Wednesday, June 1st
Some men jump up and down the quay wall and shout "dolphins, dolphins!"
just in front of the park
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We spend the day by setting sails and taking it down again. The wind changes its speed constantly. Shortly after five o'clock we reach Monopoli. The mole is all occupied by fisher boats. At the other side of the harbour is a long wall, perhaps we can berth there. The wall is so high it is impossible for me to go out and fix the ropes. Rainer's legs are longer and he can manage.
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Right next to us lays a big rusty "seller of souls" (as we Germans say), it looks exactly like the boats thousands of Albanians fled with and reached Italy some years ago.
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Thursday, June 2nd
"Bouncing course" to Brindisi, ferry harbour and gate to the
Orient.
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A huge monument greets incoming ships at the entrance of the harbour showing a 50m rudder blade dedicated to the "Italian Sailor".
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Opposite the monument a tall column marks the end of the Via Appia of the Romans. There used to be two columns, the second one was moved to Lecce, a city inland.
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A small ferry takes us from the Lega Navale to the city on the other side of the harbour. The Corso Garibaldi - the main street of Brindisi - is very busy even all shops are closed. We don't know why, maybe it is a holiday.
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Friday, June 3rd
We reconsider our travel route and decide to sail to Greece and Turkey.
Unfortunately we don't have the electronic charts for this area. We
will try to get it here.
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Saturday, June 4th
In the new Marina di Brindisi is a boat show, that's why we change our
berthing and sail to this marina. They don't have the charts we need
but Apulian specialities to eat and nice wine to drink.
Sunday, June 5th
It is very loud in this marina, racing boats and water bikes constantly
race with howling engines through the marina.
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The weather forecast announces heavy winds. We go back to the Lega Navale, the place is much nicer and we feel safer there. We will have the missing charts send to here.
Monday, June 6th to Friday, June 10th
But this is not as easy as it sounds. It takes about a week till we
eventually get the charts. All over Europe is a huge depression which
brings us strong wind even here in the south of Italy and we will have
to sit in the harbour anyway.
Brindisi is a nice old city where people live and work. Most of the ancient houses or churches are hard to find between all the traffic.
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Of course there is a Stauffer Castel - right opposite the Lega Navale.
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The wind is howling in the masts of the boats, the clouds race over the almost black sky.
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Friday the weather changes and many boats take the opportunity to leave for another destination. In the afternoon our ordered charts finally arrive and tomorrow we can leave for Santa Maria di Leuca.