Our last morning swim in Ill Rousse was lovely. Refreshing and alone. It was so peaceful, something the surf doesn’t give us in Australia. It crashes and threatens , mostly with sharks! It’s a very different way of swimming and playing in the water.

Breakfast at the hotel was ordinary and I always question why the French hotels charge for breakfast.
On the way out of town we stopped so I could buy a basket. We needed something we could carry our few more fragile purchases and I thought it should be something I would use. So I’m now the owner of a brightly coloured striped bag- a type of market bag. Steve looks great carrying it!

Woke to a very warm day after. A lovely dinner last night on the beach. Usually restaurants on the beachfront are a little bit of a rip off but this one had great reports on various websites so we gave it a go.
It was just lovely. We choose a table just on the edge of the decking – not the sand for us! It was a lovely night and we had such a lovely meal. The fish here is great. ……..

On the deck

relaxing dinner

This morning we went for walk and Steve found a rather steep walk down to the water for a swim. I had thongs on so was too scared to venture down . He set off and I thought he would never stop swimming. Almost disappeared! and attracted a crowd of interested spectators.

SO i left him to it and walked back towards the hotel and found a more sedate rocky cove to enter the water. It was quiet and I was the only one swimming. Its funny…..I would never do this in Australia. with sharks and rips etc. Here my greatest fear is the STINGER! by the way my face has almost recovered. Mind you the sea urchin spikes in my knee haven’t all fallen out just yet!

After breakfast we took the road behind ill Rousse and discovered the Artisans trail. It’s a little like visiting a French style Maleny. Several hill towns with people working away in their little houses – caves really. We did our bit for the economy and bought a few little things. Music boxes, folk music CD, pottery jug, and a lovely lunch with a view back towards the coast. Steve would loved to have been driving his MG but it was hair raising enough on the narrow roads for me.

Just a little squeeze. No traffic people. Just you and the digger!

One little place Pigna has at least 10 craft “shops” to visit.     Perfect!

Music boxes from Pigna

We drove back to town and headed for the hotel. After a little rest time ( we are getting used to siesta) i decided another swim would be good and I took off to people watch on the long sandy beach .
I TOOK MY GOGGLES AND HAD A SWIM AND IM SURE THE LIFESAVER WAS HOPING I WOULDN’T GET INTO TROUBLE (oohs capitals!)
the lifesaver was walking up and down the busy beach carrying large fins. I guess if someone got into trouble he could don the fins and swim to them faster.

I wandered back and we prepared for our aperitif . I have developed a slight addiction to strawberry mojitos! The strange girl at our hotel bar came with it and after a few sips I decided it was sans alcohol ! I went in and said it wasn’t very good (not like the night before) and so her friend took many slurps and said “its ok! ” and handed it back. At this stage I almost laughed out loud and said I’d like a fresh one. I got it and I really hope she didn’t spit in it!. AND it was definitely with alcohol the second time.

Dinner tonight was at a place highly recommended and the fish was so fresh it was jumping. We had the choice of fresh fish  – escorted to our table by the owner and we found it hard to choose. The cute pink one? the slightly shy looking pale grey one? the sturdy looking one with multiple fins or the grand one for two!

What a fish. Delicious. with a beautiful caper sauce.

And so to bed………

Me enjoying the fresh fish…..and the wine

Today we were up and off to the beach not far from our hotel.
Lovely white sand and a really nice place to spend some time.
After a swim a little petit dejeuner – cafe, baguette and orange juice. I’ll have to get my fruit intake later!

Then it was off to the Citadel and with an audio guide we found out about Nelson losing his eye, Christopher Colombus being born and then dying in Calvi (after he discovered America), and other stories about how the French won everything they ever went in!

Then it was down the road 22km to Algajola where our friend has an apartment. Its a gorgeous little beachside village. Not pretentious, just quiet and charming and would be a great place for a holiday. Almost wish we were staying here with Inky (aka Ian) and Ali so its a pity he couldn’t come from London and host us. The wind had whipped up a little so no swim – we just had to move on to a lovely lunch at one of the beachside cafes. When in France have a salad Nicoise and or Moules – mussels which we did with a fresh Rose.

Of course Steve had to check out the life saving arrangements at the beach – and I think the lifesavers (the Sappeurs Pompiers)  thought it was a spot inspection by the French lifesaving movement!

There were lots of camping areas to stay and a great set of cabins just on the beach which kind of looked like “Binna Burra by the sea”

We continued into the next village where are staying for 2 nights and are right on the water and it sounds just like Caloundra. We roamed the shops before checking in and Steve once again “won” the shopping. He bought two shirts and a pair of shorts. I managed just one cotton dress.

