Dolmas of Turkey

Salads are excellent…the difference between a Greek Salad and a Turkish salad while both contain the traditional feta, tomatoes, cucumber and olives the Greek Salad has oregano and the Turkish salad adds parsley. The Turks constantly insist their feta, yogurt, wine and tomatoes are better that their neighbors, the Greeks. And try their wine, red and white as well as the fierce raki which is like the Greek ouzo. Don’t miss the Turkish coffee, it is legendary as well as the Turkish tea.

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• August 1, 2011 -- The Rest of Greece – the World’s Most Famous and Beautiful Cruising Grounds! (0)
• June 16, 2011 -- Northern Sardinia and La Maddalena Archipelago (0)
• October 1, 2011 -- Visiting Beautiful Taormina (0)
• June 20, 2011 -- Ahh… the Foods and Wines of French Corsica and Italian Sardinia (1)
• June 18, 2011 -- Ephesus (0)
• June 18, 2011 -- For the Landlubber in You – Don’t Miss Istanbul (0)
• June 6, 2011 -- Bareboat Yacht Charter to Sardinia – Experience Hidden Italy (0)
• May 4, 2011 -- The 13 Must See Places to See in Corsica (0)
• April 4, 2011 -- Islands and Anchorages of Odysseus and Jackie and Aristotle Onassis (0)

A tourist destination since the 19th Century and it’s popular beaches (accessible via an aerial tramway) on the Ionian sea are not to be missed. The village of Taormina is perched on a cliff overlooking the Ionian sea. Besides the ancient Greek theatre, it has many old churches, lively bars, fine restaurants, and antique shops. Taormina is approximately a forty-five minute drive away from Europe’s largest active volcano, Mount Etna.

Taormina’s area was inhabited even before the Greeks arrived on the Sicilian coast in 832 BC to found a town called Naxos. It passed under the government of Rome when the whole island of Sicily was reduced to a Roman province. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Taormina continued to rank as one of the more important towns of Sicily, and because of the strength of its position was one of the last places that was retained by the Eastern Roman emperors; but it was taken by the Arabs in 902 after a siege of two years. Taormina was renamed “Al-Muizzia” which lasted until 1078, when it was captured by the Normans and then the French.

Starting from the 19th century Taormina

became a popular tourist resort in the whole of Europe: people who vacationed here include Oscar Wilde, Nicholas I of Russia, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Nietzsche, Richard Wagner and many others. Also credited for making Taormina popular was Otto Geleng, best known in his hometown of Berlin for his fine paintings, which he composed and painted in Italy but exhibited in Germany. What distinguishes Geleng, however, is his choice to depict the more southern regions where he captured the spectacular views and light of Sicily.of the winter. Geleng began to paint everything that Taormina offered: ruins, sea, mountains, none of which were familiar to the rest of Europe. When his paintings were later exhibited in Berlin and Paris, many critics accused Geleng of having an ‘unbridled imagination’. At that, Geleng challenged them all to go to Taormina with him, promising that he would pay everyone’s expenses if he were not telling the truth.

During the early 20th century the town became a colony of expatriate artists, writers, and intellectuals. D. H. Lawrence stayed here and wrote a number of his poems, novels, short stories, and essays, and a travel book, Sea and Sardinia. Thirty years later the same villa was home to Truman Capote, who wrote of his stay in the essay “Fontana Vecchia.”

The present town of Taormina occupies the ancient site

On a lofty hill which forms the last projecting point of the mountain ridge that extends along the coast from Cape Pelorus to this point. The most remarkable monument remaining at Taormina is the Ancient theatre, which is one of the most celebrated ruins in Sicily, on account both of its remarkable preservation and of the surpassing beauty of its situation. It is built for the most part of brick, and is therefore probably of Roman date, though the plan and arrangement are in accordance with those of Greek, rather than Roman, theatres; it is supposed that the present structure was rebuilt upon the foundations of an older theatre of the Greek period. This theatre is the second largest of its kind in Sicily.

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• October 9, 2011 -- The French Cuisine of the East – Ahh…the food of Turkey (0)
• June 20, 2011 -- Ahh… the Foods and Wines of French Corsica and Italian Sardinia (1)
• June 16, 2011 -- Northern Sardinia and La Maddalena Archipelago (0)
• June 13, 2011 -- Sailing Around Sicily – The Beautiful Aeolian Islands (0)
• June 6, 2011 -- Bareboat Yacht Charter to Sardinia – Experience Hidden Italy (0)
• May 20, 2011 -- Sicily Yacht Charter – Aah the Food of Sicily (0)

On the Island of Rhodes, the historic and bustling city of Rhodes Town, one of the largest municipalities in the Greek isles, sailors will find a multitude of other attractions. In fact, it would be easy to spend an entire yacht charter sailing to the many harbors, such as the coastal cities and the magnificent ancient acropolis, and exploring inland of Rhodes.

