Our final day at sea was gorgeous. Steady wind in the sails as we approached the island
of Elba from the west and headed toward the port town of Portoferraio. As we
approached, we passed the Amerigo Vespucci and the Palinuro, sailing ships which are
used by the Italian navy to train its sailors. The Amerigo Vespucci is an especially
impressive ship.
"Eh, mon ile est bien petite." Napoleon thought Elba a "very small" island upon his arrival
in 1814.
But as we sailed into the harbor, we found this beautiful island much larger than
expected. Because Napoleon found it too confining, I just imagined it to be smaller. I suppose
when one has ruled most of Europe, it does seem rather petite. Anyway, he could take it for
only nine months before he headed back to try to reclaim France.
As usual, we walked up and down the hills, taking in the views of the town, bay and sea
from many angles. Once you get away from the drab area where the Star Clipper and the
ferries dock, the harbor becomes livelier and more attractive, especially at the old port on
the promontory. Through the fortified gateway is the old town, which remains today the center of
town. We walked up to the old Medici fort high above the old town where there is
a lighthouse and wonderful views of the bay and the sea.
Ad Hoc Directions Painted on a Wall Between Il Centro and Il Porto
From the fort we walked a short distance to the Villa dei Mulini, Napoleon’s principal
residence on the island. He transformed two old windmills into a single stone house, which
still houses his library. It is a modest house with a nice terraced garden overlooking the
sea where he set up a telescope to look for sails. I don't know what he saw on
a typical day, but today, one could see ferries, sailboats, yachts, a kayak, and Italian navy
training ships, including the sailing ships Amerigo Vespucci and Palinuro. Many vessels on
an absolutely spectacular sailing day. I could be quite satisfied living on Elba in retirement.
Don’t know why Bonaparte wasn’t happy here but then, I don’t have a Napoleonic complex.
La Villa dei Mulini: Le Petit Maison sur La Petite Ile
Click a photograph to enlarge it
The island is big enough for several days of walking but we remained in the area of the
town itself. After a late lunch, we boarded the Star Clipper. As we left port, the captain
swung the ship very close to the Amerigo Vespucci and we got a close-up look at the
Italian sailors.
This was our last day and we hadn’t had a “photo tender” yet, so Al asked
Dariuz, the first officer, if we could have one today. No sooner asked than the tender was
in the water and the photo bugs were snapping to their hearts content. Even without a
camera, I hoped on board and was able to see the ship with all sails up, just as others
might see us going by. A wonderful scene.
As usual, Friday night is the Captain’s Dinner, a great feast topped off with the waiters’
conga line as they bring in the Baked Alaska. Others of the ship’s crew sang their
version of “We Are the World” as each held a tiny flag of their native land. The captain
said a few words and we ended our last evening on the ship by spending some quiet time
on deck as the ship glided quietly under a nearly full moon.
Elba Photo Album
Click a photograph to enlarge it.
The Frigate Amerigo Vespucci
The Barkentine Palinuro
The home port of the Amerigo Vespucci is the Academie
Navale in Livorno.
The steel-hulled barkentine Palinuro was constructed as a fishing vessal in 1934 by the
shipyard Anciens Chantiers Dubigeon of Nantes, France.
Its home port is the Scuola di La Maddalena in Sardinia.
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