Saturday, October 12 - Day 32 - Porto Pollo for lunch!

 Today dawned bright and beautiful. We both were up at 6:30 as the first light of dawn began to show itself over the hill above us.  As we drank our morning tea we watched the daybreak progress with wonder. Surely among the most wonderful aspects of our current Airbnb is the sunrise/sunset extravaganzas, though nowhere do these feature in the listing online.  We will be sure to mention them in our review - which will be FIVE STAR!!  This place is so private and tranquil - the scene over the Mediterranean is obviously the big draw, but we've found the gorge that is directly in front of us is itself gorgeous. And it is home to many songbirds that fill the day with beautiful music.

We had a slow morning - primarily getting caught up on the blog, but Deb also posting some pictures to Emily and the EA gang.  We also received photos from her (via Facebook and Instagram) of their day out at a local pumpkin farm that Deb had funded as Will's birthday gift.  We're finding that you have to pace yourself on an extended trip of the kind we've embarked upon -full-tilt sightseeing day after day can be tiring! So we've mastered the art of slow starts, early finishes, and lots of enjoyment packed in between the two!!

Around 11am, after breakfast and our showers, we finally got rolling.  We wanted to get to our lovely little local boulangerie and cafe before it closed for the day at 1pm, so we could pick up a baguette and Deb could get some cookies.  We then headed to Porto Pollo where Deb had spotted some "made in Corsica" flip-flops at a boating store on the marina.  Unfortunately, the store was closed for the weekend. 

It took some asking around and false starts, but finally we found the faded yellow mailbox in the wall beside the gas station so Deb could drop off some postcards.

We spent some time wandering around the lovely small marina and watching the little fish school around in the crystal clear water.  They were beautiful and you really don't need to snorkel to see colorful fish here!

We had read that the beach at Porto Pollo was the best in the area for bathing, especially with kids, because of its sheltered location.  We exited the marina onto the beach and found that this was no understatement - the beach had nice, packed, and firm sand for walking and there was just a little ripple of wave action.  Several women were swimming as we walked the length of the beach and back, and our initial plan was to return to our little spot and change into swim gear.  The water is cool but not unswimmably so - and once your feet got used to the temperature, you really didn't notice the cold.

 

   

             

Our plan for swimming ran aground when Munroe saw the menu of "The Golfe Hotel" whose restaurant seated diners right next to the marina.  Their menu featured a 'fish of the day' and we decided that swimming could wait.  After much consideration over the platter of available fish, we selected a Pagres, caught locally, for the two of us to share. We sipped white (Deb) and rose (Munroe) wine as we waited, and enjoyed toasted baguette slices with olive oil and a delicious fish pate.  Something to try once we're back home!

Before too long our fish arrived on a platter, along with VERY creamy whipped mashed potatoes (think about 1/2 butter and 1/2 potatoes), a delicious ratatouille, and water. Another glass of rose, please!  

The waiter very carefully fileted the fish and served it on each of our plates.  The meal was wonderful - the company superb - and the setting magical.  A splurge, but one of very few thus far on our journey - and we're nearing the halfway point.

We spent well over an hour and a halft's a good savoring this wonderfufl meal and all the associated sights and sounds.  We got complimented on our French by the waiter, who once again spoke less English than we did French.  That's a good sign that we're making progress - but also indicates that we're off the beaten tourist trail here!  Not sure which is more responsible!  We had to come straigh 'home' and Deb has her feet up reading while I get this down while it is all fresh in our minds!

There is a boat rental agency at the harbor that might rent a small 4-person boat with a 6 hp motor to those without any sailing credentials. Unfortunately, they were closed today but if they're open tomorrow (and the weather is as nice as it is today) then we would probably take the boat out for 3 hours (1/2 day).  That would be great fun and a nice way to get another perspective on this glorious area. 

 

The rest of the day was quiet and restful as we enjoyed the afterglow of our wonderful lunch!  In the evening we read our books and for dinner simply snacked on our delicious baguette - Deb had goat cheese (chevre) and Munroe enjoyed some Corsican pate.  As in previous evenings, we were treated to a glorious sunset.  The following sequence of shots - taken a couple minutes apart - cannot begin to do justice to the majesty of the scene, but it captures something of it! This is one of the few places in the world where we've found sunsets to match the ones we enjoy at home in Hamburg!