Westward are the Cyclades Islands, jewels of undisputed beauty throughout the world and known for their historic significance, superlative beaches, and intriguing towns and villages. The Saronic Gulf and the Cyclades Islands are among the most beautiful and historic cruising grounds in Greece. On 196-foot cliffs gaze at white marble columns of the Temple of Poseidon, a sacred place for the Greeks in 440 B.C

Kea Isle is blessed with abundant springs and streams, making it one of the most beautiful of the Cyclades. In the time of ancient Greece, it was known as the Water Island and called Ydroussa. Greek mythology tells us of the water nymphs that live there.

The residents of Hermes tired of nearly 400 years of rule under the Ottoman Empire, decided in 1821 to begin a Greek revolution that established the independent state of Greece eight years later. The upheaval during the fighting caused many citizens to leave their homes and a number of entrepreneurial refugees settled on the shores of beautiful Syros in the heart of the Cyclades Islands. They established a town and named it after Hermes, the god of commerce, and soon Hermoupolis (Town of Hermes) ranked as the most important economic, maritime, and cultural center for the Greeks at that time.

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• October 9, 2011 -- The French Cuisine of the East – Ahh…the food of Turkey (0)
• June 20, 2011 -- Beautiful Corfu (0)
• June 16, 2011 -- Northern Sardinia and La Maddalena Archipelago (0)
• June 6, 2011 -- Bareboat Yacht Charter to Sardinia – Experience Hidden Italy (0)
• May 16, 2011 -- Greek Yacht Charter – for the Landlubber in You (0)
• May 4, 2011 -- The 13 Must See Places to See in Corsica (0)
• April 4, 2011 -- Islands and Anchorages of Odysseus and Jackie and Aristotle Onassis (0)

The Tantalizing Food and Wines of Italian Sardinia

The Sards excel in the art of spit-roasting and pig and lamb are the popular meats cooked over the open fire.  The saffron crocus is cultivated in Sardinia and the spice is in many of their dishes.   A pasta developed in Sardinia is the malloreddus a small dumpling with sausage.  Paella, which is served with seafood and flavorured with saffron, represents the Spanish influence, which is very strong on the west coast of Sardinia.  Another typical Sardinian dish also from Spanish descent is faina made from garbanzo beans. These are thick pancakes which are fried in oil.

Some other typical dishes are flaky pastry patty of cheese, bacon and onion called pane de gherda or culingiones kind of ravioli filled with pecorino cheese, meat or spinach. Carta de musica a circualar flatbreat, Panada, flaky pasta pies suffed with minced meat or eat, malloreddus a small gnocchi served with tomato sauce, bottarga a salted mullet or tuna roe pressed together then sliced. The local fish soup is called ziminu.  There are many excellent cheeses, peccoring sardo a hard sheep’s milk cheese, gioddu similar to feta.  Sardinia also produces good wines and is especially noted for its dessert wines.

The Wonderful Foods and Wines of French Corsica

Corsicans take their food and drink very seriously, it is quite common for locals to take a leisurely three-course lunch accompanied by a few glasses of Corsican wine.  Wild boar is possibly the island’s most celebrated dish – look out for sanglier on the menu. Meat dishes may be served with pasta or polenta.  Veau aux olives – veal served with local olives. Tianu is a slow-cooked game stew and Bécasse is a roast woodcock and Pédrix is partridge.

On the coast you will find a good selection of fish and seafood. Look out for rouget red mullet , sea bream loup de mer and crayfish langoustine. Oysters huitres are particularly recommended and trout caught in the rivers.

Cured meats are very popular and a wide selection are usually available; Prisutu – smoked ham or Figatellu/fitonu – liver sausage, Salamu is a salami-style sausage, Boudin – black pudding and Fromage de tête is a head cheese made from seasoned pigs’ brains.  Most traditional Corsican desserts are milk or egg based; Fiadone is soft cheese tart which is soaked in spirit and flambéed and Beignets are chestnut flour doughnuts, sometimes stuffed with cheese.

