We sailed overnight from Cinque Terre to the Island of Elba. It was hot and there was very little wind, so we stopped in the middle of nowhere for an impromptu swim. There was the possibility of strong winds while we were staying in Elba so we chose a remote anchorage with good protection, but unfortunately not much else to offer. We caught a bus to Portoferraio on the other side of the island. Portoferraio has a long and fascinating history and is where Napoleon made his home after being exiled from France in 1814. We liked it so much that we booked a spot on the town key for NJ, then rushed back on the next bus to sail her around. Birthing on the town key was great fun. By day we were right in the middle of the historic town and by night, the closed streets a swarming with restaurant goers. The people watching from the back of the boat is a real novelty. We were even fortunate enough to witness/crash a local wedding. Definitely a highlight.
We also visited Porto di Marina di Campo on the Island of Elba a week later after dropping our guests in Rome. di Campo is very much an Italian beach resort with loads of restaurants and even a giant floating playground. While there we met a lovely West Australian couple on their new (to them) Privilege catamaran. From here we head to Corsica...
