Our Final Stop on Corsica, Calvi!

Having left our peaceful bay we headed around the north west top, (although not the northern most point) of Corsica we headed towards the citadel that was Calvi.

Approaches to Calvi

We had a space booked in the marina from 12, so timed it to arrive about 20 minutes beforehand so we could top up with fuel. There was already a boat on the fuel station so we treaded water, trying to stay out of the way of the exiting boats for 10 minutes and then as he left, we started to make our way to the dock, whereupon the petrol man waved us off, muttering in French that we were too late, he was closing and we had to come back after 2 pm.. this was 11:50, and we knew he didn’t shut til 12:00 but no matter how much we pleaded he wasn’t having any of it 😡.. suffice to say, some choice words about the French and us being a British boat were spluttered but with nothing more we could do, we went to our berth!

Having checked in, we were given the name of a mechanic who said he could come at 8am the following morning, so we headed into town to do some exploring!

Calvi

Calvi, whilst it is known for its beaches and crescent-shaped bay, should be better known for its medieval citadel that overlooks the marina. Calvi takes its name from the Calvus – ‘bald’ rock that would come to form the foundations of the citadel. Standing proud on its headland, this 13th-century fortress, which has lost none of its fascination over the centuries, is absolutely charming and well worth the walk, as within its walls there are cobbled passages tightly packed with houses, bars and restaurants, dominated by the Cathédrale Saint Jean-Baptiste, which stands at the highest point. It is also reputedly the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.

Calvi´s Citadel

The citadel itself is also a magnificent backdrop for the red-tiled town below, with its palm tree-planted harbour and lively restaurants lining the promenade. Quai Landry links the marina and the port, which was full of bustling bars and cafés, this is the best place to get a feel for the town and watch the world go by

Quai Landry

We also spent a wonderful evening with some unusual food, tartin de tomato, tuna tartar and lovely wine, up in the old town so we got our exercise in for the day..😀, before heading back to Seaclusion for coffee and a baileys before flopping for the night.

Up early the next day, we got to see the Citadel in the morning light, not that this is one of my pics… don’t forget it was blowing a healthy gale by this time…

So at 8 am our mechanic arrived and he simply took our water pump away to replace its gaskets and bearings, giving us time to do some “housework”, catch up on the blogs, and, as the winds were back, watch other yachties try to moor, we have to say the marinellos in this marina are worth their weight in gold… on this occassion having to tow a yacht that broadsided in a space that nearly caused some serious damage to its neighbours.. the skipper was banned to the outer quay!

Finally on 6th we were ready to say our goodbyes to Corsica this year, dropped our lines at midday and set sail for mainland France. in some pretty fiesty conditions, a Force 6 gusting 7 and at times with 2-3 meter swells, for the long overnight sail to mainland France. It was a great sail, almost all the way without the engine, except a very small blip when the wind dropped, well as I say, it was changing its mind as to what direction it wanted to blow, watching the sunset and then the sunrise, arriving 105 NM’s and 19 hours later in the Baie of Cavalier, just East of Le Lavandou, and onto our next chapter of this Trip.

6th September 2023