Detto fatto. Carichiamo i kayak ed in tre ore siamo a Marinella di Sarzana, sulla costa toscana: la nostra meta finale è l'Isola della Palmaria, di fronte alla bella cittadina di Portovenere, propaggine meridionale delle famose Cinque Terre.
Come spesso succede, la fortuna arride agli audaci.
Ha piovuto tutte le notti e la luna piena ha fatto capolino tra le nuvole nere soltanto una volta.
Ma durante il giorno è sempre uscito il sole, un timido sole autunnale che ci ha fatto dimenticare la pioggia.
Il sole ha riscaldato le nostre escursioni intorno all'isola, una a piedi lungo un sentiero definito pericoloso dai cartelli della Riserva Naturale, ed una in kayak alla riscoperta di panorami familiari ma sempre diversi: nel nostro girovagare abbiamo incrociato il cammino di capre selvatiche, fagiani e lepri; gli unici animali molesti sono ancora una volta i gabbiani reali, con quel loro stridio acuto che perfora i timpani di prima mattina.
Solo quando rientravamo al campo base nel tardo pomeriggio, il sole si ritirava dietro una cortina di goccioline leggere; come lui, anche noi ci chiudevamo in tenda.
Un giorno, però, si è attardato fin quasi al tramonto e ci ha persino lasciato montare l'amaca tra i rami contorti dei pini marittimi. E' stato quando Mauro ha detto: "Mi carico la pipa e per dieci minuti entro nella letteratura. Faccio il vecchio ed il mare"!
Risultato: quattro giorni rilassanti, tre notti piovose, due isole incantevoli ed uno scoglio disabitato.
Poco più di 40km per un lungo fine settimana all'insegna del riposo.
Perché anche i dannati del kayak amano prendersela comoda.
Ogni tanto.
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Ready to paddle...
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| First exercises with my new GPS... |
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| The land of wild goats... |
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| Our magical hotel! |
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| Long sweet breakfast... |
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| We respect (almost) all the rulls... |
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| A curious entrance to the beach club |
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| A walk around the island of Palmaria... |
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| Portovenere: the view form the land... |
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| ... and from the sea! |
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| Last paddling moments... |
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| On the way back... |
Mauro: "Well, I took two days' holiday: let's go anyway!"
So we pack the kayaks and drive for three hours to reach Marinella of Sarzana, on the Tuscan coast, trailing destination the Island of Palmaria, near teh beautiful village of Portovenere, the southern limit of the famous world heritage site of Cinque Terre.
As it often happens, the Fortune smiles to audacious people.
It was rained every night, the full moon appeared only once among the black clouds, but during the day there often was the sun, a timid autumnal sun that helped us to forgot the rain.
The sun warm up our excursions around the island, first one by foot along a path defined dangerous and the second one in kayak to rediscovery a familiar landscape, always different.
Only when we came back to the base camp in the late afternoon, the sun drew back a curtain of light shower; and we receover as well into the tents.
One day, however, the sun resists until the sunset time and let us put the hammock among the twisted branches of the maritime pines. It was when Mauro said: "I prepare my pipe and for ten minutes I enter into the literature. I'm getting The Old Man and The Sea!"
Final result: four relaxing days, three rainy nights, two enchanting islands and one uninhabited rock-cliff. Bit more than 20nm for a long relaxing weekend. Because also the so called "damned of sea kayak" love to take it easy. Sometimes.
So we pack the kayaks and drive for three hours to reach Marinella of Sarzana, on the Tuscan coast, trailing destination the Island of Palmaria, near teh beautiful village of Portovenere, the southern limit of the famous world heritage site of Cinque Terre.
As it often happens, the Fortune smiles to audacious people.
It was rained every night, the full moon appeared only once among the black clouds, but during the day there often was the sun, a timid autumnal sun that helped us to forgot the rain.
The sun warm up our excursions around the island, first one by foot along a path defined dangerous and the second one in kayak to rediscovery a familiar landscape, always different.
Only when we came back to the base camp in the late afternoon, the sun drew back a curtain of light shower; and we receover as well into the tents.
One day, however, the sun resists until the sunset time and let us put the hammock among the twisted branches of the maritime pines. It was when Mauro said: "I prepare my pipe and for ten minutes I enter into the literature. I'm getting The Old Man and The Sea!"
Final result: four relaxing days, three rainy nights, two enchanting islands and one uninhabited rock-cliff. Bit more than 20nm for a long relaxing weekend. Because also the so called "damned of sea kayak" love to take it easy. Sometimes.
Meravigliosi posti,il tuo racconto poi, fa si ,da sentirsi direttamente dentro la storia. Complimenti
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