a life on a boat

World is a different place seen and felt from a boat, surrounded by raw sea and nothing else. There is nothing else left between me and water. I jump from the deck into the crystal clear sea, feeling the energy of water through my skin, feeling one with nature, diving deeper and returning to the surface, into the air and sky. And while on a boat I sit in peace, feeling the wind and space with only one, clean line of a horizon. There is so much space entering my heart and my mind. I indulge in this sweet and so relieving simplicity that hard to find on land. And if I would need to describe how "fulness" feels these are my moments of fulness, these simple moments of feeling water on my skin and in my hair, surrounded by quietness of sea, drying in the warmth of the afternoon sun, in no need of anything else, feeling free. 

We were so fortunate to spend two days on a boat with this beautiful crew (from left) Simone, Momo and Marco. Salina Relax Boats is based in Salina port and organizes tours in Aeolian Islands. I could have not imagined a better place and people to be with for these last days of our vacation. Simone's boat was constructed in the 70ties in Napoli. It is a large, 20 meters long vessel with two levels (upper and lower deck) and plenty of space, charm and comfort. Simone is an exceptional captain, clients service minded and with a great joy of life. Momo and Marco are just two most delightful persons to spend time with. There was plenty of stopping and swimming in picturesque bays, pasta was cooked on board and the atmosphere was very relaxed all the time. If you are ever in Salina Island don't miss the opportunity of islands exploration with Simone and his crew.    

In holiday mode in beautiful Salina

Salina Island is much bigger than Stromboli (the second largest in the Aeolian archipelago) and at first it doesn't make such "wow" impression as Stromboli does. But the island grows slowly in you and after a few days you are tuned into its SLOW pace and raw natural beauty. Malvasia wine is cultivated here; it has a beautiful amber color and an intense sweet taste. It was our treat every late afternoon before the nightfall.

Granita i a delicious dessert originally from Sicily; crushed ice is blended with fruits and sugar. Here

 is my favorite one with almonds, it is white in color but oh so sweet and tasty!

There is lots of vegetation and agriculture on the island; this is how the caper's bush looks like. In italian they are called cappero and are on every menu in restaurants, mainly in pasta salads and sauces.

Pollara beach is the most special spot on the island, it is a semi-circular crater that was formed 13,000 years ago caused by the volcanic eruption. Today it is a stunning natural swimming pool with plenty of marine life.

It was five lazy days in Salina and oh well could be longer. June month was just the right time to stay on the island before the high season starts. We discovered it at the slow pace also on scooters and on a boat...more about the boat and its beautiful crew later.
  

Pensione Brasile

I guess by looking at this photographs you can easily guess that I love lemon trees. With half of my childhood time spent on my grandparents' farm I actually love gardens, fruit trees and any vegetables that you can cultivate. How sweet it is to pick your fruits and veggies in your own garden knowing that they are organic and collect them just at the right time when ripe and rich in taste. My dream of an organic garden returned with a triple force while staying at Albergo, and although seems distant today surely it will happen.

Pensione Brasile or Albergo Brasile is situated just ten minutes walk from the main square of Stromboli village. The white washed house is surrounded by olive, figs and lemon trees. We stayed in a  little house in the back garden with the private terrace offering views of the sea and the volacano. Gorgeous. There is only two minutes walk to a tiny and charming volacnic beach covered with black pebbles stones. We had the greatest three days stay here finding peacefulness, nature, sea and the mountain. I recommend this place to everyone who is planning to visit Stromboli one day.