Have you been in a Scirocco?

Today was our first.  Just as we rounded the Cape it hit us.  It is a hot humid South wind blowing from the Sahara.  And to top it off, it got up to gale force.  We saw winds around 40 knots on the nose, of course, and big seas to go with it.  We are on our way to Trapani along the western side of Sicily.  There is a Frigoboat refrigerator dealer here (it is made in Italy) and it is our last chance to get our compressor for the refrigerator before having to get it shipped to Tunisia. 

We are now tied up inside the travel-lift area along with a few other boats needing to get out of the wind. 

Since we have four days before the part arrives from Milan we decide to head to the highest town around, Erice.  The local bus takes the long way to get there but we don’t mind, it is a low cost scenic tour and once again we are climbing up and up going around tight curves.  The walled city is eerie in the low lying clouds and fog but it is so high you can see from sea to sea.  You can see the whole town and harbor of Trapani as well as the San Vito Capo beaches where we came from the other day.  You can also see the Salt Ponds near Trapani.  We got to climb the church tower and got a pass to enter most of the other church’s.  There are two castles here as well. 

 

The flag for Sicily is of a three legged girl (called a trinacria which symbolizes the three points of the island) with the head of Medusa and three wheat ears symbolizing fertile land.  She is also on almost every souvenir.  Their specialty here is hand painted ceramics and carts.  The carts are adorned and used in many funerals and parades.