Kids on Board

On July 27 after an extended stay in Barcelona due to weather and a 5 day stop at the Amel facility in Hyeres, France for some warranty work on Lone Star we arrived in Genoa, Italy and put in at Port Antico Marina in much anticipation of our next guests. Our daughter Jaime and her boyfriend Sky were flying in from Asheville, North Carolina. We hadn’t seen Sky since Christmas and Jaime since February and it would be the first time for them to see the boat. Needless to say we were very excited. We were also anxious to hear all the details about the house they were in the process of purchasing. On the afternoon of July 29th after flying into Milan and taking the train to Genoa we had them on board!

After a tour of the boat, catching up, and unpacking of bags our mission was to keep them up till dark thirty to overcome any jet lag. We accomplished this by setting off for the Genoa’s old city section filled with twisting, turning narrow streets where nothing runs parallel, beautiful homes once owned by the rich city merchants, San Lorenzo Cathedral


and of course countless shops and cafes. After a pasta dinner (Sky a vegetarian, was definitely in heaven) and night descending on Genoa we headed back to the boat, mission accomplished.
The next morning we left Genoa at 1052. For the next 4 hours we enjoyed the sights as we sailed down the Ligurian coast passing towns with pastel houses.

In the afternoon we motored into the harbor of Santa Margherita Ligure, our stop for the evening. A beautiful resort but not as ritzy as other towns on the Riviera, Santa Margherita’s hills are filled with villas of the rich and very rich and around the harbor fish markets, shops and restaurants are everywhere. After getting settled Craig elected to stay on board and enjoy siesta time while Jaime, Sky and Jan headed off for some sightseeing. Walking through the town square and up the hills the three explorers discovered San Giacomo Church which all three agreed was way over the top and garishly decorated with red velvet draped columns and chandeliers.
However they all agreed the close by Villa Durazzo and Durazzo Park with incredible views of the harbor was worth the climb.

After recuperating from exploring during the heat of the day (maybe there’s something to this siesta thing) all four of us went out and about in search of another great pasta dinner.

After a morning first time in the Med swim for Jaime and Sky, at 10AM we were once again on our way down the coast with Jaime at the helm.
Not sure of our final destination we cruised down the Cinque Terre coast enjoying the rugged landscape and quaint, remote villages. Around 2PM we rounded the corner and entered the Golfo di la Spezia and into the harbor of Portovenere. While the harbor definitely passed the quaint test
we weren’t sure we wanted to stay. However one of the dock hands kept motioning to us so we decided what the heck we’ll stay here and were we glad. At the end of our time together we all decided Portovenere was our favorite and would have liked to spend more time there. Portovenere is enchanting with tall, narrow pastel buildings surrounding the harbor. High up above is Byron’s grotto named for Lord Byron who often stayed here
and a quaint chapel perched high above the sea.

The next morning we were off again this time for Livorno, the port which services Florence and Pisa. We changed our minds midway into the sail and instead put in at the town of Vireggio, midway between Portovenere and Livorno. We all decided a resort town sounded much more exciting than an industrial port; plus Vireggio had great train service to Florence and Pisa. After begging for a spot we were finally squeezed into a side tie berth where we based ourselves for the next three days. The next morning we were up early and on the train to Florence for a day of sightseeing.

Craig was obviously overwhelmed with excitement! Once in Florence, we split up with Jaime and Sky off to the Accademia to check out Michelangelo’s David which they pronounced amazing and huge while Craig and Jan visited the Medici Chapels. After reconnecting we walked around the famous Duomo


spent time trying to figure out where we were and how to get to where we were going, and then toured the 14th century Santa Croce Church with art and tombs of famous Florentines including Galileo. After lunch on the square in front of the church we went down to the Arno River before heading back to the train station. Monday was another day of touring for Jaime and Sky as they took the train to Pisa to see the tower. We elected not to go and stayed on board taking care of boat jobs. We finished our last day in Viareggio with a dingy ride on the canal through the city.



The next morning we were off bright and early. We were off to Elba Island and had a 10 hour sail ahead of us. Conditions were good throughout the day and at 1730 we were anchored in Barbarossa Bay off Elba Island. After a swim and a dingy ride we turned in early and the next day sailed to Portoferraio the main harbor on Elba Island. Once again we were in another picturesque Italian harbor but no we were not growing tired of the scenery. Napoleon was exiled on Elba Island after folks grew tired of his shenanigans. The island is so beautiful I don’t know why he wanted to leave but after almost two years he escaped and consequently met his Waterloo. We toured his villa and gardens – tough exile!

Our last evening was spent out enjoying another great pasta dinner and drinks on the boat afterwards. Then all too soon it was the next morning and with sad hearts we said goodbye to Jaime and Sky who were off to catch a ferry and then train to Venice and Verona for five more days of Italy. We’re sure they were glad to be headed off on their own and more adventures. Little did we know what excitement was yet to come for the two of them!