Located 60km’s east of the Tunisian coast in the Strait of Sicily, the tiny rugged volcanic island of Pantelleria pierces the choppy waters. The Arabic name for the island was Bint al-Riyāh, translating as Daughter of the Wind, derived from the near-constant blowing winds, dominated by the Scirocco in the summer but frequently joined by the Mistral or Tremantana. Isolation, desolation, and a weathered brow conspire to form a dissuasive list of first impressions that strike the traveler as inhospitable.