The gods were smiling on us as we were able to motor into the difficult to visit, beautiful harbor of Bonifacio. The brilliant white limestone cliffs rose up on either side of us as we glided in. The channel is not much wider than Sea Cloud and one felt that you could almost reach out and touch the cliff face.
We began with a drive through the beautiful Corsican countryside of Macchia, a dense undergrowth of myriad plants and shrub trees. Our first stop this morning was the small village of Sartène. There we enjoyed the pleasures of a small village and sampled some of the local traditional pastries.
After lunch, we visited the citadel of Bonifacio which sits as a massive sentinel atop the cliffs. We took a small train to reach the pinnacle and once there, we had a great guided tour of this wonderous place. Among other famous people who have come from Bonifacio is the Bonaparte family. Napoleon’s family settled in this city centuries earlier and he himself lived here in 1793. The medieval character is still evident in the small narrow lanes and tunnels that connect streets.
Dinner was on the lido deck, and we were in awe as the crew had to turn Sea Cloud in a 360- degree arc in order to leave. Sea Cloud was just shy of the width of the channel, and it was an astonishing and graceful departure.
