CARGESE

Delightful Cargese!

Thank goodness we found this place after the awful time in Calvi.

Once again, the wind was hopeless, so we sunbaked and fished, although seriously there are no fish in the Mediterranean! Still it kept us busy.






Once we arrived, everything was back to perfect again. The marina was very small, quiet and so peaceful. Again we used the dinghy to get around (it's now permanently stored at the back of the boat) and life was easy. Services were excellent, WiFi strong and free and good coffee was had at each of the 4 restaurants on the marina's edge.

looking from our boat to the shore

 The town itself was up the hill about a kilometer walk away, so we made the trek up the road behind the marina, past the quaint cemetery with little mausoleums and into the busy town.

the family mausoleums and graves above the marina

 Coming up the path you past between two churches either side of a small valley, one Greek orthodox, the other Roman Catholic.

As usual, we stocked up on drinks, fruit and delicacies, had coffee and panini and wandered around the busy narrow streets. I cannot imagine doing this walk too often.

oversized panini lunch

The views from the top of the track were incredible. Our boat is lined up against the breakwater wall with only a dozen others. In high summer it would be impossible to get in.

The view from half way up the mountain.

It seems some well meaning person has introduced prickly pear and now it's all over the hill.

CALVI

We had great expectations about Calvi. The trip there was rough with 30 knot face on winds and big swells.  Motor-sailing was really all we could do for most of the time.
Once in port, our enthusiasm quickly disappeared, along with the poor service, sardine-like mooring and generally excessive touristy feel. It was a bit like going back to the south of France in the Languedoc area - streets were full of cheap trinkets and dog poo.

Coming in to moor

big boats (always closer to the action)

On top of that the WiFi was out of action (oh no!) and we were told to "go next door and buy an extension plug for electricity" for 52 euro. This was pretty annoying as we had been squashed into half a catamaran berth along with another unsuspecting boat and only had access to oversized electrical connections.

Enough said, we were not happy.

We probably should have taken a mooring buoy out in the adjoining bay like so many other yachts had!

So we soldiered on for the night and put up with the squeaking, squashed fenders and long hot walk to the town.

Our next stop was Cargese, some 30 miles south.

ST FLORENT

The trip around the top of Corsica was in every way, a breeze. The wind blew gently as we passed mountains and inlets, seeing every now and then a yacht passing by. It always seems that we're going in the wind-less direction while these boats are zooming by, all sails out.

Entering the marina

Still, patience was rewarded once we arrived. The marina was perfect, small and provided a very comfortable stay. The water was crystal clear with dozens of small (30cm) fish nibbling around the boat. So far we haven't been knocked back for a spot to tie up, but small marinas like this, must definitely be difficult to find a place in, in High summer.

It was delightful to wander down the narrow streets, stopping for a coffee, or just sightseeing. The tourist feeling was acceptable, Everything felt layback, although you could sense they were waiting for the influx of thousands once the real holidays start.

The road by the quay

coffee time

Dave (heavily bearded)

One of the highlights of our stay in St Florent was being able to swim in the adjoining beaches.

The water was crystal clear and relatively shallow from around the marina entrance to the sandy beaches across the bay. Taking the tender out for a spin was fun and gave us the chance to explore the area a little.  So often the water inside the marina, even though clear, is forbidden to swim in.


Having the dinghy was great!!

Two bronzed Aussies

During the day we noticed this flying dinghy overhead, buzzing around the bay.













So with some regret but looking forward to the next stop, we left St Florent for Calvi, further down the coast.

MACINAGGIO

 

At Last, Corsica, and what a delightful introduction. We sailed and motored from the Island of Caprai in beautiful weather. Once again the Med brought no joy to David with wind of 6 and 7 knots and only a few opportunities to bring out the sails. 

The port of Macinaggio was  a pleasure to be in, not only because of it’s very attractive marina but also because we were back in France. Hearing the spoken French was so enjoyable. We could communicate albeit clumsily and the sounds around us were gentle as opposed to the loudness experienced on the Italian Mainland.
 

 

As you can imagine, everything cost more although the staples, bread, patisseries and coffee remained the same. The coffee, by the way, was still strong and worth drinking. 

 

The marina is beautiful, small and meticulously kept. Nestled in a protected bay, it was the perfect place to moor. The rugged Corsican scenery that is so famous now surrounds us it seems at every turn. House are perched on hilltops and ancient winding roads lead to small villages dotted all over the coast. 

 

As a treat we decided to try the 'Moules marinieres and frites'.

Once again, brilliant, yummy and filling.








The stay in Macinaggio was amazing. The town and marina felt comfortable and secure making it all too easy to sit back, relax and do very little work. I can see we'll be doing a lot more of this as the Corsican sail continues.

CAPRAIA ISOLA

 Capraia Island was just a slice of heaven.

The sail over from Livorno was a dream. We motor-sailed part of the way (nobody's perfect) and sailed the rest. Sun shining, a few clouds floating by and the occasional ferry/cruise ship passing silently in the distance. As one island nearly disappeared from the horizon another came in view. We napped, ate and relaxed in the sun and then effortlessly sailed into the bay.

Such a lovely, lay-back village. We spent the day and night here, having difficulty believing how lucky we were.






The road around the marina was lined with small shops and cafes. Coffee, (it's still Italy) was brilliant and  the atmosphere so relaxed.

for Marty - a Fontaine Pajot - very nice!

As the day continued, more and more yachts slid into the marina. Prices were reasonable for berths and services and not quite as high as expected, (alas, it is Italy!)










We spent time as usual walking around the island and up the steep road to see the local sights.

Our boat (in the middle) right up against the dock.

A very unassuming local church

Some Spanish/Portuguese influence?

We settled in for the night and prepared to make the next  sail to the island of Corsica.

FLORENCE AND SIENA

FLORENCE

My David!

 We had a day to spare and so we decided to take the train to Florence to revisit all that good tourists should. The hundreds of trinket/souvenir stalls led to where the throngs of people were milling around or lining up to take in some culture.

The buildings and cathedrals are still amazing to wander around and as at Pisa we were not prepared to stand in a queue for an hour or more to see everything again.

Still, the views around the city were beautiful.

The Duomo door

looking from Ponte Vecchio

So we chose to visit an excellent exhibition of American Art. Apparently many Americans spent time in Italy around the late 19th and early 20th C and developed a passion for Impressionism.

a delightful American Impressionist painting by Frank Benson

Most of the works were brilliant, and quite surprising to see artists such as Mary Cassatt featured. The exhibition highlighted family images and a more relaxed interpretation of women in society.














The second, more contemporary American exhibition was somewhat mixed.

Lots of experimental shapes/bodies covered in macrame and stuffed toys, plus these amazing 'American Dream' house scenarios. Some were in glass cases and spheres, others open. They appeared to reflect the artist's feelings about the disastrous housing bubble that burst during the Global Financial Crisis.

Beautifully crafted and quite thought provoking.

SIENA

Siena was about getting lost.

Firstly, about getting lost on the bus to the city centre which we missed by 5 kms. Secondly getting lost in the endless weaving streets that seemed to have no connection to the maps we had.



Thirdly, getting lost in thought about the spectacle of the historic horse race, the Palio di Siena,  that is run around the Piazza del Campoin twice a year.

one of the very narrow streets

So after another exhausting day we went back to the boat to enjoy canalling and taking it easy.