Gaeta - December
Wednesday 4th December...
LINDA & DEAN... Well there's not too much to say about this past week really so we'll lump it all together.
Highlight of the week was Dean going up the mast, first time for a while. The weather improved slightly and for a couple of days it was calm and sunny, so we took the opportunity. Wearing his new helmet, Dean's first mast job was putting two rows of reflective tape around the top of the mast. This is to help us be seen in the dark, plus there were some scratches that had been there since way back when we bought Thésée and so he was able to cover these with the tape..... a job that he has always wanted to get done.
A close up,
Dean attaching the reflective tape
The real view from down here, Yikes!
Moving further down the mast he replaced a screw on the second spinnaker halyard fairlead as it was missing, not an easy job tapping a 5mm hole way up there but it went well. Down a bit further and he removed the top lazybag lines for alteration as they were slightly uneven lengths. When we examined them closer they weren't actually too far out and so decided to leave them as they were. On consideration, it was better to leave them odd so that they didn't rub the mainsail in the same places. Hence, he put them back as they were on his second trip up the mast. One of them became detached before he could secure it and so dropped down back onto the deck. So together we managed to hoist it back up with the spinnaker halyard, to save Dean coming back down for it. Teamwork.
As darkness fell on Saturday evening we took a stroll into the Old Town with Ant, Cid, and the dogs to look at the Christmas lights in the park. They are amazing. There were lots of people about enjoying the atmosphere, ice skating, Christmas stalls, fairy lights, fireworks, and ice cream. The little tourist trains were jam packed to the brim, taking people back and forth and to Santa's Grotto. All very festive. We've put our little Christmas Tree up inside the boat. Last year we put it outside on the pulpit rails but decided it's a bit too windy for that here in Gaeta.
Along the seafront
In the park, lots of families
At the kiddies fair
One of the tourist trains arriving at Santa's Grotto
Christmassy Stalls near the ice-rink
On Sunday, Anna (the marina co-owner), invited Cindy, Robin, and myself to her home for Afternoon Tea, sending a mini-bus to pick us up too even though she lives locally. We must have been there four hours as by the time i got back it was almost 9.30pm! It was a very enjoyable evening and she had a couple of other friends there too so lots of interesting talk going on, along with playing with her adorable very energetic puppy.
Dean has been carrying out his monthly maintenance checks. Along with this he put some air into the water system accumulator tank as it was sounding a bit rough and noisy. We bought a digital pressure gauge to make sure it's spot on although it's in quite a difficult spot to reach under the floor. So i guess he may be playing about with it some more until he's perfectly happy.
The sea water in the marina is sometimes full of debris, but as the weather had been calm the water was pretty clear, so he took the opportunity to start the boat engine giving it a warm up for half an hour or so. All is well with it and Dean also started the mobile generator which was fine too. We think we haven't done much this week but when you come to write it down we've been busier than we remember. Other jobs Dean got on with were washing down and cleaning the sprayhood and bimini ready for waterproofing. Plus he's almost completed his teak oiling in the cockpit, in fact he's doing the cockpit floor at this very moment. I think it's his secret obsession.
Man at work, it's looking good Dean
So finally this week i managed to put a mini quiz together, and last night six of us went over to the 'Dutch Bar' to play along. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, with Bob (our American friend on Windarra) claiming the grand prize of a Satsuma and a Chocolate Santa. Well done to Bob.
Trying out the Christmas Beer at the Dutch Bar
Time to head back
Thésée looking festive in Fairy Lights
Is it really Christmas Day?
Dinner done, Xmas pud next
Tuesday 10th December...
LINDA - It was Dean's turn to go back to the UK this week, leaving me and Saffy to look after Thésée. The morning he left it was miserable weather and neither of us had managed to get much sleep expecting the alarm to go off at 4.30am, and it had been a windy night too. But i'm pleased to say that his journey went to plan, apart from the train to Rome being a bit late and full, meaning he had to stand up for the whole hour and a quarter.
I tracked Dean's plane across Italy, Switzerland, and France
I managed to keep myself occupied sorting out my emails, in fact i deleted about 700 emails and it took me nearly a day! On Friday, Robin and Bob from Windarra invited me to go on a mini-ramble with them and a group of local Italian ladies. It was just a local walk up into Mount Orlando Park, but it was a beautiful calm afternoon and we had a really good time. The leader took us all the way up to the top where there's the mausoleum of Roman consul Lucius Munatius Plancus. He was one of Caesar's comrades-in-arms who founded the colony of Lugdunum (now Lyon). Here's some photos from the walk....
