Sailing & Nice 2025
During the autumn holidays, we set off on a new adventure. Marco had been sailing a few years ago, but Freddy and our little caterpillar had never been before.
We took the train from Genoa to Imperia. Our friends picked us up there and we drove together to Porto Marina degli Aregai. After unloading, we first had to go shopping to stock up on supplies for the next few days.
As we arrived at the harbour later than planned and the sea was very choppy, we spent the first night on the boat in the harbour. This was actually quite good for us, as it gave us time to get used to the boat and the limited space.
They enjoyed the solid ground beneath your their for a little while longer
Luckily, it wasn’t Marco’s turn to read the map
We all slept very well the first night. As our little caterpillar was an early riser as usual, we left the boat so as not to wake the others. Fortunately, there was a small bar in the harbour where we had breakfast with cappuccino and brioche. The little one had a cup of milk foam.
After lunch, it was finally time to cast off. No sooner had we left the harbour than it became quite rough. The sea was still very choppy and almost all of us felt a little queasy. So we had no choice but to sit on deck in the wind. The little caterpillar fell asleep after a while and didn’t wake up until shortly before we arrived in the harbour of Bordighera. As two more people joined us, we spent another night in the harbour.
Cast off!
An evening stroll and admiring the art in the harbour
The left one was our sailing boat
Preparing a birthday cake for Luca
As the cake had turned out a bit too dry, it was dipped in rum. It tasted delicious.
We left the boat again early in the morning to take a short walk into town and let the others sleep. Our little caterpillar walked diligently with us and marvelled at every seagull and pigeon.
We left the harbour around midday. The sea was quite calm today. Nevertheless, there was enough wind. Compared to the first day, it was really nice to sail today. This time, everyone was able to enjoy it. Our little caterpillar also played diligently on the floor and practised keeping her balance. She even got to shower her feet in the spray.
In the late afternoon, we reached the bay of Beaulieu-sur-Mer. We dropped anchor at Cap Ferrat, as we could stay here overnight sheltered from the wind. The boat rocked a little more than in the harbour, which was great for falling asleep.
Skyline of Monaco
In the morning, three more of our friends came ashore with the small dinghy. We had a light breakfast there, and while the three of us played on the beach, the others walked around the peninsula. I decided to swim back to the boat from the beach. Our little caterpillar wasn’t too keen on the idea. When we got to the boat, others decided to swim too. Marco took his GoPro camera with him into the water.
After swimming, we set off towards the Lérins Islands.
Despite the headwind, we made good progress and reached the Lérins Islands in the early afternoon. We dropped anchor off the island of St. Marguerite. Together, we rowed to the islands and strolled around the island for a while. We looked at the grounds of the former state prison, Fort Royal. The most famous prisoner was the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask, who was held there from 1687 to 1698. His identity remains unclear to this day and continues to give rise to speculation
On the island of St. Marguerite
We rowed back a bit earlier than planned because our little one needed to have dinner. Shortly after we arrived at the sailing boat, we were surprised to spot a pod of dolphins swimming past. What an experience.
The next morning, it was time to say goodbye. Marco, our little caterpillar and I left the boat. We were dropped off at St. Marguerite. From there, we took the ferry to the mainland to Cannes. The three of us were very sad that our time on the boat was already over.
From Cannes, we took the train to Nice.
Nice
In Nice, we first walked to the hotel, which was fortunately very close to the train station. After a short break and to pack, we set off for the old town. Nice has a beautiful old town centre with lots of small, unique shops rather than big chains. We strolled leisurely through the narrow streets and enjoyed an ice cream. Our little one trotted along happily with us. When we reached the beach, we settled down and our little one immediately started playing enthusiastically with all the pebbles. I left Marco and the little caterpillar on the beach and wandered through the old town’s alleyways on my own once more.
Later, the sun came out again and the three of us decided to take another dip in the sea. Despite the chilly water temperature, the little caterpillar played happily in the water.
On the way back, we picked up a light evening meal. The travelling had worn us all out today, so we all went to bed early. For breakfast, we found a small bar in the centre and then took another stroll through the old town. In the late afternoon, our train took us back to Genoa.
