Best and worst about our winter in Rome?

     OK, Tunisia. . . We spent almost a month

     [Is anyone still reading? Hang on, I'm almost done.]

     Arriving back in Sicily was like coming

     We arrived from Tunisia on Sicily's west

     The middle week of May we met close

     At the end of May, we pointed Satchmo

     Italy gave us a wonderful farewell-a 45

     Approaching Corfu at dawn was a bit of a

     We've been in the Ionian islands about 12

Report received from Bill and Ellen Bane aboard the Nordhavn 46 Satchmo: This is the long-overdue update on what Bill and I been up to over the past few months. Thanks for being so patient with me. This is lengthy-too lengthy-so you may want to brush off your speed-reading skills. I. MARCH, IN ROME This was our last month in Rome, with long to-do lists getting ready for the departure to Tunisia. Also-one last visit to the Pantheon; finishing my ballroom dancing lessons (absolutely the highlight of my winter); exchanging cruising info with other liveaboards about the Ionian and Aegean islands; and MOST of all, some intensive farewell partying! Eventually, Bill and I realized that we needed to put out to sea so we could get some rest. Best and worst about our winter in Rome? The best, of course, was Rome itself-endlessly beautiful, friendly, fascinating-and still there's so much left to see and do. A close second was the other cruisers in the marina-wonderful, diverse, fun-loving, talented people-British, Dutch, Australian, South African, Swedish, German, French, and a few other Americans, coming from every job/profession/background you can imagine. Most of them are headed to Sicily and Greece, like us, so we're hoping to cross paths throughout the summer. Other good things about our winter in Rome? Traveling to small towns all over central Italy; the amazingly friendly and delightful Italians we met everywhere we went; how cozy and warm our boat was; the fact that Bill and I were able to live in such small enclosed quarters without killing each other; the food and wine, of course; the marina bill for 6 months, including water and electricity, of 2200 Euros total (about $2700). [Read that again-that's the TOTAL for 6 months-not bad for waterfront property!] The worst about our winter in Rome? Hands down, the lousy, awful weather-RAIN, RAIN, AND MORE RAIN. Even when it wasn't raining, it looked like it would start raining in a few minutes. Second worst was Italy's national disease: graffiti. Everywhere, unrelenting. Third . . . I've been sitting here, staring at the computer screen, for a couple of minutes trying to think of something else in the "worst" category-and I can't. Says a lot, huh? VIVA ITALIA!! Bill already wrote about our trip from Rome to Tunisia-fine and uneventful. Just what I like. Look at a map-you'll be surprised that it's only 300 nautical miles from Rome to northern Tunisia-roughly a 48 hour trip for us. Another surprise: northern Tunisia is further north than southern Sicily. II. APRIL, IN TUNISIA OK, Tunisia. . . We spent almost a month there, and to tell the truth, I'm still trying to decide what I think about it. Maybe it's one of those places you need to sort of mull over in your mind for awhile. Also, I'm not sure how much "real" Tunisia we saw; mostly we were in the coastal areas which, by definition, are tourist areas-Europe's Florida, almost. Compared to Morocco (the only other North African country we've been to, and which we LOVED), Tunisia is much more modern, much more Westernized, and much less exotic. Essentially, I think the country is showing growing pains. Anyway, some basics: 1. All month the weather was glorious springtime-constantly sunny (hallelujah, after our rainy winter!), 70's in the day, 60's at night, perfect. Wonderful and unexpected countryside in the north-green fields, red poppies, trees in blossom-a real Garden of Eden. The central and southern landscapes are more as you'd expect-harsh and dry but still beautiful, too. 2. We arrived in Tunisia at a northwest fishing town called Kelibia. That's where the port police thought we were the sailing vessel "Satchmo" that matched a 1993 Order of Confiscation. (Excedrin Headache # 41.) 3. Over the next few days, we worked our way south, via Hammamet, to Port el Kantaoui, near Sousse. In Hammamet, we met a lovely local couple who showed us around, helped us get cell phone service, took us to their house for drinks, then out to dinner. The wife Monique is Tunisian born and bred (also part Sicilian and part French); the husband Didier is French, Tunisian, German, and Maltese. We communicated in French, Italian, German, English, and hand gestures. God knows what anyone said! 4. Hammamet, by the way, is just one of the many places in the Mediterranean that had the misfortune to be "visited" by the Knights of St. John from Malta. When they attacked Hammamet in the early 1600's, the Knights killed all the "infidel" men, and then took 700 women and children back to Malta to be auctioned off as slaves. Great guys. [It's always interesting to hear history told from the other side's perspective.] 