It was still a very warm and balmy night as we motored back to Dream Catcher III about midnight.
Tuesday night we tried to have an early night but it's light and warm until well after 9.00pm so we don't tend to eat until late, even when on board. We managed to be in bed by 10.30 pm, with fans on to keep cool.
Wednesday was a busy morning food shopping and taking in some laundry to be done (definitely not self-service). We took Dream Catcher III into the dock for fuel and then to fill the 4 water tanks at the time we were expecting Terry and Margaret O'Hare and Susie Donald to arrive from Paris. That worked well although no vehicles are allowed to drive along the waterfront so the travellers had to wheel their bags quite a distance in the hot afternoon. All aboard by about 3.45 and drinks all around - mostly lots of water to start with.
Out to the mooring for swimming and relaxing in the cooler air, nibbles and drinks (Lillet for the girls of course and Corsican beer for the guys) and then back into the port at about 8.30 pm where we had been given a spot to stay for the night. It was a very suitable night to be plugged into power to have all of the airconditioners running in the cabins.
As we relaxed in the cockpit before dinner we were all stunned by the beauty of the reflection of the sunset on the mountains on the eastern side of the Golfe de Calvi. There were lots of cameras and blackberries snapping but we didn't think it was possible to do justice to the entire scene.
It was easy to walk along the dock area to find many places to eat so we just chose pot luck at a place with tables almost to the water. Greg had a huge bowl of mussels cooked Corsican style, which is with tomatoes and white wine, Margaret had grilled gambons (huge prawns) and the rest of us had local fish. Excellent. So was the rose we drank from one of the Patrimonio vineyards.
Thursday morning we were off the dock and back to our mooring by 9.30 am, pleased to be back to the cooler air. Apart from a trip back in for some food shopping, such as the baguettes straight from the oven and the strawberry tart for dinner, our day was spent swimming, enjoying lunch at the cockpit table (with yet more rose), sleeping and more swimming. I did take photos of the other four in their glorious sleeping poses but I won't add to the website the ones of Margaret and Susie as long as they treat me extremely well over the coming days.
One of the other yachts here at present belongs to another Australian couple from Melbourne, Helen and Damien, who joined us on Dream Catcher III for pre-dinner drinks and nibbles. After only about an hour together we had established many friends as connections through interests in cars, sailing and home buying and had shared several yachting experiences, especially in the Med. Tips from fellow travellers are invaluable, especially about anchorages, ports and restaurants.
Dinner at the cockpit table was barbecue Corsican lamb chops and excellent cocktail size Corsican sausages, served with a favorite salad of baby cos (romano for our US friends), rocket (arugala for the US), sliced pears, cooked pine nuts and shaved Regianno Parmigiana (tossed in a dressing of olive oil, orange juice, verjuice, little sugar, salt and pepper). Plus a Corsican red wine of course. By this time it was so late that we decided not to have the strawberry tart, but I notice that no one could resist having "just a taste" before retiring for the night.
It's lovely to have friends aboard to share our Corsican experiences and also to allow us to have quality time together over a period of time.