Tough waters with mirror polished surface

42° 40′ 47.1468” N 9° 17′ 57.2208” E

April 11, 2017

Cap Corse – the northern tip of Corsica – is a waterway that has a reputation of beeing wild and dangerous. We are told, that it can be a tough water, where strong wind gets up out of nowhere and makes the passage between the coast of Corsica and the small island, Île de la Giraglia, difficult.

We see nothing of the sort. The Mediterranean breathes peace with a surface that is close to being mirror. Our Yanmar engine does cope with the work to round Cap Corse. Our only challenge is to avoid the many fishing flags in the area.

Our goal is St. Florent. A small resort town that in our guidebooks is referred to as a mini version of the more famous resort of Calvi. The comparison does not hold.

St. Florent is well protected at the bottom of a bay. It is a relatively large port, pretty expensive (84 euros for two nights in peak season), a moderate restaurant scene, a dull citadel and a beach that consists of nothing but stones. The city prides itself however that ten kilometers west of the city lies a fantastic sandy beach, Saleccia, who in 1961 was the setting for a movie with Robert Mitchum starring on the allied troops’ invasion of Normandy. “The longest day” was the name of the film.

After two days we leave St. Florent and head for Calvi.