5. April 7 to 17, we were joined by long-time, dear friends from Munich. Together we made day trips to Sousse (ancient medina and kasbah), to Kairouan (its main mosque is the #4 holiest in all of Islam, built in the late 600's-imagine!); and to the VERY well-preserved coliseum in El Jem (third largest coliseum in the entire Roman Empire, after Rome and Capua). We also went overnight to Tunis (beautiful, vibrant medina, world-class mosaics museum) and to the ruins of ancient Carthage. I had expected Carthage to be another ho-hum pile of rocks and columns-after a winter in Italy you get choosey about your ruins. But THIS-this was breathtaking and unforgettable! Its acropolis commands a panoramic 360-degree view of land and sea-the apex of a very advanced empire. Horrible stories, though, about Rome's siege and destruction of Carthage (the Punic Wars, remember?). 6. After our friends left, we headed further south to Monastir where we hauled "Satchmo" out for annual maintenance-bottom painting, scraping, hull polishing, various odds and ends. Thankfully, the work was mainly done by an eager young entrepreneur Ali, his brother Fahrit, and 4 of their good buddies. Daily wages were about equal to hourly wages in the US or Italy. They were happy, we were happy, so win-win! 7. Last task in Tunisia: we took on about 850 gallons of diesel (enough to last us through the summer) at $2.10 a gallon, as opposed to around $6.00 in the EU. This alone made the trip to Tunisia worthwhile! Some observations: 1. Tunisian men: OK, this is where I had problems warming up to Tunisia. Middle-age and older men weren't a problem; they were either polite and courteous, or they looked through me as if I were invisible. Either was fine with me. Young Tunisian men were a different story, at least a fair number of them. If I wasn't with Bill, they ogled, hassled, made comments, called out, etc. It was blatant, sexist, disrespectful, stupid and annoying. They didn't do this to Tunisian women, only "European" women. Also, this was the first place I'd run into anti-American comments (as opposed to anti-Bush comments, which are ubiquitous in Europe)-taunting and unpleasant, not good-natured-and the speaker was usually a young Tunisian guy. This wasn't every day, but it did happen. I don't think the "hearts and minds" campaign is going well here. 2. Another thing about Tunisian men: they seem content to have the women do the work. Driving along in the countryside, women are out in the fields doing the farm work, and they're usually the ones herding the sheep, etc. Where are the men? Sitting in the MANY cafes and tea bars in every town, talking with each other-and this at any and all hours of the day and evening. The women do their food shopping in the morning and otherwise seem to be at home cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the kids. Women NEVER BUT NEVER go to cafes-100% exclusively male domains. 3. Tunisian women were wonderfully nice and friendly. Their literacy rate in 1960 (newly independent from France) was only 12%; now it's 66%. About 25% now work outside the home or farm. Good progress, but a long way to go. In Tunis (modern capital), as many as half of the women do not cover their heads (typically, with a scarf). Elsewhere, virtually every female head is covered. What you almost NEVER see, even in Tunis, is a women in a skirt (certainly never above the knee) or a woman in short sleeves or sleeveless (the arm must be covered to the wrist, it seems). (I dressed the same out of respect-only long pants and long-sleeve shirts.) 4. Almost everyone can speak some French, although Tunisians generally speak Arabic to each other. The biggest group of tourists is Germans, next French, then British, then Italians. We met almost no other Americans. 5. The entire country is plastered with billboards, signs, posters, banners, etc of the President, Ben Ali ("elected" in 1987 in a bloodless coup, re-elected without opposition every 5 years since then). The guy looks creepy, like an undertaker with a bad hair dye job (jet black). I've read that Tunisians find it unwise to criticize him openly, but in general he seems to run a decent government. He's done well for himself-everywhere you go you see another HUGE presidential palace, usually seaside. 6. Tunisia has lots and lots of police, almost literally on every street corner. Maybe that's a government full-employment program? (Haven't yet seen a woman police officer, come to think of it.) 7. Money: the average income is very low-monthly between $200 for unskilled and $1800 for a doctor or other professional. So, prices are also very low. Examples (at the local supermarket): baguette of French bread is 15 cents, regular size spaghetti package is 45 cents, 5 bananas is 50 cents, 6 oranges 60 cents, a liter Coke 45 cents, etc. On the other hand, remember Bill's observation that gin works out to $400 a gallon. 