MARCH 1st- MARCH 31st

    This month has been the quietest month we have spent on the boat for a 
long time.  We have been playing dominoes, cards (Michigan Rummy and Canasta), 
volunteering at the Navy school, going to dinner (BBQ too) and driving through 
many villages and towns surrounding Gaeta.  I think we are getting the idea of 
this Cruising Thing!! 
    Rudy and I also were one of the presenters at a couple of information 
gathering sessions for other cruisers.  We talked about our experiences in 
Greece and Turkey, the road trips we took and Netsel Marina in Marmaris.  Many 
of the cruisers are heading East for next winter.  I made a picture show and 
Rudy talked about the places we had stopped in Greece and Turkey. 
    We also went skiing two more times.  We went back to the first ski area 
and were able to see!!!  The view was beautiful and the skiing great!!  The 
third time we went to Roccaraso and the scenery driving there as well as at the 
ski area was magnificent!!  Ross and Wei from Gemini joined us for both trips.
    One beautiful day, Ross and Wei invited us and Joan and John (on Seascape) 
to go for a dinghy ride to the Grotto!!  This Grotto was used to hide and 
repair ships during WWII.  It had many steps leading up to the top of a huge 
cavern; it was very impressive!!
    Thistle the boat next to us with Cathy and Ed are retired Navy people.  
Therefore, they have access to the Navy PX and all the facilities for the local 
military base.  They invited to U.S. hamburgers and a movie.  The hamburgers 
were great (Italian beef doesn't make it!!) and the movie free!!  I also got a 
gift of sweet potatoes from the PX (Italy doesn't have any) for taking care of 
their cat for a few days!!!  It was well worth it!!!
   Italy may not have good beef or sweet potatoes, but they have the best 
Mozzarella di Bufala (mozzarella from the milk of water buffalo)!!!  It has a 
different texture and taste from Cow's milk mozzarella.  It is made all over 
Italy and it is FANTASTIC!!! It is very strange to see all of the big black 
water buffalo in local pastures though. 
    When we got back from Venice, Seascape and Boundless put up a Peace flag. 
(It was suggested that we take down our American Flag about a month ago!)  Soon 
after most of the other cruisers put Peace Flags up.  One day we were told that 
we were in the Milan and Rome newspapers because they were impressed with the 
cruisers of many nationalities all supporting peace!! 
    Today two Navy Warships, frigates, came into the harbor, one American and 
the other British.  They are tied side to side and no one knows why they came 
into the harbor.  I will keep you updated!!
    Some of the towns we visited were Cassino, Anzio, Sperlonga,(the owner of 
the restaurant here lived in Wappingers Falls and went to school at one of the 
schools I taught at!!!…SMALL WORLD!!!) Salerno, Paestrum (huge site with three 
large temples to the Gods), Minturnae, and many other small villages and towns 
along the way!!!  Now the trees are budding and plants are blooming so spring 
is trying to arrive!!!
     Well, the nice weather is on its way and that is good and bad.  Good 
because we will be taking more trips and soon we will be sailing and bad 
because soon we will be sailing and leaving our new and old founded friends!!!  
Also, it means repairing and cleaning the boat!!!! (Did I mention cleaning the 
boat!!)