We are at L'Ile Rousse (sorry I cannot type a circumflex on top if the capital letter I at the beginning of "Ile", for "island") which is not actually an island, but was named as such either because of the red rocks on the tiny island Ile de la Pietra, joined to the town by a causeway, or because of the russet color of the houses at sunset. We don't know which guidebook to believe.
Whatever the reason, it is a beautiful place. We were too busy last night taking photos of the sunset over the water and Ile de la Petra to even notice whether the houses were russet or not.
We are anchored just off the fine sandy beach, in water 10 metres deep and a mixture of turquoise and lapis lazuli blue. If the wind was from the north it would be blowing straight into this gulf and the anchorage would be terrible, but while the wind is from the west we are going to stay here for a few days in the shelter of Ile de la Petra. We are only 24 km north of Calvi, a very big tourist town, but we figure that the peace and charm of this place are just perfect.
Last night we had dinner on board and the sea breeze kept the boat cool enough for me to cook roast veal, with roasted potatoes and carrots, in the oven plus butter beans steamed on the stove top. This was after an appetiser of prosciutto and melon. Another bottle of one of those excellent Massa Maritimo reds was perfect with the veal but the best part of dinner was the sunset. We took so many photos that we don't know which one to send Bill for the website. Ile de la Pietra has one of those Genoese towers plus a lighthouse and there is also a little tourist train that chugs out there from the centre of town, with its lights flashing in the early evening sky. From the advantage of our anchorage the sun setting behind the island was spectacular.
This morning Greg put the dinghy into the water and we motored the 100 metres to tie up at the promenade of the shore, right in the heart of town. We had our jeep to carry the goods we bought at the town market - charcuterie items such as saucisson and lonzu (a ham like prosciutto) made from the free-ranging pigs that feed on chestnuts, acorns and sweet-smelling plants; Corsican cheeses made from both sheep and goats; fresh apricots, red and green plums, peaches, raspberries and strawberries; a very thin cake which I think is a type of cheese cake but the predominant flavor is orange peel. Of course we found the best boulangerie/patisserie to buy an epis (like a baguette) and a loaf more suitable for breakfast toast.
So lunch on board included some of that produce, plus the veal left over from last night and some of the fabulous Tuscan soft mozzarella with tomato and basil and drizzled with 30 year aged balsamic, plus some quiche lorraine (with the crust cut off, to help our waistlines and hearts and make us feel less guilty about eating the cheeses). Such food required a rose, so we had a Minuity that we had purchased in St Tropez, a pale pink rose very light in color and alcohol content. We really did only intend to have a glass each but we needed more to accompany some of the epis breadstick with the creamy brie I bought in Bastia. Fresh peach slices and muscatel grapes to refresh the palate at the end. (Sorry about all of the food descriptions but this news we are posting is our memory of the trip to reread in our old age and good food and wine are obviously important to us. Thinking of the food we ate somewhere helps us to recapture the scene.)
This afternoon we are lazing on the boat and swimming. Greg has tried out his short wet suit, snorkel and goggles to check underneath the boat, which he declares fairly clean. The scene in front of us is the clear blue water, the sandy beach dotted with bright yellow and blue-and-white striped umbrellas, ochre colored buildings with terracotta roofs, palm trees and plane trees in the town square and the steep mountains behind.
We will return to town later in the day when it is not so hot and will stay there for dinner.