On Saturday Margaret, Susie and I walked around the perimeter and to the top of the large citadel that completely fills the headland area. (Terry was going to come but he was having another nap when we left the boat - it's a great place to relax.) Greg was playing Ratty and Mole again.
The French Foreign Legion has a special parachutist division in the citadel and several times we have been lucky enough to see them practice drops on the mainland across from our boat. We didn't see any of the thousand soldiers posted there at present but we did see many fabulous views of the coastline on the other side of the headland plus a perfect view of the port below.
As we wandered into the central area we discovered a lovely Salon du The (sorry the Blackberry "keyboard" has no accents to add to letters) so of course we had to have morning tea, seated at a large window that frames the scene of a bright blue sky over a bright blue sea.
Lunch on the boat and an afternoon of swimming and napping before going ashore for dinner with Helen and Damian to Emile's - a true gourmet experience. The restaurant is on a higher level overlooking the port and our mouths are watering as we remember the delicacies we ate. Some of the most memorable were Greg's and Margaret's special bouillibaisse that was served like 3 separate courses and the chocolate desert presented in 6 different ways that Damian and I both relished. The chef also provided hors- d'hoeuvres and an additional refreshing starter of chilled zucchini cream soup plus petits fours. It's a wonder the dinghies didn't sink as we made our way back to the yachts.
On Sunday we sailed back to L'Ile Rousse so that our visitors could enjoy seeing that area. Helen and Damian came with us and then caught the train back to Calvi. It was a glorious sunny day again and the sailing was very pleasant as we tacked out to sea and back again to take advantage of the wind direction. The headland of L'Ile de Pietra with its lighthouse perched on top and joined to L'Ile Rousse by a causeway was a stunning scene as we rounded the point into sheltered waters of L'Ile Rousse. We had a very late lunch of baguettes with platters of meats, salad, cheeses and rose and fresh fruit as we sat around the cockpit table. Greg took Damian and Helen ashore and then we swam off the boat at our anchorage until it was time for us to go ashore for dinner. Not wanting much to eat we dined on pizzas at L'Escale, seated on their deck overlooking the bay. Unfortunately all of the towns are an ice cream lover's heaven so we succumbed to the temptations at one of the Glacier stands - just to finish off the night.
On Monday Greg took Susie, Margaret and Terry ashore mid morning so they could enjoy wandering around the town, experience the fresh produce market and have a little shopping therapy. Greg and I joined them for lunch at one of the charming cafes under the huge plane trees in Place Paoli.
Pascal Paolo was a revolutionary leader who was head of Corsica during its short period of independence between 1755 and 1769. He was cultured and an intellectual as well as a military leader and is known to Corsicans as the 'father of the nation'. He developed agriculture, was the founder of Corsican's first university and established the Moor's head as Corsica's symbol. From the starboard side of the mast we fly the Moor's head flag (a black head swathed in a white bandana) as well as the French flag while we are in Corsica, but of course the Australian flag flies at the stern.
Susie and Margaret were going to return to Calvi on the Tramways de Balagne train known as 'the trembler', which runs between the two towns along a line built in the 1880's, carrying passengers to the many lovely beach areas along the coast. Firstly they rode on the "train" (really a number of open carriages pulled by a little truck shaped like a train engine) out to the lighthouse on L'Ile de Pietra and back to town, enjoying the spectacular scenery of the coves and cliff faces as much as Greg and I did a few days ago.
Margaret and Susie were fascinated by their trip to Calvi with so many passengers that many people had to stand and it reminded them of going to the beach as teenagers, with families carrying their towels, picnic bags, beach balls and blow up rubber body boards. The camping areas along the beaches also reminded them of Rosebud many years ago.
We are all intrigued by the people's lack of protection from the sun over here - no sun hats, long days of sunbaking and swimming, no special bathers or sunblock for kids. Brown is still beautiful for the Mediterranean.
In the meantime Greg, Terry and I had headed off on the boat, beating into a southerly all of the way, with the wind gauge occasionally registering 28 knots. Dream Catcher III slapped into the oncoming waves which flowed over the deck and at times gave Greg and Terry a good wash. We had to put the dodger up so I stayed under that to keep dry while I read a book about Corsica. Dream Catcher III is built to handle much worse weather so we found the strong head winds to be a nuisance rather than a worry. When we reached Calvi there were many sailing and motor yachts looking for a place in the marina or at a fixed mooring to be safe for the night, but luckily the young guys who help people pick up the moorings gave us a prime position not far out from the docks. Just as well, because it was a fairly wet and bumpy ride for Susie and Margaret when Greg picked them up at the shore about 7.00 pm and ferried them to the boat.
After showers to wash the salt off, the guys quenched their thirst with Corsican beers, the ladies with gin and tonics. Accompanying nibbles were smoked salmon, avocado and salmon roe plus white anchovies that I had marinated in garlic and chopped parsley. Dinner on board was two baby legs of lamb roasted on the barbecue (with mint sauce), potatoes roasted in the oven plus ratatouille. Corsican rose for some and Corsican red for others.
On Tuesday we had a lazy day on the boat at anchor in Calvi. It was very hot and very windy, but the team seems to be quite expert at afternoon snoozing so they were most relaxed. A swim and showers on the swim platform were the order of the day before Greg ferried us to shore in two trips. We dined at L'Abri Cotier, another portside restaurant specialising in seafood. Grilled langoustines and red snapper were the main fare of the night although Greg's veal looked superb too. Of course we needed our usual ice cream cones to eat as we joined many other tourists in the portside promenade, astounded by the size and oppulence of some of the motor yachts.