Resumption to Nils
 Goodbye Clara! I love to not understand somebody in his words, but trying to read everything of my opposite. It was really amazing to be part of it ... amazing to sit beside 86year old Giovanni and to watch him trying to catch some pasta off Ester's plate or to mix wine into her glass of water. Incredible Clara neither speaks English nor German, nevertheless she gave me 200 Euro, when I've been leaving on November 26th 2011, so that I could return home. She also promised to watch my "bike". Of course, I returned with 200 Euro in my bags to pay her back. She did not want the money back. Don't read over this: SHE DID NOT WANT THE MONEY BACK.  My club La Lenza This is not only my adventure ... it's some kind of European heart that beats intensively and that searches its way towards public while I'm on my journey. I'm proud to represent this heart. Strengthened and richer, I go to work. There are many things that I can get rid of. Those old tins with pork are rusty, but they still do. I keep them. My mariner 3.3 really works at first try after an oil replacement and a cure for the spark plugs. For two minutes ... plop ... off!! Then, the hauling rope breaks, the carburetor looks like a saltshaker from the inside ... Damn!  Saying goodbye to a friend A boy from the camping site stays with me till late in the night, waiting for my carburetor to work again. I start after almost a week of preparations. When Clara waves goodbye from the edge, I'm leaving a little home again. But something is different ... my turbine is roaring like metal ... After ten miles it pauses for a short while, it starts again and I can rescue myself at position eight in my GPS, a river delta - at least identified as those by my maps and google earth J But the delta is gone - the past two years have made a gigantic marina out of it! Good for me. Stefano, who is managing the porto, speaks English. He invites me to dinner. My engine seems to be good again after a little oil treatment.  Best scene at clam sea: my outboard motor ;-)) Continuing on the next day ... the noises are getting louder. After 16 miles with black particulate in the water and noises that sound like I'd shake a scrap yard, that's it. We diagnose a piston seizure in Marinagra / Policoro. The journey downstream of my europium is rapidly gone when Sabrina, Antonio (the harbor boss) and Giovanni (the engine trader) are interacting immediately. Sabrina insists on buying a new engine. Due to the safety, that an engine means to me, she's not willing to play any games. Of course, she's right. Money transfer takes two days and that's it. It's hard to say good bye to my good old friend, but to welcome the new lade, a Honda 2.3 four stroke, is way much easier. What a pit stop ... fantastic! J Oil, two and a half liters of wine and sausage of the Provence, that's what Giovanni gives me on plus. Go on, Andreas!  She's doing well . . . Friday, May 4th 2012: While crossing a big bay, approximately five miles from the coast in a not very amusing wave, I hear a "Knack". I turn around, cause this noise seems strange. My fixing for the upper oar blade is broken totally, the other one is broken 87%.  Breaking down of my oar blade Now being a 7/8 havarist, I decide for Schiavonea. I reserve into a sandbank, close to the coast guard in the inner harbor and every official building that Italy can have on the coast. A car stops… "Ey, you got a problem?" I'm glad about the good German skills of the guy and suddenly a small harbor adventure starts. "I will come with an idea", Francesco says when he's leaving me behind with my broken pattern. "I'll be back at 7 p.m.!" He returned J Though not on the same day J In the meanwhile, Enzo, who is the boss of a metal company, Francesco, who is the president of the fishing club "La Lenza" (which I'm now a member of by the way) and Antonio, the car dealer, kept telling me, how bad I would be looking. "In Calabria, you are small and you have a big belly! Something's wrong with you!"  They will be replaced by something metallic So, they gave me double ration three days long and I was almost sick of all the eating. One day, I even invited a fishing man to dinner. As Francesco hadn't returned, Enzo cared for me. I did a rough drawing and he got me in his car, which was more like a bump on wheels. My whole body was shaking by the movement on water. Now imagine this shaken body being slow and melancholic, you can imagine this ride as if you'd try to get a 95 year old away from her walking frame to place her in a roller coaster. Aww! I'm still alive. The end of the story: "Please Andreas, return ... Bring all your family ... our home is your home!" My paddles have not just been broken. They have brought me to you. Thank you! The wind is fast and hard to predict at the moment. Behind every cape it's all new and different. Either there is no wind or the strongest wind ever. I've had great days of sailing so far with more than 50 miles a day, burned shins and extremely wet butt. If you like action, you should travel the Road of Messina. I crossed a group of kite surfers (we're greeting!). Man, that wasn't the best experience! The Road is like a wind vacuum. Wind is gotten made here. It's over as soon as you've passed the stage. It changes from a Beaufort 8 to zero!! I repeat: It' smooth as glass after a mile in the open water!  A little break at the gate to the Road of Messina It's Sunday, May 20th 2012, Camerota, Italy. I'm gonna reach Sorento, Capri in three days. That sounds nice. Bad luck: My son Nils will be there on a class trip in about two weeks. You can't imagine how hard it is to still have to sail on. I would have loved to meet my son, but as I decided for Biscaya, I have to get there before September 15th and it's a long way till there.  Beautiful water in front of Tropea I still got some of Clara's money left. Yesterday in the evening there was a festival and a pizza rack. I've been waiting for the first ones to get their food, and finally I also got there. "Bagare?" No!!! I did that again and again ... This morning, taking a shower should cost three Euros in the marina. The watchman was strict. Three Euros was too much for me ... then I met a young tuna fisher. He invited me to a coffee and a shower ;-) You just gotta know the right people! See you soon ... Your Ghost of the Coast ;-)  Long waves - up to more than two metres - hard to take a picture of it! |