Pompeii

As I walked out of the port in Castellammare di Stabia I was trying to look for a taxi but there was none at all. I was a bit perplexed as it was my first time walking about in Italy. As soon as I asked someone for directions I almost burst out laughing as their English sounded exactly like the Mafioso's in the Godfather movies. 

IE at Castellammare di Stabia

Valencia - Castellammare di Stabia

Having our business in Valencia concluded we leave on the 27th for Italy for our next engagement. The weather is fine and we embark pilot as usual and clear the "S" bend without any hitches. Soon we are on the high seas setting engines on cruising speed and heading for Italian riviera. The trip is uneventful and we make good speed for our ETA.

Castellammare di Stabia (by Google satellite)

Day on the beach

This Saturday I was invited by Sasha, my Carpenter from Ukraine to join him on the beach for some sun bathing and sea bathing while getting out of the ship to prevent cabin fever. To make matters easier we had also a few pegs of Russian Standard to grease the wheels and soon we are on our way walking to the "playa".

View of America's Cup basin from our agents rooftop office terrace

Valencia Science Museum

This day decided to visit the Science Museum of Valencia. As it was close by we decided to walk over there, the museum could be seen far away. The pedestrians were not very much favored as we ended plodding down paths in no mans land but eventually we made it on the road to the museum. 

Science Museum

Valencia Old City

Went walking in the old town of Valencia for about 4 hours, interesting architecture and what they have done with the dried out old river bed. Also the restoring of old buildings is remarkable.

Being touristy I also fell for a 185€ folding knife that was a copy of something highway robbers used in olden times. The knife is hand made by Jose Exposito Picazzo. It was described as: This kind of knife was very much used by the bandits in the end of XVIII and middle XIX centuries. Raw materials used are s/s 440, engraving by etching, alpaca & cebu horn scales.

Bridge over river

Cannes - Valencia

On the 4th June morning we heave up anchor and depart Cannes for Valencia. Weather is fine for a change and it is nice to get to the open seas for a change from ports and marinas, albeit a short time.

Islas Columbretes

Monaco - Cannes

I arrived Nice airport a bit after midnight on 30th May, it was about 4 years since I was in Mediterranean the last time. Nothing had seemingly changed, nobody was out to meet me so I took a taxi and gave instructions to drive to Monaco. The views would have been breathtaking had it been daylight when I was passing the mountains but in the middle of the night I just saw navigation lights at sea and streetlights on land.

Monaco

M/y Fathom survey

I was asked to have a look at m/y Fathom in case interest would arise in purchasing her. Onboard I was welcomed by Captain Oscar Wollstein who showed me around every nook and cranny that was possible to see when afloat. She is a very interesting small yacht.

M/y Fathom