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| Brindisi |
After 4 months of waiting semi-patiently for the Italian Consulate in Chicago to "process" our application for residency we finally gave up. We had been receiving emails from the boatyard in Brindisi as we were now a month overdue. They wanted to know when we would be returning. And as we had no idea how much longer the "processing" would take we decided it was just time to go. So on the 31st of March we headed to Chicago to go and retrieve our passports. We left at 0400 so we would be there when the Consulate opened at 0930. Of course, they were reluctant to relinquish the passports as they were still working on the applications. The lady in charge said that all they were waiting for was a return email from City Hall in Ragusa, Italy. They needed email confirmation from them that our boat would be an "acceptable" residence. I asked if we could just call them if thats all that was needed. Or if I could have the Marina call them. But - nope they wanted us to just continue to wait. Forse domani (Maybe tomorrow). Please, come back.
At our wits end we explained that we had a flight that we were unwilling to change for a third time so we would just take our passports and be on our way. Finally, after making us write on the applications that it was our decision to abandon the process (absolving them of any negligence) they handed over the passports. What an ordeal!!
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| Preparing Talaria | |
So now we are back in Brindisi and trying to set everything back in order. Four months without maintenance in a salty environment wreaks havoc on a boat. We rented an apartment for a week in order to prepare Talaria for her return to the water. First thing is to touch up the antifouling paint on her bottom and charge the batteries. Although, we gave ourselves a week to get ready to go in the water we were ready a bit before then. There is still more work to do before we leave Italy but we can finish up when she is in the water.
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| Brindisi, Italy | |
Since we did not get residency in Italy we have to do what sailors refer to as the "Schengen Shuffle". US citizens (and citizens from other countries) are only allowed to be in the EU for 90 out of 180 days. Then you have to be out of the EU for that same amount of time. So... for us that means we have to go to a non-EU country for awhile. So... once we have our work completed we will be sailing to Croatia which is just the other side of the Adriatic. It is an overnight sail - about 24 hours. We will spend some time sailing in Croatia and then down to Montenegro and Albania. All of those countries will afford us our time out of the EU and it will be great fun exploring those countries! From Albania we will cross back over to Italy and then make our way down to Sicily. Talaria will spend this winter in Sicily.
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| Tiny Italian roads |
Flexibility is a skill you perfect with this lifestyle. And truly, Plan B is not such a bad plan. Croatia and Montenegro are beautiful. So we are super excited to go and explore. As I sit writing I can hear the lazy line (a line anchored to the sea bottom) popping on the wench as the wind that is blowing at 25 to 30 knots is trying to drive us onto the dock. So for the next week as we are preparing to leave we will have our eye on the weather - looking for that safe weather window for crossing.