Cats on watch
A myriad of tunnels in the hillside
This would be barred off in the UK
Unusual flowers along the route
.... and enjoying the sunny afternoon
Here's some more,
I'm sure my sister will tell me what they are??
Pretty petals
The sun going down,
giving a fine view out across the Tyrrhenian Sea
At the top now, here's the mausoleum
Not very exciting and you can't get in either
And here's a bust of Lucius himself,
this on display at the Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon
A quick selfie as there wasn't much else to photograph
Now we get a different view of the US ship in port
....and through the streets,
stalls getting ready for the evening
Robin and Bob had very kindly invited me over for dinner that evening, and afterwards we played Rummikub. I've been practising but obviously need to try harder as i didn't even win one game.
Well Dean was back on board Thésée by Sunday afternoon, and i'm pleased to say the weather was extremely calm all the time he was away, so Saffy and I didn't have any issues getting on and off the boat for walkies. On the other hand, poor Dean came back with a start of a sore throat and a cold. We have plenty of medicine to ward it off though.
Supplies
Even though he's not feeling 100%, that doesn't stop him from getting stuck into his jobs . Today he has been waterproofing the lazy bag cover along with the new leather steering wheel covers too. Can't keep a good man down. The next photo shows one of the lazy bag lines which he has removed so that he can attach them more simply with triangular shackles once it all goes back together on the boom. The photos show the (hang man) noose knots which makes the lines adjustable, he's so clever.
Wednesday 18th December...
LINDA - The week started with Darby (one of our other American friends) taking Cindy and I on a shopping tour around town. Darby lives in Gaeta having arrived here by boat a few years back with her husband, selling their boat, and moving here permanently. She was giving us advice on which were the best shops to use, and also helping us at the butchers shops with asking for what we wanted. Whilst we were there we took the chance to order our Turkey joint for Christmas Day. Phew, good job Darby was there to translate. Who knows what we would have ended up with, without her help. It was an informative morning for us, and has raised our confidence in communicating with the local shopkeepers.
Two massive pork chops from the Butchers shop
(on a normal sized baking sheet)
Next day i dragged Dean onto the bus as i wanted to go to the supermarket in Formia and try to get some Christmas chockky goodies, and also they have cheap coffee pods for our coffee machine. Only they didn't have any coffee pods after all that! Getting back to a bus stop for the return journey was quite hair-raising, walking alongside the mad main road but all went fine. I don't think we'll be doing that too often.... even though we purchased some unbranded chocolate bars that were exactly the same as Mars Bars, only better!!
Friday night we battened down the hatches and settled in for yet another storm. This one was predicted with a 'Strong Gale Warning', and indeed the barometer dropped like a rock as the storm approached. Wind gust were forecast to be 70 knots. The marina staff have attached lines across the marina to boats on the other side. In other words, the lines go from the bows of the boats on our row, to the bows of the boats on the opposite pontoon. They've been doing this recently, but never to our boat, so we asked them to put one on Thesee too. This helps us from being blown backwards into the quayside and damaging the back of the boat. When the storm hit it was fortunately nowhere near as bad as we were expecting. We think this was because it was coming from the west and so we were pretty well sheltered from the swell, whereas the last storm when we had lots of surge came straight into the bay from the south. Here's some photos we took the following morning.
The remains of the neighbours flag
For the third time since we arrived in Gaeta
the superyacht reception tent suffered damage
All the supporting poles were down
The outside pontoon looks intact
The fire extinguisher box lost its front cover
Here, the yacht opposite us was found with
its main sail bag blown completely off the boom and hanging in the water
The little fairground on the esplanade suffered a pirate shipwreck!
...and here's Dean tying up the neighbours wind generator
after it broke away from its fasteners
So it was Saturday and the other neighbours (the Italians) came to check their boat. They surprised us by giving us a Christmas Gift Box containing two bottles of wine. How kind is that?
Our little Christmas Tree is up, and ready for the Saturday evening's Pot Luck Party which we were hosting. This time it was our turn to make the main course, which was Chicken Casserole, Mash, and Veg. Windarra made the first course, a lovely tasty home-made goats cheese and onion tart with parmesan crisps which were delicious. And Impavidus made the desserts, again a yummy peach crumble with custard. Afterwards we introduced the gang to Triominoes but it was getting quite late and so we only got one quick game in, plus we were all abit shattered from the storm watch the night before.
