Author: Salty tales from Bali Hai

It was amazing being back in the beautiful island of Skopelos – more than 40 years after the last of several visits there. I had got to know a few locals way back in the day including a delightful couple who had run the restaurant my group of friends always frequented. The couple were called…

Our departure time from Bozcaada Island in Turkey was 6am – very early for us but entirely necessary in order to arrive at Limnos Island in Greece before the Customs and Port Authority closed down for the night – and possibly for the weekend. After an excellent sail/motor we anchored in the pretty little outer…

After much preparation we were ready to drop our lines and leave Turkey – more than two and a half years since we first arrived. However it was with some sadness that we were leaving. Turkey gave us sanctuary and care during Covid – at a time when other countries were closing their borders and…

We had an amazing time travelling round England visiting our family. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to visit lots of friends as well but we are really hoping some might visit us on the boat somewhere in Greece Albania or Montenegro this year. Before we left Ramsgate for Dover to catch the ferry we tried…

After one week and one day (the additional day due to pouring rain) on the hard standing our catamaran Sunday was ready to go back in the water. She had been cleaned and anti fouled, given new windows, had her props cleaned until they were shiny as new and special prop anti foul applied, and…

We had a great road trip from Montenegro through Croatia, Italy and France and now we had arrived in Calais to catch the ferry over to Dover for a few weeks in England to visit our family. As ever, we loved being on the ferry – it’s always wonderful to be on the water again…

It was with much anticipation that we eagerly peered out of our camper van windows one chilly morning to see what the view was like. We had arrived in Chamonix Mont Blanc, in France, the previous night – after travelling through the 11.611 km (7.215 miles) Mont Blanc tunnel from Italy. When we opened the…

We were heading to Calais in France from Montenegro via northern Italy and had already stopped at Udine and Verona both of which we loved. Our next stop was Bergamo which we thought sounded interesting from its online description – “cobblestone streets, encircled by Venetian walls and accessible by funicular,” “Bergamo is the hidden gem…

Italy is just such an extraordinary country – with so many wonderful places to visit – its almost mind blowing! After our lovely visit to Udine our next stop was extraordinary Verona, probably most famous for being the setting for Shakespeare’s romantic story of Romeo and Juliet. There is so much to see and do…

After a wild night at our Croatian campsite when our camper van was shaken fiercely in the wind and the rain hammered down on our roof, we set off for the port city of Rijeka. The wind had blown the rain clouds away so by the time we were on the road, the sky was…

We’d finally arrived in Montenegro and lost no time in locating Lazure Marina where we were hoping to organise a berth for our catamaran S/V Sunday during next European winter (from October 2023). Once we’d discovered the marina we looked for the car park that we had been directed to by the marina office via…

The coast road that winds its way through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia again and Montenegro is nothing short of spectacular! We had travelled some of this route a few years ago (before Covid) and absolutely loved it so were very glad to be driving this way in our camper van once again. By…

During Covid and in the aftermath of a locked down world we were very spoilt wherever we travelled – empty beaches, deserted city streets, quiet parks and if and when museums, galleries or other tourist spots were open, they were usually deserted. Fast forward to 2023 and it’s been a shock to find ourselves in…

Due to a heater failure we missed seeing most of the Romantic Road (Romantische Straße) but we were fortunate to visit two absolute highlights – Würzburg and Füssen – one at the beginning and the other at the end of this picturesque and meandering 460-kilometre route in Southern Germany. We drove to Füssen at the…

It had long been an ambition of mine to travel the Romantische Straße (Romantic Road) in southern Germany – 460 kilometres of road linking picturesque castles and historic towns. At last we were there at the start of it in the delightful city of Würzburg which sits on the banks of the Main River. Unbelievably…

After ten chilly days aboard our catamaran in Viaport Marina, Istanbul, I can confirm that a yacht isn’t the best place to be when the temperatures are literally around freezing! Nevertheless, we were counting our lucky stars that we had managed to get there at all because at the end of last year it looked…

Suddenly our visit to Australia was over and we were hurtling through the skies towards Istanbul. This trip, instead of travelling through Singapore, Dubai or another hub we flew via Bali – a very pleasant place to stop over and actually right now, a cheaper option. After our big dash to the airport in Australia…

With just over a week left before we were due to leave Australia, Jonathan finally went for a skin check – a vital medical examination for anyone who has lived in the Southern Hemisphere and especially if they happen to be yachties! Unfortunately, a small lesion on the end of his nose that had refused…

What a start to 2023! Two road trips, many brunches, lunches, dinners and other get-togethers, a night of music to celebrate a birthday, and lots of beautiful moments enjoying the Australian bush on our son and daughter-in-law’s (Ben and Sarah) glorious property! There have been so many precious times during our last few weeks in…

Our typical Aussie Christmas continued with a wonderfully relaxed Boxing Day at the home of our long-time and dear friends the Hannigans – lots of delicious food again with great conversations and cooling off in their pool. After a recovery day there were more celebrations as it was Sarah’s (our daughter-in-law‘s) birthday. Sarah’s favourite gift…

Our Christmas celebrations started in a a truly Australian way – drinks and snacks on the deck of an old “Queenslander” (an iconic architectural style of a timber house with wraparound balconies), surrounded by dogs and horses, listening to the sounds of the Australian bush on a warm steamy night. The Queenslander, which is the…

After our big surprise 70th birthday party, secretly organised by our two adult children and their partners, you’d think that would have been the end of unexpected but wonderful events. However, the following weekend brought about not one, but two, such astonishing happenings. The first event was one I had known about for some weeks…

Almost a month to the day since we arrived in Australia, we picked up our daughter and son-in-law from Brisbane airport. This was their last port of call after a three month trip through Central and South America, India and Bali before their return home to the Netherlands. Their arrival in Australia meant that for…