And of Course, the Wines of Corsica

Corsica produces several very good wines, which are hardly known outside the island. The producers are scattered and tend to be highly individual – Corsican, in other words. The grape harvest is still often cut by hand, and visiting a vineyard for an afternoon is a pleasant expedition.

Some wines are made with traditional Corsican varieties of grape, such as the delicious white Vermentino, Nielluccio, the basis of the esteemed Patrimonio red, and several excellent rosé wines. Wines from Patrimonio and from near Sartène are outstanding, and the Domaine Vico wines are quite good.

Also worth tasting are the local fortified wines, such as Muscat made from the delicious pale Muscat grape, or the darker, sweetish herb-rich Cap Corse. Both can be drunk as apéritifs – or at any time. Home-produced, dusky coloured, apéritif-strength drinks, with herbs such as myrtle and basil, can be found for sale on some roadside stalls.

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• October 9, 2011 -- The French Cuisine of the East – Ahh…the food of Turkey (0)
• October 1, 2011 -- Visiting Beautiful Taormina (0)
• June 16, 2011 -- Northern Sardinia and La Maddalena Archipelago (0)

Shopping in Corfu

Spend a few days in Corfu; it is more like Venice than Greece.  The Ionian Islands, which Corfu is part of, was the only part of Greece not to come under Ottoman occupation.  They became Venetian in 1386 then French then Russian then British.  It wasn’t till 1864 they finally united with independent Greece.

We went to Corfu twice, once while driving through northern Greece and then sailed back again when we were on the boat.  Getting to Corfu by car is easy, ferry’s leave regularly and if you can survive the car parking ordeal of getting your car in the correct spot with the help of the yelling Greek ferryman, you will have a delightful ferry trip over and be glad you brought your car so you can see the rest of the island.

The Buildings of Corfu

Old Corfu town is wedged between two Venetian fortresses and is characterized by narrow alleyways between high shuttered buildings painted mellow shades of ochres and pinks. This city reminds you of Venice and Naples.

Our Best Treat of the visit was Tiramisu of Corfu

We loved shopping in the many small family markets in search few last items we needed to provision our boat or our favorite treat, tiramisu.  The people of Corfu love their tiramisu and you can find it in shops and bakeries all over town in 9” square aluminum pans.  We would buy the whole tin and have no trouble finishing it off.

Provisioning the Boat

We spent hours in search of feta cheese and basil.  Feta we found behind the deli counter, in a large ceramic bowl in its brine. They cut of a slice for you and wrap it up.  You will also find the fabulous Greek yogurt in the same place. I think Greek yogurt is the best in the world. The Greek word for basil could not be found in any of our translation books and after carefully describing the leaf of the product we were looking for the shop owner said “aah, basilica!”  Shopping for food, no matter what country you are in, is such an adventure…mayonnaise in a tube? I think I finally found that in Turkey and milk on the floor of the market because it had been radiated to keep it from spoiling? found that on the 1989 trip to Yugoslavia, as it was known as then.  Caviar in a tube was another surprise.

Our Tiramisu Square

Stop at the outside cafe at the edge of town near the fort to have lunch and watch the cricket game.  We couldn’t figure out if these men had left their offices and just put together a quick game of cricket or of this was a regularly scheduled match but it was so delightful to find cricket being played on this Greek Island.

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• August 1, 2011 -- The Rest of Greece – the World’s Most Famous and Beautiful Cruising Grounds! (0)
• May 16, 2011 -- Greek Yacht Charter – for the Landlubber in You (0)

The Library

We arrived at Mamarus with 85 people who would be chartering 12 boats, ready for our trip along the beautiful Turquoise Coast.  The original plan was to take the ferry over to Rhodes and spend a day before we took off on our sailing adventure but we quickly changed our minds and decided that to be so close to Ephesus and one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World- to not see that would be a shame.  Our trip was early September and the University of Istanbul had not started it’s Fall semester yet so we were able to hire a local history professor from the University to be our guide.  Fifty of us us piled on a bus and by the time we reached Ephesus a few hours later we were totally up to speed on this fascinating place.

Legend Has it the Ephesus is 12,000 Years Old

Legend has it that in 10 BC, Androclos, the son of a King of Athens, was searching a location for establishing a new home. Androclos was running from from an invasion in Greece and was leading one of the convoys. It was predicted by the Oracle of Appalo that a fish and a boar would show the location of the new settlement. Days later, the oracle’s prediction came true, while frying fish the fish fell from the pan revealing a hiding boar behind the bushes. The boar ran away immediately and Androclos followed the boar and established the city of Ephesus where the boar was killed. Androclos became the first king of Ephesus.