8. I was longing to venture into the Sahara. Desert scenes from "The English Patient", "Star Wars", and a bunch of other movies were filmed in Tunisia-and the photographs in our travel books are spectacular. Two problems: Bill had no interest (or minimal interest) in this adventure, and it would have taken several days and some pre-planning to do it right (travel to the far south, go out into the real desert, sleep in tents, maybe travel by camel). Anyway, this looks like another trip, or maybe even another country. Saudi Arabia? Egypt? Libya? Highlights, "boating moments", etc: 1. We visited a Berber mosque in the city of Kairouan on the day before Mohammed's birthday (big celebration time, like Christmas is for us). It was "exam day" for young men finishing the madressa (Koran school). They had to sit on the main floor of the mosque before a panel of elders and "sing" selections from the Koran-you know, "singing" like the sound of the call to prayer. The mosque was packed with proud parents, grandparents, siblings, everyone glued to the exam performances. The faces of these Berber families, young and old, were a study, memorable. 2. The same day, in the Kairouan medina, a group of women taught me to "ululate"-that tongue-flapping, yodeling sound Arab women make. Definitely a first for me! What happened is that I'd stumbled onto the group as they were coming out of the office where marriage contracts are recorded. The bride and groom were dressed in traditional clothing, and all these women relatives were celebrating the event with ululating. I asked (in awful French) what was going on. The next thing I knew, the women had linked arms with me and started teaching me how to yodel, too. Funny, fun, and unforgettable. 3. As required, we fly a big American flag on the stern of the boat, and on the starboard side a smaller "courtesy" flag of the country we're visiting-in this case, Tunisia's red flag with a white crescent moon. A couple of nights after we arrived in Port el Kantaoui, a young Arab couple stopped next to the boat and studied the two flags. Then, in halting English, the young woman said in a friendly way, "My fianci wishes to say that he did never expect to see the American flag next to a crescent flag." I laughed, and said (in my terrible French, which I thought would be easier for her) something about America wants to be friends, needs friends. I asked where they were from; she was Tunisian but he was Palestinian. They met while working in Germany, and got engaged. Aha-now I switched to German so that I could talk with him as well as her. Bill came to the stern and joined in-all kinds of language fragments flying all over the place, very friendly conversation. After they left it hit me-American couple in Tunisia, talking with a Tunisian woman and her Palestinian fianci about world politics and world peace in first English, then French, and then German. Wow-one of those really special "boating moments"-this is what it's all about. 4. Another "boating moment": a few days later I was giving the boat a quick wash (it was covered with Sahara sand). At some point I noticed a weird clump in the toe of my left tennis shoe, but the shoes were wet, I was wet, and I just wanted to finish. At the end, after I put away the hose, I untied my shoes, removed my foot, and saw some strange black bits on my toes. Oooooooo, gross, it was a smashed up roach. See? Boating is not ALL fruity drinks with little umbrellas. III. MAY, IN SICILY [Is anyone still reading? Hang on, I'm almost done.] Arriving back in Sicily was like coming home. We'd spent six weeks here last summer, and couldn't get enough of it. It's obvious that we like Italians; well, Sicilians are the best of the best-if they'll admit to being Italians at all. We arrived from Tunisia on Sicily's west coast at Marsala. Yes, the wine place. Spent a lazy week resting, restocking, touring the area (the Greek temples at Selinunte are older than the Parthenon in Athens), just grinning to be back among Italians. The middle week of May we met close friends from South Carolina in eastern Sicily, starting in Catania, then on to Siracusa (our favorite Sicilian town), Caltagirone (ceramics heaven), and Agrigento ( a seaside plain of Greek temples). Wonderful week with wonderful people! IV. JUNE, IN GREECE At the end of May, we pointed Satchmo east . . .again. [She hasn't gone west in a long, long time.] Leaving Siracusa I actually had tears in my eyes, until just offshore we spotted another Nordhavn 46 (our make of boat)! It was World Odd@Sea, one of the boats that crossed the Atlantic with us in 2004! Incredible! By VHF we learned that John and Dulcie were headed to Gibraltar, then on to London for the winter. Italy gave us a wonderful farewell-a 45 hour passage from Sicily to Corfu with absolutely flat, mirrored seas, dolphins dancing across our bow, and the "water flattering the moon" (a line I read somewhere). Approaching Corfu at dawn was a bit of a shock. Look at a map. The mainland directly across from Corfu, hardly a mile or so distant, is . . . yikes . . . scary Albania! They're reputed still to have pirates there. I was on watch, and hugged Corfu's coast for all I was worth. We've been in the Ionian islands about 12 days now-first Corfu, then Paxos, and now Lefkas (anchored nextdoor to Onassis' island of Skorpios, where he wed Jackie Kennedy). It's all exactly as advertised-lush green mountains, dramatic cliffs, countless coves for anchoring, and lots of retsina wine. [Never mind, we stocked up in Italy!] Our next stop is the southern Peloponnese, then Crete, and then on to Athens by early July to pick up our son Thomas and his girlfriend Sally for a visit. After that? We head east again, and see where life takes us! Love, Ellen (and Bill) Bane M/V Satchmo Nordhavn 46 Currently anchored off Lefkas Island, Ionians, Greece