So, Sunday the weather was lovely (at last) and on the afternoon we stumbled across a Classic Fiat 500 Rally going on in the marina car park. It was brilliant, all the drivers dressed as Santa Claus and plenty of the cars decorated. It felt really unique watching the goings on and being in Italy too.
Sunday lunch
Fancy Fiats
Dean wants to know....
How many Santas can you get in a Fiat 500?
Very festive
This Fiat has a Nativity Scene in the suitcase
...and another has this Nativity Scene under the bonnet!!
It was turning into quite an eventful afternoon, and down on the beach the surfers were making the most of the last of the big rollers. Then we bumped into Robin and Bob from Windarra who had been enjoying a Sunday Lunch at one of the beach bars to celebrate Bob's Birthday. They invited us to join them for a glass of wine and a Happy Birthday sing song.
Surfing USA? No Italia
Happy Birthday Bob
By yesterday we were wondering what to do with ourselves again. So off we took ourselves for a mooch about and ended up walking the back streets up to the hospital on the hill. It wasn't very exciting but it made a change of scenery. Saffy wore herself out and we had to carry her home. When we arrived back at the boat we nearly had a 'LOB' (Laundry Overboard) moment as our bed sheet had blown off the washing line and was hanging on the guardrails, and my jeans on the deck too.
Didn't know there were ruins up here
Dean and Saffy looking down over the town and the bay
You can just make out the large US warship 'Mount Whitney'
DEAN - OK so this week I have been trying to order some replacement solar panels to replace the Spanish ones that failed in the summer. It seems that Italy is quite a big producer of solar panels, especially the flexible that we like to use. I have some on the way and the supplier seems very helpful so far. Fingers crossed. Let’s hope they're a bit better than the Spanish who I’m still pissed off over.
We put the fairy lights up this week, we waited until after the last storm had passed. We only have them low down on the boat this year just in case the weather closes in again. Good job really as it looks like half of the lights have stopped working! I guess external fairy lights are not externally set up for salt water ingress. We're not the only ones with Fairy Light failure, Mount Whitney seems to be having trouble too, lol.
The chandlery here in Gaeta finally managed to get hold of a replacement water pump for me. It’s only a spare, it’s for the fresh water system on board, anyway I fitted the new one as the main pump and kept the old one as the spare. Bit of a fiddle as usual but OK in the end and a lot quieter than the old one.
Look.... I'm happy.... my water pump has arrived
Don't forget to set it to the correct pressure
New pump in place and ready to go
While I was in the chandlery they told me that they would be closed from this Friday 20th till the 7th January for Christmas! Yikes that’s some holiday. There seems to be quite a lot of believers here, what with all the Churches about and the Pope living just up the road I suppose it’s only to be expected. Looks like Linda will have to do without a present again this year if the closest shop is going to be closed. Amen!
Tuesday 24th December…
LINDA & DEAN -Santa has arrived early in Gaeta and not only has he brought sunshine and clear skies for the next four days on the trot, he’s also brought us some new Solar Panels. I don’t know why Dean was so excited about the solar panel delivery?? … after all, he keeps telling me that it’s MY present. Of course he had to open MY present two days early to check that all was well, and we must report that the solar panels look super. Fingers crossed they will work as good as they look. These new panels are from an Italian company and also made in Italy. We’ll be reporting on their performance in the New Year once they’ve been fitted, but for now they are safely tucked up inside the aft cabin.
Too big for wrapping paper
Here's Dean opening MY present
Santa also brought us another present, this one being a new Water Filter jug which is rather handsome too. The drinking water here is sometimes a little dodgy so as well as filtering it into our tanks, we also filter it out of the taps. We must have been good this year to receive such wonderful gifts. Thanks Santa.
The handsome water jug
Other exciting news this week was an invite from Anna and Luca (the marina owners) to join them at their Staff Christmas Lunch last Friday. All us live-aboards went along and there must have been about 70 people all in all. Me being rather a fussy eater and not liking fish, was worried about what they might serve up for Christmas Lunch….. Oh dear…. First Course, Octopus salad with anchovies, cuttlefish, salmon, and one other unidentified sea food. Second Course, Mussels & Clams with Gnocci, Third Course, Swordfish. I did actually eat some swordfish but as for the rest of it, I moved it around the plate a bit and ate the salad. Anna was very kind and gave us all a little Christmas gift. The marina has been very good to us, it’s just a shame the weather has been the big spoiler.