Now is afternoon siesta time and catch up with the blog and emails before we walk along the promenade into the Ville for dinner.

This is the life!

Lovely evening dinner by the beach

Amazing views from the water

Boat harbour at Bonafacio

Had a great nights sleep and nice breakfast (for 15 euros – why we have to pay in France I don’t know)
Then a taxi to the airport to pick up our hire car and away we went.
Oh boy , what dramatic scenery along the way. Winding roads, sheer cliffs, breath taking views. We really enjoyed the travel and hopefully Steve enjoyed the driving! He’s having a few beers now to recover.
We had morning tea at Propriano, a lovely little very French boating village, and lunch at the much larger Ajaccio which reminded us a little of Nice. Lots of boats, shops, cafes and gelato.

Propriano

We moved on through the coastal route to Porto and it was so dramatic climbing hills and dropping down to the coastal towns. Some really lovely sandy beaches. Corsica is proving to be a well kept secret. It’s really lovely.

We arrived in Porto at 4.30 and our hotel is well located on the little harbour. We booked a boat tour tomorrow to explore the coast by sea and will head up to Girolata where there is a National Park and the Sandola Gulf. Hope we can get a little swim in. I am missing our time on the boat and even miss the swims!

Porto – mountains meet the sea

Just completed a survey from Swim trek. All good comments from us!

Saw the results of the Lions Wallaby game. Dismal result and Robbie Deans could be out of a job !

Had a beautiful dinner at La Mer -right on the front of the harbour with the most beautiful view. Steve had duck and I had just had the first meat meal since I left. Pork ! And very nice it was too.

Today we started at 9 am so no real rush.Breakfast with some of the group and then a walk to the jetty.Our bigger boat arrived with Marco the driver. We all squashed aboard and towed the 2 rubber duckies as support vehicles behind.

Crossed over to another island and Franesco explained today’s plan. A 4 km swim, lunch, walk, rest then a 2.5 swim. Ohhhh I thought another ride in the rubber duckie with Francesco as 4 km is beyond me. I dropped in half way and it was probably the hardest part if the swim. I missed the beautiful sandy bay near the closed down abandoned club med style resort.

I made it! Yah to me. Then we had a rest and lunch – a lovely pasta salad, followed by a walk up the hill to see the view and the stone statue of Ciano, father of Count Ciano, Mussolini’s son in law. Amazing stone statue in 3 parts now. Lots of photos.

Back to the boat and motored off to start the next swim. Only 2.5km! But by now it was quite windy and the current was running – fortunately in the direction of the swim.

I dropped in half way and swam probably 1.5km

Back to the hotel for clean up and a few drinks, then short rest before a group dinner at the hotel.

Lovely day and the swimming was fine. Getting used to it little by little.

Writing this before dinner. So more news later.

Oh how I love Italy! La vita bella!!!!!

It’s so full of life and fun and just sitting at a bus stop, by a cool fountain, in the park or in your favourite bar with and Aperol spritz in hand provides one with enough entertainment to last a day.

We had a beautiful breakfast on the terrace at our Hotel Villa Schuler. For anyone travelling to Taormina I can’t recommend this hotel more highly. It’s in a great position a street below the main Corso, and is run by a family who have been here for many years. It says it only 2 stars but don’t believe it. There is such attention to detail and the staff are magnificent .

After breakfast we strolled along to the jardini communale and they are a picture. Peaceful in a town almost overrun by tourists. From there we caught a bus just outside the town gate for a 20 min ride up hair pin turns to a little village called Castlemola – why did they ever put a fort way up there? It’s perched on the top of a hill and why they ever put it on this hill one can only guess. It’s a sleepy little town and it welcomes new visitors every hour as that is when the bus arrives and people only stay about an hour!

But that’s enough to wander the little number of streets. Some of the hardy tourists with perfect knees walk back down to Taormina but we caught the bus for another bit of excitement. Passing other buses on the narrow road is a feat for the experienced driver only.

Local traffic policewoman at Castelmolo – making the most of available space

We wandered back to the hotel to collect our things to take another exciting ride – this time on the funicular down to the coast/ beach for an afternoon swim. For us a bit of training for our trek.
 We managed to find a little narrow bit of public beach as we didn’t  want a deck chair at 7 euro for the afternoon. Disaster struck!
 I was  stung on the face by some sort of jellyfish ! it was awful. I’ll write more on this topic when I feel I can face it!

International Power Turtle Congress – Taormina 2013

A great passegiatto – a second classy wedding – some great fashions and the bride arrived in a Ferrari that had more photos taken of it than of her! We think the father was a mafia don!

The Don and his princess

The bridal carriage!

Great dinner at Il Cappucine – salmon, anchovies that melted in the mouth and some nice wine!