Grandson Sonny Giuseppe Lodato sings of our departure. Destination: Port St. Louis du Rhone

Dry dock at Port Saint Louis

Anna recorded Sonny's version of the first song of Demodocus.  It seems appropriate as we leave Troy bound for Ithaka.  Woops.  I mean to say... approach our departure for Paris on 30 April. On May 2 we board the TGV, a 216 mph train, to Arles where Eric & Martha will meet us.  The boat will launch on Monday May 5.  Eric says our initial destination is Porquerolles, the largest of the Hyeres Islands.  OK!  I'm liking this already.

Porquerolles - Le Raz dela Merciere will undergo sea trials for  a day or so.

Close haul with a 120 jib, Le Raz makes good time.

Still we expect a 15+ day journey to make the three crossings into the Corinth Canal and the Aegean Sea.