We depart Vibo Marina in the morning, with a 60-mile passage, and the Aeolian Islands ahead of us.

Under the guidance of Captain Rony Hayes, who grew up aboard this family-owned ship and knows her intimately, you help the crew get Florette under sail; take part in the watch routine and take a turn at steering the ship. The Mediterranean climate is still beautiful in October; we may enjoy the sun and relax as Florette sails along, or get a music session going. 

Sessions on this voyage will be 'ceilidh' style, with songs and tunes from all folk traditions welcomed; everyone has something to offer, whether it be a rip-roaring reel, a traditional song or an original piece of poetry. You may have plans to compose or prepare a piece of music together with one or more of your shipmates; our onboard tutors will be able to help and offer advice should you need it.

When the sun sets, it does so behind our first island destination; the crew anchor Florette in an idyllic spot, and we enjoy the cool of the evening and stories of our first Tyrrhenian passage.

The Aeolian Islands offer a unique and diverse opportunities for exploration. 

We will visit the islands on a route that makes best use of the weather conditions and the wind directions - we want to get Florette under sail as much as possible!

This morning we may explore the main island of Lipari, catching a dinghy to the shore after an espresso coffee and a breakfast on board Florette. The main town of Lipari nestles around the harbour; a town of 12,000 that was originally settled by the Mycenaeans, and feels timeless, with small pedestrian streets and the plethora of cafes and restaurants you'd expect in Italy.

Or, we may have headed to Stromboli, the famous active volcano that was once known as the 'Lighthouse of the Mediterannean'; where guided hikes towards the crater are possible;

We may even have taken advantage of a perfect wind and headed to some of the islands further west, saving Lipari for later.

Wherever we head, it's a day of exploring, good food and a tune or two.

A morning sail takes us a short hop to another island - perhaps Vulcano, where a 2-hour hike takes you to, as the name of the island suggests, the rim of a smoking, sulphurous volcano. 

At the beach on Vulcano, by the ferry harbour, volcanic gases bubble up through the sea - it's possible to swim through these and enjoy a natural jacuzzi!

Or we may have headed further west to some of the more remote islands - Filicudi or even Alicudi; saving Lipari and Vulcano for later in the week.

Our Sessions and Sail tutors will schedule in a music session today where we can play some music together; or feel free to approach Harry or Barry for some more focused tuition or musical advice!

After a morning spent hiking or exploring, we sail on in the early afternoon. The Aeolian Islands rise spectacularly from the sea on either side of the ship as we sail along - giving some terrific opportunities for photography!

Some of our friends in the islands will visit the ship, and may even join us for a crossing - they will be able to give us some fascinating insights into the culture and folk music in the islands, as well as joining us for a few tunes.

Today it's also worth considering a piece of music you might like to play - either solo or with a shipmate - at our final evening on board when we get back to mainland Italy. This will be an informal and supportive evening, just for ourselves, with the emphasis on fun - but can give a nice focus to the music we play along the way.

Recorded history goes back a long way in these islands, which have had a turbulent past; originally settled by the Mycenaeans, the city states of Sicily and North Africa fought battles in the region. The acropolis in Lipari ws originaly built to provide refuge from Carthaginian pirate raids; at one point the pirate captain Barbarossa enslaved all the islanders. Later, during the times of the crusades, the Normans ruled the islands. The museum in Lipari gives a great deal more information about this history.

We make a sailing passage in the morning, to the islands not yet visited - whether this be Salina, the highest of the islands at almost 1,000 metres, or Stromboli, where the glowing magma booms of the volcano are spectacular once the sun has set; or we may have opted to take in some of the other islands first, and to finish our tour at Lipari; in which case we could be exploring the main town today.

We have lunch aboard Florette, then go off to explore ashore in the afternoon; and in the evening, our last among these islands, find a local restaurant. Seafood is a particular favourite in the islands; the tuna is delicious, as is the swordfish and calamari. The Aeolian Islands are also famous for capers; and the tomatoes and pistachios are as good as you would expect.

Back aboard Florette for the night, we get a good rest before tomorrow's crossing back to the mainland.

Today is a big sailing day! And this gives us good opportunity for music as well as for hauling on halyards, helping trim sails, helming and keeping lookout.

If you've been inspired by what you've seen and experienced this week, you may be putting together a tune, song or composition; Harry and Barry can be on hand to offer help and advice, or to play through a tune or two with you.

As Florette approaches the coast, we begin reducing sail and preparing the ship for coming into her berth.

We arrive back at Vibo Marina by nightfall; then we all gather together, ideally on deck, and perform the pieces of music we've prepared for tonight! 

Afterwards, we may play a few more tunes on deck into the evening.

We have a tasty breakfast together, our last on board Florette; then we say our goodbyes, and head off for the next adventure!