Big Brother!

It is really annoying having a perfect wife. Mrs K proved herself beyond reproach. The children came out to see us again and we had a lovely time in Pisa.

Slipping along from Pisa to Cecina a nice little marina approaching the Italian islands particularly Elba. 

Unfortunately we were stuck in Cecina due to a bit of a blow. We tried to make the most of it by exploring locally on bikes but map reading failed me once more. 

"But I thought we had crossed the river so turning lefty was logical" Anyway we only went about four miles in the wrong direction.

Then we discovered Cecina's water park. So hiding from the weather in order to avoid hurtling about getting wet we went to this park in order to hurtle about and get wet? I think I am getting old, but unfortunately for my joints and bones, I think this after the event, not before!

Then old Uncle Tony who has been making America great for the last 25 years joined us from his programming cubicle in New Jersey.

I think he has exaggerated the hair line here.

I have to say he took to sailing in the sun with a natural vigor. Tony turning bronze!

And so we set off from Cecina to Elba via a nice little lunch stop at Porto Barratti. Nice swim then on to Portoferraraio, Napoleon's reduced kingdom following his surrender to the British in 1814 ish.

Anchored in the bay, it's a shortish ride in the dinghy to the harbour.

Now the perfect wife bit. Mrs K has a waterproof bag and each dinghy journey requires all electronics and wallets to be surrendered for safe keeping despite groans of 'we'll be fine.'

We executed a three person dinghy ride from the anchorage to the pretty harbour at Portoferraio without hazard. Walked around Cosimo Medici's fortifications had lunch and decided to return to Hermy and come back in the afternoon to take a look at Napoleon's house. No problem.

So at about 5 pm we duly load ourselves in to the tender and splutter our way across the Ferry lines and in to the harbour once more. 

In the harbour you are surrounded by shops and bars containing people just watching the world go by. As there wasn't too much world going by, three people coming ashore in a small dinghy was worth a look. 

Now Mrs K clutching the waterproof bag hopped on to the dock daintily while older brother lumbered across the dinghy to disembark. I started to shut down the engine and remove the kill cord. 

They say you should look up to your elders and I did just that as the great oaf fell backwards in to my arms. Now the combined weight of two middle aged Kilbrides slightly off the centre line of the dinghy was too much and with yells of 'oh fuck' just to maximise viewers, over we went, dinghy and all. 

Well I came up to the sound of Mrs K's delirious laughter whilst she clutched the waterproof bag, and then to the sound of a spluttering brother. Luckily a couple of very kind Italian men righted the dinghy and pulled us ashore, we gave our thanks and said sorry we are English, by way of explanation.

Drying off in the sun. Wet? No!

So a day washing and WD 40 ing and then a more successful visit to Boney's pad the following morning, despite some appreciative nods from the locals.

Boney's loo.

Then off to Porto Azzurro a very nice port on Elba.

Armed and dangerous!

A very nice clean town with beautiful views.

After a  juicy, salady lunch and a further successful dinghy ride back to Hermy we set off for Salivoli back on the mainland for a very expensive stay and nothing much to see.

Another lunch stop at Barratti and then a sail back to Cecina. 

Now should the fore sail reefing system be unscrewing the forestay that holds up the mast?