We left Monastir at last on the afternoon of March 28, and enjoyed ideal south-westerly winds for the first two-thirds of the short hop to the tiny island of Lampedusa. Common Sense scooted along at six knots as though she was enjoying being back on the open sea once again. Sideways chop made for a slightly uncomfortable passage, and I confess I had to feed the fish a couple of times before recovering my sea-legs. At about 4am the wind died and we motor-sailed the rest of the way, past the limestone cliffs and lovely azure bays into the harbour, arriving at about 9.30 am. Past the entrance, Lampedusa’s harbour is shaped like a trefoil, with a small anchorage and beach to the left, the main fishing harbour straight ahead, and to the right a sort of general docking area for ferries, unloading fishing vessels, Coast Guard etc. We headed into the right and tied up near some fishing boats until a friendly local taxi driver came along and offered to take us up to the Guardia to check in. They were also very friendly and jovial, saying we could tie up at the dock in front of their office, but no-one was the least bit interested in our passports or ship’s papers. One bloke pointed to a passport cover and asked where we came from; when I said Australia, he laughed and said, “All-a Europa same same, no problemo!” So there we were, ‘officially’ in Italy!

Docking in front of the Guardia was fine for a while, but when the swell came up a bit, we were being bumped against the concrete wall. Some French cruisers (Pascal and Barbara) came along and told us it was a rough place to stay and suggested we head around to the little anchorage, which we promptly did. This was much better - calm aquamarine water and a pretty white beach surrounded by small hotels and villas. Already we were enjoying the contrasts with north Africa: the colours and variety of buildings, the cheerfulness of the local people, the relative lack of litter, the delightful musicality of the language and now, beautiful young people in swimsuits (even bikinis!) playing on the beach. It was Easter Saturday and a holiday, so the town was quiet, but even so, the feeling of openness and freedom was palpable.

Later we welcomed some of our friends as they arrived – Rene and Christine, Laurent single-handing Caracal, and Lauren and Olivier on Hephaistos. The next couple of days were not so great, however: the winds strengthened and seemed to change direction totally every few hours. Our normally reliable anchor didn’t work so well as we swung around to all points of the compass, and we dragged a couple of times (always in the early hours of the morning, of course). Laurent and Olivier had both tied up to the rocks with a stern line as well as their anchors on the bow, and we now realised why. It had seemed an uncomfortable thing to do, putting themselves broadside to the swell, but at least they didn’t move. We have a lot to learn from veterans of the Mediterranean!

Eventually we all joined the exodus out of the anchorage and into the harbour, where we are now rafted up with Hephaistos, and enjoying the chance to explore the island. Lampedusa is the southernmost point of Italy, officially part of Sicily. Only about 4000 people live here permanently, though it is a popular summer resort, and the population has been swelled by boatloads of refugees from Libya, Algeria and also Tunisia during the revolution. The people of Lampedusa have been recognised for their generous and humanitarian treatment of these north African refugees. The island is also noted for its environmental initiatives – it is a haven for sea turtles, there are extensive wildlife protection zones on land and sea, and recycling is clearly fostered. On Wednesday we hiked about half-way around the island, enjoying the scenic coastline and the wonderful scents of sea air and wild thyme. Yesterday (Friday) we took the island bus with Lauren and Olivier out to Rabbit Island, a famous beauty spot with great views from the high limestone headlands and a really lovely beach. Once again, we did Australia proud, braving the freezing waters of the Med. Everyone has promised that it does warm up in summer!

There are strong winds expected tomorrow (Sunday) but the forecast looks promising after that, so with a bit of luck we should be in Malta early next week for a fortnight stay.