Corfu to Venice

October 10, 2022

Corfu to Venice

September / October, 2023

We departed from Corfu in September, and the weather was hot and pleasant. We sailed from Corfu to Brindisi and then headed directly to Dubrovnik. In Brindisi, we had only one day and didn't even have time to eat pizza, Mattia and I really want it but we had to touch and go. We opted for sushi for lunch since it had been a while since we had something different in a restaurant and in Brindisi no where we could find pizza for lunch. We had to pass thru customs in Brindisi, and they had no idea what to do with us. In order to go to Croatia we had to check out in Italy. They were very rude and had no idea about how to do their job.

The winds forced us to zigzag along the route. During the sail from Brindisi to Dubrovnik, we spotted a small tornado in the distance, but fortunately, it didn't affect our journey. Upon arriving in Dubrovnik, we completed the entry formalities for the country and paid the fees. On the second day, the weather changed, and we took shelter in a rather uninteresting bay north of Dubrovnik.

The Croats love money, and in Croatia, everything comes at a cost, nothing is free. Sometimes, even anchoring requires a fee. But it's okay, I accept it. The country is beautiful, well-organized, and developing. Croatia endured years of communism and is now growing rapidly and developing. The coastal cities and islands are charming, and the unmistakable blue color of the sea is breathtaking. The coastal cities are well-maintained, clean, and prepared to welcome tourists.

In Dubrovnik, we met Blake, a young American who spent two weeks with us on the boat. We sailed through all of Croatia with him, from Dubrovnik to Pula!

September is when the weather begins to change in the Adriatic; the air starts to cool down. The water is still warm, so storms and strong winds can form. Luckily, we didn't encounter any of that, thanks to weather forecasts, we managed to find refuge in time. We spent a few days in Rogoznica, a somewhat unremarkable bay along the way.

My birthday is in September, on the 23rd. I prepared one of my favorite dishes: polpetta with polenta, served with a good Greek wine that we bought in Corfu! On my birthday, I was quite content. I really enjoy spending special occasions on the boat. As we sailed up through Croatia, we had the opportunity to stop at beautiful places. This wasn't our first or second time in Croatia. Croatia has been my sailing teacher; it was in these islands that I learned to anchor, protect myself from storms, and anchor near marinas and campsites to sneak in and use their showers, which have endless hot water. But don't tell anyone. It's our secret! We're kind of like pirates, you know? Whenever we find a tap, we always fill our boat with fresh water. We don't have a desalination system, so we're always on the lookout for a tap, and we're thrilled when we find one.

As the days went by, the weather became colder, the water gradually cooled, and the wind started to blow stronger. It was a sign that winter was approaching and that we were no longer in Greece.

We arrived in Pula, and Blake disembarked. In Pula, there's an anchorage that I really like. Maybe it's because that's where I learned to anchor. We stayed there for a few days and then set off for Rovinj. We spent a few days in Rovinj. It was already October, and it was getting colder every day. So, one day, we woke up and decided to raise the anchor and head to Venice.

The sail to Venice was very smooth. The Veneto region is one of the most polluted places in Europe. You could see the pollution coming from Croatia. It wasn't a pretty sight.

We arrived in Venice on October 6th at 6 am. We docked at Marina Sant'Elena. I was extremely tired and sleep-deprived, but I was happy to be back in the Veneto region with our floating home!