June 9, More Touring of Corsica |
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We kept on driving South from Porto to Propriano... along the beautiful coast line... and I had one thing in mind: to get a hotel room close to the beach... so I could walk on the beach and feel "intimitely" the sea.
Funny isn't it? I'm on a sailboat, in the middle of the sea and I don't get this intimate feeling. TRUELY! How weird!
I have a clue for this feeling but have no idea of the real reason... A gut feeling.
Back in March, when I helped do the sailboat hull (anti-fouling against mollusk etc...) with Alain, his son and employee, I remember hearing Olivier, Alain's son who builds boats like his Father, say: "Salt water is the ennemy of a navigator and boat owner!"
All the oceans are made up of salt water... The ennemy of a boat owner! And yet, the very same medium is what they are on and part of and the basis of the sailing experience. A PARADOX that remained in my heart...
I approached my experience with Alain as an initiation with the wind and the sea...
Since I left on this cruise and until this Saturday morning, walking on the beach with my coffee, I didn't feel the "special connection". This moment is framed in my heart and mind with the picture below...
I contemplated sipping my coffee... and marvelled at the infinity of beauty I was part in that PRESENT MOMENT.
And reflected on "how could I possibly describe in words even with a photo what I feel at this moment... the awe, the gratitude, the love, the joy... as unfathomable as the water, reflection, transparency, infinity, blue-ness extending further... And the feeling of being ONE with it all, as beautiful and perfect in this moment, perfect and ONE with all of you who read this page now, in the past and in the future...
This is my intimate experience with the ocean... not an ennemy but rather a FORCE to respect, be one with and honor accordingly... like washing everything on the boat that touches salt water... because the salt in the water is very good "ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR" and causes deterioration of material at a molecular reaction level... Except of course non-conducting material like alluminium.
My moment on Saturday morning...
And this was the sunset the night before...
After breakfast and my "mystical moment", we got back on the road and headed south to Bonifacia, Alain's favorite place in Corsica. We didn't sail down there because I called it quits in Porto Vechio. I have no regrets. Seeing it this way is perfect. Sailing in would be perfect too but I have to admit, I loved driving the little stick-shift turbo-diesel Peugeot and arriving to Bonifacio by land.
And we can see why Alain loves this place! Awesome beauty! The photos are true to the site I saw!
more beautiful shots...
A walk in the narrow streets... something to drink at one of the many sidewalk cafés...
and a luxurious site...
A happy seagull indeed don't you think???
After Bonifacio, we drove North to Solenzara where we had docked a few days before and headed inland from there to drive through the area and pass of "le col de Bavella". I put here only one photo because I took only a few and scanned with a video instead.
If you click on the link below, your dedicated video software (Microsoft Media Player probably) should open and play the LOW resolution clip. Remember, it has to download to your computer before it can run in Media Player.
>>>>Le col de Bavella Movie clip<<<< (2.36Mb)
Around Corsica, many times there are signs (didn't take picture) that warn of cows or animals on the road. They are free roaming indeed. Here are pigs, hundreds of them roaming around close to chestnut forests. Corsica is known for chestnut trees, chestnut cakes, flour, jams and of course, the pigs like them too!!!
And we made it safely home to the sailboat in Bastia, returned the car and rested! My head was filled with awesome scenery!!