Robbins Ramblings: Ajaccio, Napoleon's birthplace.

Ajaccio is only a small town but as the ship approaches through the small harbour one get superb views.

The ship's captain in his morning announcement promised us a fine day with temperatures hitting 30C. As we caught the open top bus, for a tour of the town and the nearby La Parata National Park, the sun was shining brightly and it was already getting quite warm. The route took us out of the town and past the area that Napoleon went to school that now houses a monument to the Emperor.

As we continued towards the National Park the wind began to rise and the sky began to cloud over, perhaps the captain had been wrong. Les Iles Sanguinaires are located here and are reminiscent of the Needles stretching out into the sea. Their name is derived from the red colour of the islands at sunset and they contain lighthouses and watchtowers that have protected Corsica for generations.

The tour continued past the Cathedral and Napoleon birthplace and returned to the stop near the market. After a wander through the shops we returned to the ship for lunch.

The weather was now beginning to look a little threatening but I decided to venture out once more to get some more photos, declining Sylvia's advice to take a cagoule with me. This was a decision that I almost came to regret as on my way back to the ship it commenced to thunder, rolling around the mountains that surround the town. Suddenly the heavens opened just as I was passing by an umbrella shop, but by the time I had purchased one the rain had ceased. The short shower had cleared the air and the temperature started once again to rise and the sun emerged from behind the clouds, perhaps the captain was right!

We were due to set sail at fiveish but with the sail away party in full swing the captain informed us that there was a problem with one of the engines. This required a full safety check which would take a minimum of two hours to carry out.