In the morning, Michelle goes for another jog along the long beach at Calvi, I do my strength training and gymnastics – and then we take a last swim together, shower in the harbour building and set off for Monaco: It had been my long-cherished wish to sail into the central marina of Monaco, moor, dress up smartly and gamble away ten euros in the casino with the natural beauty Michelle by my side…
On the way, we encounter another swarm of dolphins and even discover one of those buoys that measure and transmit temperature, wind, current and wave data. We also spot some suspicious black packages wrapped in cellophane that have either been lost or not yet collected … We arrive right on target at the entrance to Monaco’s marina – and find it very busy: yachts, sailing ships and sleek boats sail in and out with beautifully dressed people on board, like something out of a picture book. Somehow, there seems to be an event going on, a regatta perhaps? The whole atmosphere, with the waving flags, the music and loudspeaker announcements (which no one understands) and the constant information coming over the radio, is beguiling. And the extremely dense construction immediately behind the harbour, stretching up the slopes and hills all around, is not only impressive but downright overwhelming.
First, we refuel; I need some petrol. Then I ask by radio where we can moor and spend the night. The answer is harsh: no space, go away. – My dream is over.
On to Nice… We enter the beautiful marina, moor opposite the harbour inspectorate, go into the office – and are sent away just the same. Everything is full!
But now I’ve followed up, explained our situation. And hey, we’ve been helped – with a call to the harbour office of the neighbouring municipality of “Villefranche sur Mer”, they found a free space and were able to register us there straight away. So we head back towards Monaco but turn off into an inconspicuous-looking bay in between, and soon moor in this charming harbour. We are expected at the harbour office, where we are given the codes for the toilets and showers, and we can finally relax.
At our quay, we meet Peter and Sue from England, who have also been sent here because everything is full due to a boat show in Nice – they are actually considering buying a new yacht. They are tired of their current yacht, which is over 20 metres long and offers a certain level of comfort … They still have a lot of plans and, with age, their demands are also increasing!
(Unfortunately, the photo with them has disappeared, so instead, here is the ArgoFram, looking a little tired and abandoned.) – The rest is quickly told: Michelle gets to wear one of her beautiful dresses again, I have a beautiful companion by my side once more, and the mild climate of the Côte d’Azur does the rest for a successful romantic evening along the promenade.