Next stop

Au revoir Nice! Dinner is waiting in St Tropez tonight.

Ajaccio

Some pics from Ajaccio last week.

Freedom

What an absurdly luxurious thing it is, to live on a boat. When the winds finally decided to cool down outside of the bay of Girolato and we decided to leave Corsica, we asked each other 'So, where are we heading next?' 'France, but where?' 'Let's wait with St Tropez for a while and let's start a bit more up North and take it on the way home?' 'I know there is a really good anchorage in Cap Ferrat, Nice - should we go for that one? 'Why not!' So we left the bay, pointed the gps towards Nice, trimmed the sails and kicked back to enjoy one more beautiful, sunny day on sea. With a book in hand, a peaceful lunch, watching the dolphins jump around the boat and later on we had an early dinner in front of the waning sun's final meltdown in the Mediterranean sea. 19 hours and a quick sleep later we got closer to the French coast where the Riviera was laid in front of us like miniature cities in the horizon, leaving us with the last chance to choose our landfall destination.

And here we are now, having a very French lunch in the marina of Cap Ferrat and thanking each other, for the day we decided to move aboard and gave ourselves the wonderful opportunity to have the whole world as our beautiful home and garden.. /T

Girolata

We're stuck in Girolata. A small fisherman's town located in the North Western parts of Corsica. We found here a very well protected mooring on 27 Euros/buoy and night. Our plans to leave towards the French Riviera before heading back home, had to be changed due to the mistral that is blowing hard outside of this bay. Last night we had winds up to 29 knots inside the bay and there was a steady F 9 with 4 meter waves, just outside. They're expecting the wind to increase even more for tonight, so we will pretty much stay here until the winds decides to cool down a bit. And why not, Girolata appeared to be the best place we have seen so far in Corsica. Pics coming soon. As we're stuck here, and I'm able to connect to a wifi from the marina (even though an incredibly slow one) I guess I will be bombarding you with some of the 3000+ photos we have produced in the last couple of weeks. Stay tuned. /Taru

Corsican delicacies

Ok it's not entirely Corsican what we have indulged in, lately. It's more likely the French produce that are easier to get hold on here than in Spain and we can't get enough of the cheese (Camembert, Brie, Roquefort etc..), the pate's, the french butter, freshly baked baguettes, blettes, yoghurts, the wine and so on...

What is Corsican though, is the delightful little Canistrellis (more or less like Italian Biscotti) and the smoked wild boar meat (even though the meat they call sanglier, in fact is 30% boar, 70% pork)

If you ever wondered how we can be so fit, after all we're eating. Well... I can tell you that those well shaped days are now officially over! /T

Campomoro

It is a wonderful feeling, to stroll around on the streets and towns of Corsica. The gentle, aromatic scent of rock roses grabs a tight grip of your lungs wherever you go. The fragrance is different, the air is different, the colors, the sounds, the shades of the water... While Alex spent many of his childhood summers in Corsica, it is for me the first time around here - and I must say, I have fallen in love. It is such a colorful, rustic, romantic and delightfully adorable island which I would recommend for anyone to visit. /T

Postcard from Ajaccio

Hi there!

We're in Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica. Due to the light winds and calm sea, we've decided to stay here for some days. We're so incredibly lucky to be able to enjoy all of these beautiful cities and small towns from both the sea and land. Invaluable!

Don't forget to add us as friends on Facebook if you want to keep up with the latest news of our journey!

Love from Corse

Lavezzi

In the middle of the Strait of Bonifacio, around 5 n miles south east of Bonifacio lies the islands of Lavezzi. We anchored up there one late night and witnessed one of the most powerful sunsets in months. The burning sky in contrast with the rounded, grey granite stones made it a picture perfect and still night. The day after, we went exploring the islands both above and under the surface. Lavezzi is probably mainly known for the shipwreck and the tragic loss of 600 French soldiers who lost their lives in a storm just outside of the islands, some 150 years ago. Lavezzi is also widely known by divers for it's crystal clear water and rich sea life. /T

The perfect Bolognese

Along with fresh Italian pasta and a bottle of the beautiful Sardinian wine, Cabiròl, I prepare my bolognese like this. Sorry no measurements, I take what I find in the fridge:

Minced beef

Garlic

Olive oil

Fresh tomatoes, maybe 2-3-4 of them.

Pepper and Salt

Chili powder

Rucola

Mushrooms - Goes well with any type. I prefer Portobello.)

Sugar - This is very important, folks!

Some red wine.

Pour olive oil into a large sauce pan, press the garlic into it. Fry the garlic until golden. Add the meat.. some teaspoons of water, salt, pepper and chili powder. Fry the meat until it has completely changed color from red to brownish. Pour in the wine. Squeeze in the tomatoes, add the peal of them as well if you'd like, otherwise use only the inside of them. Add the same amount of sugar as you earlier had of salt. This is very important for bolognese so don't ever exclude it! Works also well with honey if you prefer. Honey goes by the way with anything and everything. When things look smooth and tastes good, add the mushrooms and let it all simmer for a while. When finished, add the fresh rucola and mix the sauce with the fresh pasta you had boiled on the side.

Enjoy! /Taru

Bonifacio

We spent one night in Bonifacio, the Southern city of Corsica, which is the first big one you encounter when crossing from Sardinia. The city lays on a limestone plateau with natural balconies, overlooking the Bonifacio strait and the Mediterranean sea. A beautiful little city, packed with tourists, but still it has kept a genuine feel to it.