June 24, 2019 (Day 4,407)
Dubrovnik, Croatia

A Real Gem
Ten years ago we visited Bora Bora, an island in the southern ocean declared by Captain Cook as the “pearl of the Pacific”. Today we find ourselves exploring another gem - Dubrovnik, the “pearl of the Adriatic” according to one Lord George Byron. The towering wall that shelters this old Croatian city stands over 80 feet and, along the ocean front, is 20 feet thick of cannonball-stopping stone. So impressive is this fantasy setting that Dubrovnik became King’s Landing in Game of Thrones and was even visited by a few Storm Troupers in The Last Jedi. But you won’t find Vader strolling darkened alleyways or dragons perched atop baroque spires here, it’s the real history that makes this city truly worth a visit. And if you're lucky enough to catch a quiet spell between the dense shuffling masses of tour groups, amble quietly along the maze of narrow polished limestone streets, stroll atop the perimeter wall at dusk above a canopy of warm terra-cotta roof tiles, and you might just feel like you're in a fairy tale.

June 8, 2019 (Day 4,391)
Amalfi, Italy

Road Trip
We've taken a five-day vacanza from boat projects to drive across the ankle of Italy to a stretch of bitumen that ranks as one of the best in the world - the Amalfi Coast. This famous road clings and winds around stunning cliffs from Sorrento to Salerno and around every hairpin turn delivers views so breathtakingly spectacular, you want only to stop and soak in the panoramic. But pause, or even slow for just a second and gesticulating locals in your rearview will let their annoyances be heard. It's a white-knuckle drive where convex mirrors warn of oncoming hazards; in many places the road is too narrow for passing traffic, yet coaches somehow squeeze through, and there's certainly no room for bulldozers so road repairs have to be performed with a shovel and mules. It's a scene right out of a James Bond movie, and so absolutely captivating we have decided to return in Dream Time, join the celebrities in their mega yachts anchored off Positano (where hotels can cost €1,500 a night!), relax with a little Limoncello, and enjoy the view for free.

June 3, 2019 (Day 4,386)
Quick Fix: 41° 08.1 N / 16° 50.8 E
Bari, Italy

Molto Bene!
Our 160 nm sail from Greece to Italy was an overnight broad reach adrenaline ride in thirty knots of wind, that had us arriving in Bari (on Italy’s heel) in a fashion that had one local mariner nodding in approval and welcoming us with, ‘Bene! Molto bene!’ Bari is a working port that has been in operation for over two thousand years. The old city is a charming network of narrow cobbled streets and crooked, crumbling stone buildings sagging with age. But it's not a theme park reserved only for tourists, this old city is still very much home to Italians that have lived here for generations. Laundry hangs off balconies above uneven streets far too narrow for most American cars to transit. Locals zip around on Vespa scooters, three-wheeled Ape Piaggio's, or impossibly small Fiat 500s built in the 1950s, and they almost always seem to be shouting at someone. We've sailed back in time, and we love it. The food's not bad either, especially the gelato!