Face to face in Cargèse

In 1669, the Moslems conquered Crete from the Republic of Venice, and immediately focused their attention on the always rebellious Mani peninsula in nearby mainland Greece.  730 Greeks, largely from the town of Vitylo, petitioned the Republic of Genoa for asylum from the Turks, and in 1676 were granted lands in western Corsica, where they prospered, not without rivalry with the locals.

As members of the Greek Byzantine Catholic Church, many of their descendants follow a different rite from traditional catholics.  Their churches and priests have an Orthodox appearance, and rites are in Greek, not Latin, and yet they are under the bishop of Rome.

And so Cargèse has two churches,  facing each other: the Byzantine rite St. Spyridon  (shown as a shadow on this photo) and, across the ravine, the Roman rite Santa Maria Assunta.

Peregrinus stood at anchor just off camera as the crew visited the rivalling Catholic churches of Cargèse.  We also shared a drink with David, and his family, whom each year sail from the Gulf of St Tropez to Corsica, and were winding up their holiday.  7 August 2016.

On Argentella Beach

O blessed shores, where
Love, Liberty and Dreams
have no chains
––– Shelley's memorial plaque,
Casa Magni, Bay of Lerici 

Peregrinus anchored off of Argentella Beach, in Baie de Crovani, northwest Corsica.   A camping ground, populated by young and old families from all over Europe, now stands in the grounds of the old mine depot.  Whether staying on a tent, or a large motorhome, they all looked to be having a good time, enjoying the pebble beach.  6 August 2016, iPhone 6 Plus.

Civitas Calvi Semper Fidelis

Ptolomy wrote in the II century that Cæsiæ littus was Corsica's most famous city.  In the VIII century, however, it was destroyed by a Moor raid.  The city was re-built as Calvi by a local warlord in 1276 and it pledged allegiance to the Republic of Genoa in 1278.

And with Genoa the Calvesi stayed through thick and thin, for five centuries.  Even as other parts of Corsica were at times held by Pisa, Aragon, the Pope, France, or the Turk, Calvi resolutely stayed Genoese.  In fact, Calvi was the last Corsican city to yield to the French invasion of 1769 that consolidated Corsica a part of France.

It is because of that long association that from 1421 the city's motto is Forever Loyal City of Calvi.

Calvi from Peregrinus at anchor in the Golfe de Calvi.  3 August 2016, iPhone 6 Plus.

The walls of Corsica

It was in Saint-Florent that we first realized that in Corsica, traditionally, walls often went unpainted.

With these sort of sunsets, who needs paint?  Click for more photos.

Of races and islands

Many famous sailboat races are run from an accessible harbor to some offshore, isolated island.

 Take, for instance, the Fastnet Race, run since 1925 every two years: from Cowes, racers travel west almost 300 miles to Fastnet Rock, round it, and then back east to Plymouth.  Peregrinus sailed by Fastnet in 2015.

Another well-known race is the Giraglia Cup, an annual event since 1953.  The route, from Saint-Tropez (originally from Toulon), around Giraglia island, to Genoa.  Giraglia island sits one mile offshore Cap Corse, at the very top of Corsica.  

On July 31st, Peregrinus passed Giraglia, with its famous Genoese watchtower (built 1585), on its way west to Saint-Florent. Click for another picture.

Sentinel

The Republic of Genoa built the watchtower of Santa Maria di a Chjapella in 1549, and about 100 nearly identical others, in the north coast of Corsica, so that the people could be alerted of Saracen attacks originating from the Barbary Coast.  When the alarm rang, the Corsicans ran up to hideouts in the mountains.  Those who couldn't escape on time were destined for the slave markets of Tripoli or Istanbul.

Peregrinus at anchor to the left of the watchtower.  Rade de Santa Maria, between Punta Vecchia and the Finocchiarola Islands, in the north of Corsica.  iPhone 6 Plus, 30 July 2016.

Capraia

A colony of the Republic of Pisa from the year 962, the island of Capraia lies in the Ligurian Sea, midway between Tuscany and Corsica.  It was conquered by the Mohammedans in 1055; the Pisans took it back a generation later and held it until it became a possession of the Republic of Genoa, following the events of 1284.

In 1540, the Moslems, this time under Turgut Reis, again captured and sacked Capraia.  To prevent further devastation, the Genoese built in 1541 the fortifications that still stand, and from one of these, the Torre del Porto, we took this picture, with Peregrinus at anchor, in the foreground.

We asked a fisherman who is the diver that cleans his boat's propeller, and the following day his diver came by and cleaned all of Peregrinus' bottom.  29 July 2016.

Dome to heaven

From the street, one would have never guessed such a magnificent church lays inside.  Lucca was full of pleasant surprises like this.

The Peregrinus crew took a short bus ride from Pisa to Lucca.  Santa Caterina, a remarkable one-room church set on the corner of a large old building, is only open the third Sunday of each month, but it was open and the organ was playing as we arrived in town.  24 July 2016; iPhone 6 Plus.

The Arno in Florence

Upriver from the Alla Carraia bridge (1218): the Santa Trinita bridge (1252), and beyond, the Ponte Vecchio (A.D. 50 ?).  The crew left Peregrinus at anchor in Pisa and took the train to Florence to visit the seaman's alma mater.  8:11 PM 25 July; iPhone 6 Plus.

The Arno in Pisa

In the Middle Ages, the riverside was full of warehouses, and cargo boats lined the quays.  

Nowadays, the river is no longer a means of transport, except for the crew of Peregrinus, anchored a couple of miles downstream.

Looking downstream from the Ponte di Mezzo, located here since 1035 and rebuilt a few times since.  The original Roman bridge that preceded it crossed the river on the street next to the eight building on the right.  6:52PM, 23 July, iPhone 6 Plus.