Sometimes having no wind but knowing you have enough diesel to get there under engine isn't as bad as it may sound to you: wildlife becomes great!
Within an hour out of Antibes, we had our first dolphins. I say first, because we had 4 or 5 sightings before dinner!
(talking of which, cooking becomes a doddle as well conpared to doing it at a 35 degree angle!) Then, just before 8pm we had our first whale. A massive one, with at least 4 meter between its blow hole and its small fin...and we didn't even get to see it in all its glorious length...guessing about 9, maybe 12 meters long. It stayed with us for 7 or 8 blows before majestically disappearing below the surface with a polite high bow of it's sleek back.
Then it was off for me to get some sleep before my midnight watch, but Boogie saw another 5 whales, one just over a boat length away...
Back on watch at midnight, I got a cool fluorescent visit from another dolphin, tearing bolts of light through the water...
There really is something to be said for no wind and flat seas!
After our change of destination end of last month, from Croatia to France it's been a full on roller coaster, with a great 10 day cruise in Corsica (celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary in starred culinary delight on the waterfront in Porto Vecchio as only one of the highlights) and then a week of exploring the French Riviera from Villefranche, via St Tropez to Ile de Cros. What an enchanting little island that is! Definitely highlight of the trip that week!
It was wonderful coming back to Corsica by boat, 18 years after a visit with good friends on land. How things (and I) have changed...what hadn't changed was the stunning beauty of the island, known as the scented isle, even more so when enjoyed from the water. Good memories.
We left Antibes this afternoon after a few days with a little bit of R&R and a lot of maintenance, polishing and prepping (that's what 18 days of charter does to you!).
We're now on our way to beautiful Napoli, to sample a bit of Italian cuisine, while cruising around the Gulfe di Napoli (don't forget to wave your hands Italian style while saying this with a thick Italian accent!) with the owners in stunning places like the islands of Ischida, Procida and of course, the island for the rich and (in)famous: Capri.
We'll keep you posted!