Ephesus reached the “Golden Age” and became a model to the world in culture and art.  The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was build during that time.  The rest of the ruins of that golden age are yet to be excavated.  What you see today one of the later/newer cities.

Ephesus was very prosperous during the times of Alexander the Great. The Temple of Artemis was destroyed in 356BC by fire and it is said that the location of Ephysus has changed five times due to earthquakes resulting in changing topography of the harbors.

This library had an underground path to a building next door that was rumored to be the brothel and Ephesus perfected the toilet as part of the Roman Baths. Ephesus is where Saint James took the mother of Christ, Mary, where she lived the rest of her life after her son died.  You can see the house she lived in and Popes come to celebrate Mass at this site. Ephesus is a not to be missed distention when visiting Turkey.

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• June 18, 2011 -- For the Landlubber in You – Don’t Miss Istanbul (0)
• October 9, 2011 -- The French Cuisine of the East – Ahh…the food of Turkey (0)

Beautiful St Sofias

Istanbul sits on the junction of the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmaara and the Golden Horn.  It reminds me of San Francisco – surrounded on 260 degrees by water.   Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, is a treasure trove of places and things to see.  We stayed 3 days and that wasn’t nearly enough time.  After a day of wandering around streets, mosques and ruins where empires have risen and fallen you realize what makes this city so special.

Istanbul was the Keeper of European Civilization

It was here, five centuries ago the final remnants of the Roman Empire crumbled and through Europe’s Dark Ages, this city carried European civilization on from its Greek and Roman origins.  In 2^nd century, Rome conquered the small city-state of Byzantium and in 330 AD Emperor Constantine moved his capital from Rome to this city and renamed it Constantinople.  The city walls kept out barbarians for centuries as the western part of the Roman Empire collapsed before the Goths, Vandals and Huns.  When Constantinople fell for the first time it was to the misguide Fifth Crusade in 1204.  The crusaders ravaged Constantinople’s churches, shipping out the art and melting down the silver and gold.  The Ottoman Turks laid siege in 1314 and finally in 1453 the walls were breached and Mehmet II marched in and converted the church (St Sofia’s) to a mosque and the Byzantine Empire had ended.

This Capital of the Ottoman Empire Entered new Golden Age

The Blue Mosque

St Sofia, which was built under Emperor Justinian in 532 AD was the grandest and finest church in the world. For a thousand years it was also the largest church in the world and it is stunning even today.  The Blue Mosque is just south of St Sofia’s built in the 1600’s and is beautiful.  The Topkapi Palace, home of the Sultans, is amazing with it’s 400 room harem (the “family quarters”) and Treasury with all the wealth of the sultans, gold, silver and gems as well as the cloak of Profit Muhammad.   The Grand Bazaar is a labyrinth medieval shopping mall.  Many of the old stalls have been turned into glass shops and it is so much fun wandering the 65 streets and 4400 shops.

Make Sure you go to Sea – Think Jason, the Argo and the Golden Fleece

When you need to stop moving your feet and just be moved, take the ferry!  For 30 cents (in 1996) we took a ferry trip up the Bosporus towards the Black Sea,  past the new Sultan’s palace, the Dolmabahce Palace, the then President of Turkey’s home as well as many beautiful Ottoman buildings. Not to be missed.  Make sure you eat the yogurt and powered sugar treat they serve on board.  Istanbul will always be on my top 5 most amazing cities in the world!

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• June 18, 2011 -- Ephesus (0)
• October 9, 2011 -- The French Cuisine of the East – Ahh…the food of Turkey (0)
• April 8, 2011 -- Anchorages and Harbors of the Turquoise Coast (1)

Maddalena Islands and Northern Sardinia host some of the worlds best sailing venues

Only Maddalena, Caprera and S. Stefano have inhabitants. Lying adjacent to the famous tourist resort of the Costa Smeralda, Maddalena shares the same crystal clear waters and wind blown granite coastlines but also remains a haven for wildlife. It is a designated National Park, the Parco Nazionale Arcipelago di La Maddalena. It is a very popular tourist destination, especially among boaters.

Costa Smeralda Yacht Club hosts Italy’s Americas Cup Challenges

The straights of Bonifacio are dotted with small islands and rocks with lighthouses and with the summer winds of that blow from the west at a constant 24 mph it is a great area for dingy and sail boat racing. The Costa Smeralda Yacht Club hosts many world famous sailing races throughout the summer including the well know Sardinia Cup an International event. This Yacht Club has also represented Italy in the America’s Cup several times.

