Solenzara

Solenzara Marina. Note snow-topped mountains!

Eileen and I wake up feeling wrecked. Neither of us slept well. Laura wakes up refreshed after a great night's sleep.

It turns out that the cow bawling was actually coming from a pontoon bracket rubbing against the pile. The fact that it is still bawling means that the sea is still rough. Maybe it will calm down by afternoon. Fingers crossed.

Eileen and Laura go searching for a bakery. We have a lazy breakfast on board, then unpack more stuff and generally get things sorted out. Yesterday we agreed with Raphael that we would try to go out this afternoon. He comes by late morning to tell us that he thinks it's still too rough. We agree to try again tomorrow morning.

We spend some time on the boat. I'm reading the Michelin guide, the owner's manual for the boat, and looking at charts. Eileen and Laura play a game of scrabble.

Stuck in port

Laura is also becoming a real book-worm. She brought a bunch of Enid Blyton books with her and they come in very handy on days like this. We even bought her some Enid Blytons in French because we thought she was reading too much English and not enough French. She likes them in both languages!

At one point I mention something not sinking in, and Eileen promptly bans the "s" word for the remainder of the holiday. After all, we're on a boat. Dishes are now done in the "wash basin". Laura asks to borrow my phone to look up something on YouTube. Soon our ears are being assaulted by the incredibly annoying orange. Time to get some fresh air.

There is a beach right next to the marina in Solenzara, but the river exits between the two, so you can either wade across the river (quite high at this time of year, but we saw a fisherman in waders do it) or detour around it. Apparently there used to be a little bridge going across but there is no sign of it now. Maybe they had to remove it during the work they are doing on the breakwater.

Scaffa Rossa Beach, Solenzara

We walk through town trying to find the detour. We're heading out of town now and still no sign of beach. A wet person is walking towards us, dressed in wind-surf type gear. We must be getting close. We ask him for directions. I feel like the tourists in Paris who ask for directions to the Eiffel tower when they are only a block away. He explains that we have to follow the road over the bridge, then turn right at the camp ground. It's a lovely beach and we spend a nice afternoon there.

On the way back we stop on the bridge and watch a tiny bat flying in crazy zig-zag patterns below. Tonight we try the other pizzeria in town that Raphael recommended. We have a nice dinner and retire to the boat. This time I get out and squirt some dish soap on the bawling cow (pontoon bracket) and this reduces the noise somewhat. The wind dies off during the night, the sea calms down, and a reasonably good sleep is had by all.

Log entry for Sunday 17/04/2011

Fuel: 4/4

Batteries: 1 (engine) = 13.8; 2 (domestic) = 13.7

Water: Tank 1: 4/4; Tank 2: 4/4

Baro: 1018

Weather forecast: F3-5, temporarily F6 near Chiappa

From: Solenzara; Log 32
Towards: IN PORT