We awoke to near-flat calm seas this morning, with cirrus clouds catching the colors of another gorgeous Mediterranean sunrise. The seas remained calm enough for the captain and crew to set the full sails, creating a stunning opportunity for us to experience a photo safari. The quiet seas also allowed for tours in the engine room, a unique time capsule.
Sea Cloud repositioned alongside in the port of Bastia, surrounded by international ferries and nineteenth century architecture. Some of us selected a tour by coach to visit the stunning Cap Corse, a 40-kilometer stretch of rocky peninsula that provides views of the area's exceptionally beautiful, geologically unique, and unspoiled stretch of coast. Others opted for a walking tour through Bastia’s quaint, but lively, cobbled streets. Highlights included passing through the Church of St. Jean-Baptiste whose two towers rise over the Old Port, walking along the steadfast walls of Bastia's centuries-old citadel featuring intact ramparts constructed by the Genoese, and examining paintings inside of the Cathedral of St. Marie, which in the year 200 was listed as a historical monument by the French Ministry of Culture.
Our day concluded aboard Sea Cloud with a barbeque buffet (featuring pizza!). After dinner, the crew donned maritime-themed sailor attire to become the Sea Cloud Sea Shanty Singers, singing witty and hilarious sea shanties. The festivities ended with a disco dance party, as we began our nighttime traverse across the Tyrrhenian Sea.
