Today was signalized by two Zodiac tours to the Egadi Islands, near Trapani, Sicily. In mid-morning the Caledonian Star approached Marettimo. In spite of some choppy sea, with white-horses showing on the crest of the waves, most of the guests and academic staff were ferried ashore, where we found a clean and tidy fishing village of some 900 local inhabitants, the Sicilian summer dwellers having long departed. The streets are well paved and absolutely orderly. Peace and serenity seem to rein everywhere, while the elderly fisherman mended the nets in the shade of their boats drawn up ashore.
The island itself consists of a base of dolomite overlaid by other calcareous accretions, the former of Triassic Age (ca. 200 million years ago), the latter laid down some 80 million years ago, forming the highest and the most central part if the island. The island was separated from Sicily in times which were geologically much more recent.
After lunch back on the Caledonian Star, our guests were landed in much calmer waters in the neighboring island of Favignana. This is a bigger place, boasting a population of about 4500. Traffic was also evident, though nothing to compare with that of Sicily itself or that of Malta or Gozo. The general characteristic was again that of a sleepy little town, but here that was probably partly because our visit occurred during the early afternoon siesta. Restaurants and bars were open but had only a few rather drowsy looking local clients. The bookshop was not due to open until before 5pm. The matrice church itself was closed.
Fishing, especially of tuna, is the main local industry. The port is overshadowed by the old castle prison of Santa Catarina on its high hilltop, where several of modern Italy's spokespersons of the Risorgiminto and opponents of Fascism were incarcerated in inhuman conditions.
Favignana is believed to have been joined to Sicily during the Ice Age owing to the lowering of the level of the Mediterranean Sea.
The last Zodiac left Favignana at 5pm. As the sun was dropping in the horizon the Caledonian Star dropped anchor at Capo San Vito. The evening was free for more shore activities.
