Corsica

Gday all from Cosica!

After an 18-hour overnight sail, pushing through strong winds and extremely rough waters, we have landed in Calvi, Corsica, 90 nautical miles southeast of the French/Italy border. Thanks to a big night before, where we reunited with our Swedish friends from Nice, the 18 hour journey left us all, especially me, feeling a little beaten and battered! The competing swells through the boat around as we charged through 25-30 knot headwinds. However, the real problems arose when the wind completely died at around 2am leaving us bobbing violently in the residual waves in the middle of the ocean, 50 miles from mainland France. Sleeping (of which there was little) involved strapping yourself in to the lifelines to avoid being tossed overboard. Going into the cabin was a risky venture, which meant I endured the majority of night in the surprisingly cold cockpit (I wore my ski jacket and beanie), subject to the wind and driving spray. During my sleepy shifts at the wheel, I began to hear and see things, some of which are and are not there. For so long I swear I could hear people talking around me, when in fact I was the only one awake and we were the only vessel in sight! When I did actually see a pod of small dolphins accompanying the boat, visible under the light of the full moon, I had to convince myself for a full 5 minutes that I wasn’t delusional and making the whole thing up! All in all, simply put, it was a long night!

Ben after a long and rough night at sea

A couple of nights before we made the crossing to Corsica, we visited Monaco for a night (as we couldn’t afford to stay any longer). What a crazy place! The boats are massive, the people extremely well dressed, and the money freely flowing! It was funny getting off the boat in a crappy shirt, boardies and thongs, and walking through the streets to sign in with the capitainerie. The looks I got from the people walking around in expensive suits and formal dresses was priceless. In fact, it’s actually against the law in Monaco to walk around without a shirt or shoes on! During our stay we walked around in awe at the massive private boats (essentially ships) in the marina, watched the changing of the guards with the million other tourists, and visited the casino, where we felt a little out of place (once again) in jeans and a t-shirt. Certainly an experience!

Monaco

After Monaco, we decided to head for a couple of nights to San Remo, Italy, to base ourselves in a larger town with cheaper facilities while waiting for the right winds to head over to Corsica. It may also have had something to do with the Swedish girls we had met in Nice holidaying there - who can say?

Yep - life is tough!

Regardless, the decision to head over the border was certainly the right one! During our stay, we took a bus an hour inland to the mountains, where it is possible to ski in winter, to a place called Triora, famous for its well-documented executions of witches, as well as its stunning location and magnificent views. As we went up late in the day, the place was practically devoid of tourists (and locals), which made it amazing to walk around the ancient streets and take in the surrounding landscape! We also took in quite a bit of red wine, as we missed the bus back and had to wait an additional 4 hours for the next one. This was the start of the long night, of which I mentioned previously, resulting in the hangover endured throughout the duration of the sail to Corsica. Lesson learnt – don’t drink the night before an 18-hour sail in rough seas!

Triori

So after a long sleep this morning (I woke up at 5pm), I have had time to explore the beautiful town of Clavi, Corsica, where a citadel rises majestically above the houses and shops below, which are all surrounded by towering mountains, some of which still hold snow on their peaks. Tomorrow, we sail towards the northeaster tip of the Island, then head over through the Tuscan Islands to mainland Italy. Should be there by the end of the month.

Calvi, Corsica

Cheers,

Matt.