Personal Mediterranean Cruising Diaries

David Greer In Spain (photo by Karalee Greer)

All of us kept a diary during our trip, but only David and Kevin Greer published an electronic one. Our online diaries only provide a tiny glimpse into our adventure, but we hope this gives readers a feel for what it is like to travel and do home schooling. To follow the diary you have to work through the days one-by-one. But to make it easier, we provide links to the start of diary entries for each month.

David's Diary

2001

View David's diary for June and July.	Vancouver to London, England. Stay in London. London to Paris. Visiting in and around Paris, including Disney Europe, Saint Chappelle, Tour de France, and Versailles.
View David's diary for August.	More time around Paris, visiting the Loire Valley, French food and shopping, leaving Paris, and visiting Holland.
View David's diary for September.	School starts in Holland, touring southern Holland, Amsterdam, Normandy Beaches in France, Brittany, visiting the Jeanneau Boat factory in Les Herbiers, Strasbourg and Alsace, France.
View David's diary for October.	Switzerland, Port St. Louis du Rhone, arrive of Dragonsinger, moving on board, first cruise to Carry-Le-Rouet, and Port du Frioul.
View David's diary for November.	Marseille, Cassis, returning to Port St. Louis du Rhone, Arles, Avignon, Pont du Gard, Les Baux, and final commissioning of Dragonsinger.
View David's diary for December.	First overnight passage across the Gulf du Lyon, Port Vendres, Collioure, Banyuls-sur-Mer, crossing to Spain, L'Estartit, Puerto de Blanes, Barcelona, and our first Christmas on board Dragonsinger.

2002

View David's diary for January.	New Year's in Barcelona, second school term starts, a new boom for Dragonsinger, Parc Guell, Tibadabo, festivals, La Sagrada Familia, and Montserrat.
View David's diary for February.	Leaving Barcelona (twice), Sitges, Tarragona, L'Ampolla, Ebro River Delta, wind, and Alicante.
View David's diary for March.	Calpe (Penon de Ifach), passage to the Balearics, Formentera, Palma, a guest, La Rapida, Isla de Cabrera, and Easter in Porto Cristo.
View David's diary for April.	Back to Palma, exploring Mallorca, and David and Karalee's 20th wedding anniversary.
View David's diary for May.	Preparing to leave Palma, back to Porto Cristo, Ciutadella, Menorca, crossing the Western Mediterranean Sea, Stintino, Sardinia, Bonifacio, Corsica, Ajaccio, and finishing our first year of home schooling.
View David's diary for June.	Calvi, Corsica, Bastia, passage to Marina di Pisa, Italy, Arno River, Pisa, Florence, Porto Azzurro, Elba, Porto Ercole, and Rome.
View David's diary for July.	Marina di Roma to Salerno, Pompeii, Capo Palinuro, Stromboli, Jocleyn turns 13, Lipari, passage of three days and three nights to Dubrovnik, Croatia, Luka Polace, dragging anchor in Korcula, Loviste, and meeting up with other family sailing boats.
View David's diary for August.	Vis, Lovice, Brac, Split, Skradin Waterfalls, Dugi Otok, 24 hour passage to Venice, Italy, exploring Venice, Lido beach, Pula, Croatia, and meeting other kids on Arbella in Dugi Otok.
View David's diary for September.	Back to Split, start second school year, Milna, back to Vis with the family on Ganymede, exploring hidden submarine pens, Vieste, Italy, Bari, Brindisi, Otranto, Lecce, Santa Maria di Leuca, Crotone, and Siracusa, Sicily.
View David's diary for October.	Exploring Siracusa, Malta, Valletta, Mosta Dome, passage to Monastir, Tunisia, first impressions of Monastir, and Halloween.
View David's diary for November.	Meeting locals, tennis and swimming lessons, Ramadan starts, we get two bicycles, visiting with other cruisers, Tunisian food, and visiting Sousse.
View David's diary for December.	Three day and two night visit to the Sahara Desert, Matmata and El Faour, and Christmas and New Year's Eve in Monastir, Tunisia.

2003

View David's diary for January.	Living in Tunisia, school starts after the Christmas break, storms, and transportation.
View David's diary for February.	Friends visit and we go back to the desert, Big Aid Festival, David visits London, a day sail, and exploring Kairouan.
View David's diary for March.	Friends leave, Sylphe, Allen and Kevin go sailing on their own, dinner at Jocelyn's friend Nabiha's place, hauling Dragonsinger out, a fashion show, Tunisian people, the Internet in Tunisia, and saying goodbye to Monastir and our Tunisian and winter sailing friends.
View David's diary for April.	Passage to Malta, back to Western food, Maltese elections, spring storms, Good Friday parade at Mosta Cathedral, walks, visiting Gozo, and boat work.
View David's diary for May.	Passage to Siracusa, Sicily, two day and two night passage across the Ionian Sea, Argostoli, Cephalonia, Greece, Fiskardo, Levkas, Meganisi, Ithaca and Odysseus' treasure, Gulf of Patras, Trizonia, Galaxidhi, Delphi, Corinth Canal, and arriving in Aegina in the Aegean.
View David's diary for June.	Athens, Parthenon, Russian Bay, Poros, Livadi, Serifos, Lavrion, Evia, Finikas, Siros, secluded by on Naxos with another family sailboat, Kilimnos, Kos, our passage to Bodrum, Turkey, driving to Istanbul via Ephesus.
View David's diary for July.	Exploring Istanbul with Jocelyn's friend Nabiha, the drive back to Bodrum, sailing from Bodrum, Mersincik, Kuyulu Buku, meeting local Turks and dancing the night with them, Bozburun, Marmaris, Jocelyn turns 14, Dalyan River, Skopea Limami, Tomb Bay, Gocek, Boynuz Buku, Ova Buku, meeting Dick and Marian Leighton, and back to Mersincik.
View David's diary for August.	English Harbour, Turkey, Akbuk Limani, Kargilibuk, last passage with the family, Kevin turns 12, packing up Dragonsinger, Dragonsinger on the hard at Yat Lift in Bodrum, packing up, traveling back to Canada, arriving in Vancouver after being away 26 months.

2004

View David's diary for April.	Returning to Bodrum, Turkey, putting Dragonsinger back in the water, Marian Leighton and Bruce White arrive, setting off from Bodrum, Milos, Greece, Poros, Corinth Canal, Patras, Argostoli, crossing the Ionian Sea in a Force 7 gale, Reggio, Italy, Lipari, and Cagliari, Sardinia.
View David's diary for May.	Waiting a week for two spring storms to blow themselves out, Carloforte, passage across the Western Mediterranean Sea to Mahon, Menorca, final passage to Palma, packing up Dragonsinger, loading Dragonsinger on a Yachtwise Yacht Transport vessel, and unloading Dragonsinger in Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, BC.

Kevin's Diary

Kevin Greer On Christmas Day, 2001

View Kevin's diary for December, 2001.

Walk To Banyuls-sur-Mer, France.