local car rental shop and booked a Fiat Panda for three days.<\/p>\n

On our last trip<\/a> we started at the top of the island. The land travel we undertook then involved little more than a Covid test and a walking tour of Alghero. This time we were determined see as much as we could. Turns out Sardinia is a big place and circumnavigating it takes much longer than you expect. High mountains dominate the centre, while the south has a jagged, cliff-edged coastline. The central east coast drops onto white sand coves, while on the west low marshes made fertile ground for centuries of occupiers.<\/p>\n

The headlands and coves just north of Alghero have protected ships for millennia. The cliffs are quite terrifying when you get close to the edge. Just to the west we found the ancient Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju<\/a>. Dating back to 4,200BCE, the partially excavated ruins seem like another link in the chain to the ancient worlds we explored in eastern Turkey. Exploring the interiors is a job for the nimble, and Tai fit that bill perfectly.<\/p>\n

On our way south we paused at the city of Bosa<\/a>, the prettiest on the island says the local council. It is hard to argue with them. We took in the Cattedrale dell’Immacolata Concezione, and wound our way through the narrow lanes uphill to the castle and its splendid views.<\/p>\n

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