We left Cala de Medici Marina this morning at 8.00 am and headed south into a breeze blowing about 20 knots "on the nose". Normally gentlemen don't go to weather but we had no choice. After 4 hours we were able to round a point and change course so that we could enjoy a brisk sail under headsail for the remaining 2 hours of the trip. It was very interesting dodging the ferries going in and out of Piombino, as that's the main port for car ferries to and from Elba.
We arrived at Marina di Scarlino (called the Etrusca Marina prior to this, even though it's fairly new), just past Folonica which is the only town nearby you are likely to find on a map. It's quite a complex here with a hotel built and loads of apartments under construction, although we think the lagging Italian economy has affected the development. We haven't worked out the name of the nearby town yet but Scarlino is a hiiltop village about 7 km away. We will explore that once we pick up our rental car tomorrow. There is a service centre that arranged the car to be delivered in the morning, booked our dinner reservation at the only restaurant in town and will arrange for someone to do the laundry and get the hull of the boat cleaned (one being my priority and the other being Greg's). We are mainly here because there is a Swan service centre and we need a few minor jobs done before moving on to the island of Elba (just off the coast here).
After washing and wiping down the boat (a 2 hour job!) we had long cold showers and then set off to find the local Ristorante Pizzeria. We hada great meal of mussels cooked in garlic and lemon plus Cappricossia pizza and salad with a bottle of Nobilio de Montepulciano ( a great Tuscan red). The man at the next table had a wonderful time; with his bluetooth set up. He ate his 3 course dinner while having a lively chat (with hand gestures included) to someone who was on the other end of the line. We thought that was a very interesting way to have dinner by yourself but not be lonely.
It was lovely to enjoy the walk back to the boat in the cool of the evening. The wind had dropped out for a while but thank goodness the heat has now been reduced by a delightful sea breeze. We do have the air conditioning going full bore in our sleeping cabin to make sure wehave a good sleep.