Category: Around Europe
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Hitch-hiking to Genoa: Day 1
If you’re just joining this blog, last summer I kayaked from near Cherbourg to Genoa. The trip came to an abrupt end when I had some issues with my heart. Since then, all I’ve wanted is to start the adventure again. A couple of weeks ago my cardiologist said I could. I’ve found these seven…
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Lyme Bay: The Road to Recovery
Award winning director Rupert Murray launched this documentary to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the Lyme Bay Marine Protected Area in 2020. It tells the success story of Lyme Bay and provides hope for the future.
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Lyme Bay – a model marine protected area.
It’s difficult to be optimistic when faced with endless reports of overfishing, pollution and rising sea temperatures. For a change, here is a success story: the Lyme Bay marine protected area. The problem Back in 1988 scientists identified that the marine life in Lyme Bay was of international importance – the reefs providing a habitat…
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Day 53: Varazze to Genoa
Something happened in the hospital which I found quite amusing. It was 11 am and I hadn’t eaten apart from a bread roll and an oily broth the evening before. I injected some insulin thinking I’d get some food if my sugar levels were going down. When I asked the nurse for something to eat,…
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Update 19/10/21
Just a quick update to let everyone know I’m safe and out of the hospital. I spent the night there and was eventually released today at around 2.30 pm. I imagined the trip was over and thought about what I’d do next in life. It was a good opportunity. They picked up on the same…
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Day 52 – Noli to Varazze
I slept on the beach and had a slice of pizza for breakfast, which if I’m honest, was pretty average. It was a standard morning and I felt normal when I left just after 11, with the aim of getting to Genoa. I took a direct line, out past a container ship, so was about…
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Day 51: San Bartolomeo al Mare to Noli
San Bartolomeo was my first step onto Italian soil, since I didn’t leave the marina in Ventimiglia. I explored the town and went shopping, excited by the new choice of food, even if it was just a supermarket. Still, I’d never tried dried kiwi before today! I cooked up some gnocchi and camped next to…
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Day 50: Ventimiglia to San Bartolomeo al Mare
I slept in a cosy little cubbyhole in the middle of the boat. When I woke, there was a fresh breeze whistling over the mast, and the boat rocked gently. I sipped a coffee and listened to everyone talk. The Italian language is so beautiful, I could listen to it all day. There’s so much…
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Day 49: Nice to Ventimiglia
I had a day off paddling in Nice, mostly spent thinking things through. I met Virginie and the manager of the watersports centre who gave me coffee, food and a bed in the centre for the night. Also, a clean T-shirt, which I took as a hint that mine probably stinks! Many thanks for looking…
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Day 48: Ile Saint Honorat to Nice
Ile Saint Honorat is only 1.5km long and 400 metres wide. Incredibly it has been home to a monastic community since the year 410, when Saint Honoratus settled there. Today 30 Cistercian monks live in the monastery and produce wine from the vineyards of the island. I walked around this peaceful, beautiful place and thought…