Avoiding the Octopus
Cindy likes it
Second course.... we are not amused, lol
Third course... OK i'll give it a try
Wow, the big celebration cake!
Time for the staff photo
Finally, pudding, cake, smile
Back on Thesee now and raiding the sweetie jar
And so, onto this week’s STORM WATCH. We knew Saturday and Sunday was going to be bad but even the US warship removed its flag bunting and on Sunday they didn’t even raise their ensign, which goes to show they had battened down the hatches too.
Rather windy woo
Opposite us, the boat nearly lost its passarelle into the water
Dean had to alert the marina before it was completely blown away
The 'Windy' weather website shows the bad weather
all across the Western Mediterranean
I kept myself amused and busy by making Christmas Crackers for tomorrow’s dinner with the gang. Dean was my paper hat guinea-pig. What do you think of my home-made crackers?
Prototype paper hat
Is that Eric Morecambe??
The finished crackers
Close up
And so it’s Christmas Eve and we’ve just been outside to take this year’s Christmas Photo. We wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and hope all your wishes come true. Have a lovely day, and a lovely run up to New Year.
Gaeta 2019
Tuesday 31st December...
LINDA & DEAN - The week started on Christmas Day, and what a lovely sunny day it was. We took a walk down to the beach with Ant, Cid, and the dogs. The surfers were out on the waves, and it was so warm we took our coats off! We actually walked the whole length of the beach before heading back into town. No-one was eager to get back so we sat outside at Triestina cafe with coffee and the most delicious croissants in the whole wide world.
Surfers, not swimmers this year
Looks deserted, but there was quite a few people about
And a lot of plastic too, tut tut
Ready to tuck into those croissants
Hey, they're not both yours
At 4pm, the six of us got together for Christmas Dinner which was kindly hosted by Impavidus. Ant & Cindy cooked the turkey & pigs in blankets, Windarra the veg, stuffing, and trifle, and we made the roast potatoes and yorkshire puds. It all came together really well, and we were quite a sight at 4pm walking along with our pots and pans.
Dean in festive spirits
Robin keeping an eye on Oscar (so he doesn't eat the turkey)
Cindy has everything under control
Just a few bottles of plonk in the foreground!
Are they laughing at my cracker jokes?
Robin had made a huge trifle and here's Dean the next day finishing it off. Well not all at once i might say.
Does Dean need a bigger spoon?
It's actually been sunny every day this week and mainly calm but it's turned very cold especially at night. Dean has got some jobs done in between eating trifle. This next photo is after he changed the brackets that support the Duogen. We have been using a ball type bracket to date, but they are looking pretty worse for wear now so Dean put the original fixings on. They look nice and tidy again now.
During the process
Finished
Trying to keep ourselves amused, one of the days we took a little stroll around some parts of town that we had not explored yet. That sounds interesting but really it's just a few different streets. However, there was this mausoleum. Not a lot to look at but obviously it's been there a long time.
Mausoleo Lucio Sempronio Atratino
...was one of Marc Antony's mates in the old days
Yesterday i helped Dean to fit the new solar panels to the bimini. The Italian supplier was able to make the fixing holes in the exact position to Dean's specifications (i.e. the same as the old ones he sent back to Spain). Everything fitted almost perfectly... just maybe a couple of mm out at the most, so we are really pleased. He had to do a small add on to the length of the wiring though, but it didn't take long, and he didn't moan at all. So after they'd been tested and in working order, we removed the whole bimini section (including the solar panels) and they will stay indoors until we're ready to set off again next year.
Happiness is a man with working solar panels
Rear views
So here we are today, New Year's Eve, last day of the year and of the decade. In fact, the last blog of the year and decade. It's still sunny outside, and Jayne (the lady who looks after the live-aboards) has just brought us a present...
Chocolate and Nuts goodies
From the Three Sailors here in Gaeta, we send our best wishes to all Thésée Followers around the world for a very Happy New Year. We get to celebrate twice, once at Italian midnight, then again one hour later at UK midnight. If we can stay awake that long. So whatever you're doing tonight, enjoy your celebrations and here's to the next decade of the...
Adventures of Thésée
The next blog post will be called Gaeta - January 2020