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• October 9, 2011 -- The French Cuisine of the East – Ahh…the food of Turkey (0)
• October 1, 2011 -- Visiting Beautiful Taormina (0)
• August 1, 2011 -- The Rest of Greece – the World’s Most Famous and Beautiful Cruising Grounds! (0)
• June 20, 2011 -- Ahh… the Foods and Wines of French Corsica and Italian Sardinia (1)
• June 13, 2011 -- Sailing Around Sicily – The Beautiful Aeolian Islands (0)
• June 6, 2011 -- Bareboat Yacht Charter to Sardinia – Experience Hidden Italy (0)
• May 4, 2011 -- The 13 Must See Places to See in Corsica (0)

Aolian Islands

This archipelago is also called the Lipari Islands. The islands are peaks of volcanoes and two are active. There are 7 islands: Stromboli, Panaria, Filicudi, Alicudi, Salina, Lipari and Vulcano. These islands have been inhabited since early times and been a been the home of pirates.

Home of the God of the Winds

The Islands take their name from Aeoleus the god of he winds. It was Aeoleus who gave Odysseus the contrary wins tied up in a bag but as they neared Ithaca his sailors opened the bag, believing there was a treasure inside, and he was blown away from his homeland. It is also believed the Ustica is the home of the god Aeoleus, thus the constant high winds in the area. They have their Aeolian triangle, we have our Bermuda triangle… an uncommon amount of local weather is encountered here.

And the Oldest Lighthouse in the World

On the Isle of Stromboli is the oldest lighthouse in the world. Known as the “Lighthouse of the Mediterranean” it guided Odysseus and it still guides us today. The Isle of Panarea has and underwater excavation of a trading ship from around 400 BC. The difficulty with the excavation is the hydrogen sulphide gas from the volcanic nature of the island. Divers find the water burning, on their “delicate parts”.

And the Mediterranean First Pirates

The Isle of Lipari is mountainous but the eastern slopes cultivate their local wines. In the town of Lipari the numerous excavations have uncovered a host of former civilizations. Ruins spanning a dozen ages of man from prehistoric thought the Phoenician, Greek, Carthaginian, Roman, Byzantine, Norman and Spanish can be found here. We can see this all in the wonderful Aeolian Museum. These islands, because of their strategic trading location, were settled in 3000 BC. Because of the windy conditions the Liparese the sailor a force to be reckoned with and their boats feared in the area. The early form of government was like an early form of communism that appeared to work. All land, houses, ships and goods were held communally and redistributed every 20 years in a huge festival. All picking from the pirate ships were distributed equally when the ships returned from their raids. Today we will find the islands considerable more hospitable!

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• June 6, 2011 -- Bareboat Yacht Charter to Sardinia – Experience Hidden Italy (0)
• October 1, 2011 -- Visiting Beautiful Taormina (0)
• June 16, 2011 -- Northern Sardinia and La Maddalena Archipelago (0)
• April 8, 2011 -- Anchorages and Harbors of the Turquoise Coast (1)

Anchorages in Sardinia

Bareboat holiday travel to Sardinia (Italy) is one of the top sailing destinations for both novices and experienced sailors.  I have traveled to many sailing destinations around the world and am always amazed by crystal blue waters found along the Sardinian Coast.  People throughout Europe love to travel to Sardinia because hard to find the perfect combination of great cruising, beautiful harbors and coves, authentic Italian food and wine and exotic untouched beaches.

Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean and it too was invaded by the Greeks, Romans, Phoenicians Genoese and Spaniards. They were never conquered though they would just retreat to the hills.  In the island interior some women still wear the traditional costume and shepherds still live in almost complete isolation.

The Sardinians are Some of the Oldest People in the World

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• June 13, 2011 -- Sailing Around Sicily – The Beautiful Aeolian Islands (0)
• October 9, 2011 -- The French Cuisine of the East – Ahh…the food of Turkey (0)
• October 1, 2011 -- Visiting Beautiful Taormina (0)
• August 1, 2011 -- The Rest of Greece – the World’s Most Famous and Beautiful Cruising Grounds! (0)
• June 16, 2011 -- Northern Sardinia and La Maddalena Archipelago (0)
• April 4, 2011 -- Islands and Anchorages of Odysseus and Jackie and Aristotle Onassis (0)