Well nearly.
We left Nettuno behind and decided to cut the corner off the
firing range as it was quite a hike out to get round it. All the others were doing it too. All seemed well
until we saw a tiny little motor boat with a tiny little red flag flying and it
was approaching us. Politely in English two soldiers gave us a heading and told
us to follow it until six miles out. I did point out the other naughty yachts
and just stopped myself from saying' Or are you only aiming at British yachts
today?' He told us reassuringly that he would be speaking to them too. At that
point we heard a few loud booms from the land which did spur me on to get out
of there although there were no loud splashes.
Hotfooting it out of the Nettuno firing range we headed for
the little harbour of Terracina which turned out to be a little too little for
Hermy so we decided to anchor outside for the night. Famous for being where the
Apian way meets the sea. A bit like the Thanet way but more civilised. This is
a road built in 312 BC to help supply Roman armies fighting in the south. It
has less potholes than the Hastings Road in Maidstone. It's main claim to fame
is that it's route was lined with crucified slave rebels after Spartacus, or
was it Kirk Douglas, was defeated and captured in 71 BC.
Some very nice contours there!
After a relatively peaceful night we set off for Gaeta, again, steeped in Roman stuff and we were lucky enough to get in to the small old
harbour for 50 Euros a night. This price is now becoming acceptable as we
approach July and Naples.
A long history, from a Roman seaside retreat to an oil
seaport. Perhaps the oldest and most complete bit is the mausoleum of Lucius
Plancus built on top of mount Orlando and still virtually intact. Built around
20 BC it didn't seem to have a stone plundered. Having walked up Mount Orlando
to see it I can understand why, sitting there staring at it gasping for breath I could hear the potential plunderers.
'Sod it let's invent cement.' Mrs K had
the good sense to leave me to it and read her book.
Fought over and fortified by our mate Charles V after his
mate Andria Doria beat up the French just off here and gave the port to the
Empire. Poor old French.
Gaeta has a traditional pie dish and as usual Mrs K has to
try it.
Some kind of pudding pastry stuffed with octopus and other
bits and pieces. Note the large safe pizza in the foreground.
After a hot and sticky stay in Gaeta we made for the small
island of Ventotene. It's funny, no matter how many times you pronounce it in
your head, it always comes out as 'Ventoline' for some reason. Perhaps it's the
old asthmatic in me.
Lovely sail over although light winds meant some engine
help. We were joined by four dolphins for a few minutes.
Always a pleasure to see.
Now the guide books describe the little old Roman port as decidedly
dodgy due to a right angled turn on entry
and the narrowness of it all. We were outside contemplating it and
watching a 46 footer go in when we were approached by Enrico in a rib who
talked us in to it. In we went and despite several boats deciding to come out
at the same time as we entered we got in safely.
A remarkable place. The Romans basically carved it all out
of stone. There was a large villa here and it was seen as a safe port in a
storm as it was on the trade routes from Spain to Rome and Naples.
Ventotene and its neighboring Island San Stefano has a long
history of imprisoning people with Caligula's sister 'Julia' being exiled here
due to excessive adultery, I understand this as not just a bit over the side
but completely keel hauled. She was eventually starved to death for her naughtiness
as were about five other Roman women. As time went on political prisoners were
sent here for being political in an opposing sort of way. It seems that it was
here that a united Europe was first proposed by political prisoners Spinelli
and Rossi in the Ventotene Manifesto in 1941. So forward thinking that they
could almost see Nigel Farage.
You can't mention Ventotene without mentioning Douglas
Fairbanks Junior. The sort of actor only your older brother would recall but he
put his swashbuckling talents to good use in 1940 something when he lead an
invasion of Ventotene and captured the occupying German force there pretending
to be a much larger force then he was. Apparently his 'Beach Jumping' unit
specialised in that kind of thing.
We liked Enrico and we liked this place so we stayed for two
days and managed to catch England beating Colombia although I wore my Bogota
hat just in case. As my brother said the Colombians can get upset in a kind of
Stabby way!
There is no where you
can go round here without bumping in to the past and we discovered that the
Roman fleet was parked here in AD 79 under the command of Pliney the elder who,
on seeing Vasuvius erupting and being a bit of a naturalist, went to take a
look. He'd also heard that a mate and his wife were stuck at Stabia South East
of Vesuvius so wanted to rescue them. He apparently got there but years of Corpulence
and forgetting to take his blood pressure pills got the better of him and he
died on the beach.
Leaving Miseno probably on the same route as Pliney in 79 AD
heading for Torre Del Greco. I bet he didn't have such a fine dinghy cover as
that produced by Mrs K.
Torre del Greco beneath Vesuvius. Stab proof vests
recommended. But you are not allowed in the club house bar in shorts. You have
to maintain standards you know.
Hermy tucked up second from the end at Circulo Nautico Torre Del Greco awaiting
the arrival of very old brother. We have put the dinghy away.
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