Hermy has done Corsica!

It's very difficult being the perfect husband but I think I am getting there. 

Mrs K has been accusing me of hallucinating due to my red wine consumption. When you are rolling along in the boat you tend to look out to sea as you, (I), would stare at a fire. A bit mesmerising. 

However every now and again the sea will throw up a sudden event like a burst of flying fish, a dolphin, a jumping tuna or a leaping sword fish. Well this happens and I can't stop myself alerting Mrs K who inevitably sees nothing and then doubts the perfection of her husband. 

Well I am very grateful to a sword fish in Sagona bay that leapt and then did it again so Mrs K could see and prove once and for all that I do see some things that are real. Sometimes!

Anyway we left Calvi and made for a rather small place called Girolata which can only be reached by either foot or boat. Just like London. 

A lovely place of which no part resembles London.

Free range burgers!

This has gone on our list of top places we have seen with crystal clear water and the meeting of tourism  and uncommercialisation, if that is a word? The small ferries arrive in abundance, there is a beach a couple of bars and a shop. A bit hippyish and I may have detected a whiff of weed but otherwise unspoilt. 

We took a walk along a dodgy path spurred on by elderly hikers coming the other way. Not sure how they managed as even us young saplings struggled with some parts.

Note the waterproof (in case we fall out of the dinghy) bag and hiking sandals!

We had a lovely stay in this bay then made for Cargese. A small town given to some Turk fleeing Greeks about 400 years ago. Apparently they are slowly being accepted by the Corsicans. Well they have learnt to charge for a berth so we stayed a couple of hours walked up a huge hill to the town for a bit of shopping, then made off to an anchorage nearby.

We used our stern kedge anchor to good effect and stayed bow to waves so had a reasonable night before making for Ajaccio, Corsica's capital.

Now in order to get there you have to either go round the Sanguinaire islands or through them. Apparently Sanguinaire means blood thirsty. 

Now which gap did Mr Heikell say was deep enough?

Ajaccio was okay but I couldn't help feeling it should have been nicer than it was as a capital city.  The marina didn't see September as 'out of season' so our stay was cost limited to two days.

 It was however Boney's birth place and his parents house was still there despite their spat with Paoli's partisans when he revolted against the, er revolution and the Bonapartes found themselves on the wrong side. 

A big pad with quite a few bits and pieces but nothing like his boots, his hat, or his toilet as we have already found around the republic.

Note the large, high season, queue!

Propriano was our next port of call round a large corner some 23 Nautical miles away. The weather was calm so we bashed on via the motor.

It was at this point that I noticed we had covered 1000 nautical miles since our start in June. 2,115 nm since we left Gillingham. No wonder I am tired!

Propriano was very rainy on the first night but we made friends with some lovely Americans from California, Brice and Casey, probably spelt both of those wrong. 

(I wonder if the owner of the boat behind has a wife called Hermione?)

We were invited to help the Californians finish off some excess alcohol from their 9 day charter as they were going home the next day. They couldn't have been more fortunate in their neighbour! So we were duty bound to assist. They also gave us all their left over stores and a bottle of champers for Mrs K. 

Very nice people.

Slipped out the next day for the long haul around to Bonifacio our final stop in Corsica. weather was better.

Never did work out what the smoke in the hills was.

The long haul around to Bonifacio was worth it. A very dramatic entrance through the chalk cliffs.

And the town within the fortifications was something else.

Alas only a one nighter here as we have to slip across to Sardinia to sort out our winter berth. But we will go back and take a longer look. Hopefully with a Motley crew.

Heading for St Teresa Gallura, Sardinia, across the Bonifacio strait. Corsica is done for now!