08-Feb-2005 -- We have discharged our consignment of potatoes in Tunisia, and now we are en route to Alexandria (Egypt), in order to load potatoes for Wilhelmshaven (Germany).

Remember we have brought several consignments of seed potatoes to various North African ports, and now the flow of potatoes is reversed. Europe is using the North African countries as large potato fields. First seed potatoes are exported in the months of November to January, and as soon as they are grown up they are brought back to Europe during the potatoless season.

Today we visited 36N 13E. This confluence is close to the island of Linosa, which is a part of the Pelagie Islands Group (Isole Pelagie).

The Isole Pelagie as a small group of three Italian islands, namely Linosa, Scoglio Lampione and Lampedusa (on the latter the southernmost point of Italy is located).

Lampedusa and Scoglio lie already on the African continental shelf, whilst Linosa is of volcanic origin. Linosa has a population of only a few hundred inhabitants. Monte Vulcano rises in the centre of the island and Monte Rosso rises about 1 km (half a mile) north of Monte Vulcano in the NE part of the island. Monte di Ponente rises in the W part of the island.

The peaks of both Monte Vulcano and Monte die Ponente are truncated by a crater. The slopes between the craters are farmed.

A prominent lighthouse stands at Punta Beppe Tuccio, Linosa’s northeastern end.

In the sea, but with a good view of the surrounding islands.