| This is a story about making your dreams come true. I've spent the better part of my adult life trying to figure out a sailing trip through Italy. In my head, I was on a yacht somewhere, sipping spritzes with family and friends, but the harsh reality of my finances meant this ideal would remain a dream. That was until I came across a post from the Sailing Collective on Instagram, no doubt algorithmed into my feed, about group sailing trips through the Mediterranean - including a late-June journey off the coast of Sicily around the Aeolian Islands. That's how I can afford it! I didn't relish the idea of sailing with strangers, so I tried to populate the trip with my friends and family, but in the end, only Claudia, my (nearly) lifelong friend, signed on to go with me. And this is how we embarked on my dream trip together, full of hope and a little trepidation, with visions of warm sapphire waters, lots of pasta and ice-cold Sicilian white wine. And that's exactly what we got. In fact, what we experienced was far better than I ever could have imagined. Thanks to our captain, Dayyan Armstrong, for capturing the photograph above - it's just unreal that that was me on the paddleboard (and my new friend, Ashley, diving behind me). What do you do when your real life exceeds your dreams? I'll let you know when I figure it out. | | | A Cali-raised Brooklinite, I'm a food-obsessed travel writer/editor who is happiest in a hotel bathrobe, getting lost in a new place or floating in the sea. | | |  | Cruising the Aeolian Islands with the Sailing Collective | | | | Give yourself at least a day or two before embarking. You want some cushion in case of an unexpected delay. | | | | | How to get from the airport | | | Take the train from the airport to Palermo if you want to spend a night in town, or you can stay on the train all the way to Capo D'Orlando and take a €20 taxi to the marina. | | | Pack as light as possible in a soft-sided suitcase: a duffel or a backpack is ideal. Also bring gallons of sunscreen, bathing suits, something to sleep in, something to wear to dinner, shorts, tees, hats and a pair of boat shoes (I wore Tevas, but you're always barefoot onboard). You also need to bring your own beach towel. | | | | Brekke and shipmates on the boat near Porto di Panarea | | Ship's log: first day at sea | Morning: We woke up and grabbed a quick bite and some coffee at the marina motel. Then we lugged our gear to our boat, Sonia (a Lagoon 46 catamaran, which means two hulls instead of one), to meet the crew and fellow passengers. I quickly assessed our tight living quarters for the next week (and tried not to panic) before returning topside for a safety briefing from Captain Dayyan and our first meal: a lovely breakfast prepared by Chef Flannery, including soft-boiled eggs and arugula, croissants and fruit.
| Getting around: Sonia, our catamaran, departed Capo D'Orlando around 10am, and we motored northeast. About 3 hours later, we arrived at our first stop: off the point of Spiaggia Punta dell'Asino on the south point of Isla Vulcano. Chef Flannery prepared lunch: pasta with fresh tomato sauce, steamed mussels, prosciutto with melon - and some very delicious Sicilian white wine. | | | Evening: We set sail after lunch and dropped anchor for the evening in a remote area of Lipari, Punta del Perciato. Chef Flannery served an incredible dinner for all of us: marinated swordfish with garlic, peppers and tomatoes, eggplant caponata and a green salad with roasted red peppers and fresh ricotta.
Apart from one other boat, we were all alone, and the sunset took my breath away. We spent the evening drinking wine, getting to know one another and looking up at the stars. | | | More dispatches from bella Italia | | | All photography: Dayyan Armstrong | This email was sent to you by: | Lonely Planet Publications Ltd. | 1101 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707 | | | |
