Here be Goats

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Here be Goats
Curious title isn’t it? Yesterday, Saturday, a group of students from CCI travelled to Tremeti Island to be tested and obtain their scuba diving certification. The Tremiti Islands are comprised of San Domino, San Nicola and Caprara and are also known as “the pearls of the Apulian Adriatic Sea”. They are situated off the coast of Italy near the “spur” on the heel of the boot.
A few other students and some teachers accompanied the divers for rest and relaxation on the beach. We boarded the bus at 6:15 AM and arrived at the ferry to San Domino around 8:00. The trip took about 45 minutes and we disembarked to a glorious day of tanning on the beach, or so I thought; George had other plans. The tiny island of San Nicola, described in the tourist sites on the web as the "rough San Nicola" lies just a few minutes boat ride from San Domino and there is an ancient monastery built into the cliffs, high, high up a sheer wall rising out of the sea. We walked up.
Remember La Roca and my afternoon of communing with the goats? Well there I was again talking to the three billy goats gruff only this time it was with absolutely breathtaking views of an azure blue sea. Again, George was right. The walk up was well worth it.
Oh, about the title. I remembered the maps Europeans created of what they imagined to be the world. They drew the edge of the known territory with the label – “Here be Monsters” – presumably as a warning to anyone who was silly enough to venture there. At the top of the island, looking out across an ocean stretching to the horizon, taking pictures of the goats I thought – “Here be goats”!
After our visit with the ovine family we journeyed down to catch our boat back to San Domino for lunch and some sunbathing. It was a spectacular day, hot, but not too hot with clear sunny skies and the ocean was the perfect temperature. I was in swimming and can tell you it was a lot warmer than Whiskey Bay in the middle of August. At one point, while we were all lying on the beach reading or napping, a ferry passed by quite a distance from us and about 3 or 4 minutes later my blanket, towel and book were swept up in what I thought was a minor tsunami. It was quite humorous to see everyone running to get their belongings out of the way of the waves.
This was my first taste of beaching it in Italy and - I think I like it. Especially when I think it was May 14th and at home I wouldn’t even be beginning to think about sunbathing and swimming. This Thursday the entire school is going to the island of Ischia to a resort so I’ll have the opportunity to try it again and see if I really like it. Terry is meeting us there – YAY!!!!!!!!
We finished off a perfect day with a wonderful meal at one of my favourite restaurants in Lanciano, Il Chiostro. They have tables outside now that it is warming up and Debbie, George, Debbie's sister Jean, Shelagh and I enjoyed sitting out on a balmy spring evening in Italy, sipping wonderful red wine and eating amazing pasta!

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Photos

A street on San Nicola
Can you see the fishing nets drying by this family's front door?