I prefer to write in the morning and then paddle, but it’s getting so hot around midday that I decided to do a split day. A cool, refreshing wind was blowing from the north and once I’d crossed the bay, it was downwind time. Small, steep waves suit this boat best, it takes less energy to catch the waves and you can paddle over the top of the next wave easily. These conditions were perfect, the best I’ve had in Italy, and I just surfed for the next 20km.

I’m still in Campania, but as I paddled around Punta Licosa it felt like I’d entered another country, the landscape craggy and wild, mountains stretching south on the horizon. This is the Italy I came here for. I find it funny how tourists all flock to places like the Amalfi coast, leaving places like this deserted, although I’m not complaining.

The wind died and the heat became stifling, so I came ashore and lay in the shade of the forest, meaning to write my blog. Lizards scampered around me on the bed of dusty dry leaves, and the scent of pine and eucalyptus soon sent me to sleep. Although I wanted to camp here I didn’t have enough water for the night, so when I woke I shook off my grogginess with a swim and then set off again, the air cooler now.

Restocked with water, I crossed the bay from Acciaroli in the setting sun, and camped on a little pebbly beach.

Thanks to Louis for asking what technology I use to write these blogs. From Cherbourg to Genoa all the pics were taken on my phone, but I bought an Olympus TG-5 camera for this leg, which is much easier to take photos with on the water. I then have to transfer all the pics to my phone, compress them, and upload them individually to WordPress – this takes a while. I use the WordPress app on my phone, and typing on this is slow too, but I like to take my time and reflect as I write. I need good mobile signal to upload the posts, which I often don’t have, and I hope I won’t return to a huge bill from O2 (can you check this please mum!?).

My phone is nothing fancy, I break them far too often for that, but its battery lasts a day. There’s a few other things that need charging (heart rate monitor, GPS watch, camera, GoPro, VHF) and everything else runs on batteries (head-torch, GPS tracker, glucose monitors).

There’s no room for a solar panel on my boat, but I could definitely use one on land. In a few of months time it wouldn’t be that effective though, so I just carry 4 power packs that I recharge whenever I can, and these can easily power me for a week. Since my dexcom relies on my phone, it’s pretty important I never run out!

If anyone has any other questions, please ask them in the comments section.

Diabetes

I felt so much better today with decent blood sugars. A bit high overnight (will increase levemir from 3 to 4 tomorrow) and then had to snack a lot during day (decrease levemir from 3 to 2 tomorrow). Slowly weaning myself off carbs.