Ata Jata "Cruising"

August has been friends' month. We have been very happy to host successively Cédric, Vanessa & Théo and Karine. It takes a little bit of organization but it’s very pleasant to have friends with us to share the beautiful spots we already knew in Corsica.
Cédric spend about 10 days on board from August 9 till 18. Unfortunately I was away, working in Bonn, Germany at the UN Climate talks. Cedric came on the ferry from Marseille, he likes sailing and usually rent a boat during the summer but this year he had to change his plans. It was his first time sailing in the Med. The two brothers went straight to Lavezzi island with very light wind and then went up the West coast : Figari, Rocapina, Scoglio Blanco, Campomoro, Cala Longa and Bonifacio. Then they crossed the Straits for a quick visit in Sardinia, in Liscia, Porto Pollo and Isola Budelli. The last leg of the trip, brought them back to Piana, Lavezzi, Rondinara and San Cyprien. Cédric is now back to work in Toulouse, good luck!
I came back on August 18 just missing Cédric for a couple of hours. Vanessa and her 10 year old son Théo arrived two days later. It was their first time on a sail boat and the first hours, although the sea was relatively calm, upset Theo’s stomach. We made small steps down south along the coast : we anchored in the Cerbicale islands for a first dive and then spent some time in Rondinara, then Lavezzi, our favorite spot in Cala della Chiesa that we had to leave because of a strong West wind. We sheltered in Piana for 24hours and came back in Lavezzi.
Theo and Vanessa particularly enjoyed snorkeling among the fishes in this turquoise pool. Breakfast was hardly finished they already jumped into the water! We didn’t go to Bonifacio as they both rather stay in quiet natural place rather than being drown in the tourist crowd. On the way back to Porto Vecchio we called at very peacefull Porto Novo. The two of them are now back in Lille, good luck for this new school year Théo !
On the same day (August 25) Vanessa and Théo embark on the ferry that brings them back to mainland, Karine, also known as “Miss Ka”, arrived from rainy Brittany. For her too, the first hours at sea require some adjustments for her stomach. Nevertheless on the first day we sail with a fair East wind down to Porto Novo where we spent the night well sheltered from the swell but not from the thunderstorms. Seems like Miss Ka brought some rain in her luggage! But the weather is getting better and better. In Rondinara we spent long hours in the water, swimming and lazzying on the inflatable mattress. Then we went to Piantarella where the wind was quite strong (it’s a lagoon and a windsurf spot!), we went walking along the cliffs of Cape Spérone and enjoyed a good dinner at the beach pizzeria. Then we went to Lavezzi: for someone coming from Brittany it is amazing to see such a similar granite landscape but with sea water at 25°C ! Miss Ka came to Corsica years ago and since then always dreamed to see Bonifacio from the sea. That’s a dream easy to come true. On August 31, we enter the majestic fjord and anchored in La Catena. We spent the day being typical tourists: shopping, eating ice creams and writing postcards. After Bonif, we spent the last night with Karine in the nearby Paragnano bay before bringing her to Figari where she caught a taxi for the airport. She is now back up there, in rainy and stormy Brittany, good luck with your projects!
It feels a little strange to be only the two of us again. Since Miss Ka left, we’ve been stuck in Bonifaccio for few days as I had work to do and the weather was getting gusty. We still have no plan for the coming months as many things can happen…