Nice surprises on the way

There was a practical reason for us to sail to Corsica on our way east. It is of course a beautiful island, but we also needed to replenish our gas bottles for cooking. Unfortunately, there is no European standard for gas bottles. Because Fabule was built in France, we can only exchange our old bottles for new ones in French territory. While waiting for favorable winds to get us there, we discovered the surprising personality of Mahon.

Megaliths

During our stay, we explored the remains of a prehistoric settlement. Specific to Menorca and Majorca, the most visible feature of the talayotic culture is megalithism (large stone blocks placed vertically). The taulas (stones arranged in the shape of a T) were used for rituals and celebrations.

Additional characteristics are the talayots (stone domes whose functionality has yet to be discovered) and communal burial tombs (navetes).

Trepuco, one of the archelogical sites, is within walking distance from Mahon.

Each conqueror leaves its mark

Perched on top of the rock, the old town of Mahon is a maze of alleys and buildings reflecting the influences of the successive conquerors.

Mahon was the scene of many battles for influence in the Mediterranean. Pirates took advantage of the strategic location of the Balearic Islands to raid Roman commerce. In reaction, the Romans invaded Menorca. It was later part of the Islamic Moorish rule, then reconquered by the Crown of Aragon. But only after the British and the French occupied the island as well, was it finally made part of Spain again. This interesting mix resulted in a unique cultural identity, including a dialect that combines French and Catalan.

Fun fact: Duc de Richelieu (grandson of the cardinal) grew fond of a delicious sauce made from egg and olive oil (called “aioli Bo” in Menorca). He popularized it with the court of King Louis XV in France and renamed it Mahonnaise.

Sail to the snowy mountains of Corsica

When the northerly Tramontane stopped blowing, we set sails for a sunny crossing to Ajaccio on the west coast of Corsica (2 days and 2 nights).

To get us there, our captain had to strategize a little to make the most out of the SE winds that varied in direction and intensity over the course of these 240 nautical miles. We were clause hauled all the time, but fortunately, there was only little swell.

This crossing had 2 beautiful surprises in store for us. The first fine moment happened during the night, when we saw a long trail of bioluminescent jellyfish in the wake of Fabule. Surrounded by nothing else but a starry night, it was magical.

The second highlight happened at the end, when approaching Corsica while the sun was rising behind the island and getting closer to the magnificent snowy peaks when approaching Ajaccio.