We set sail after breakfast for mainland France, the area near the French Riviera; the original plan was to finish up in St. Tropez, but since everyone was making flight connections out of Nice we decided to end up closer to there.
It was an easy passage, one more overnighter which seemed a nice way to end our 5 week adventure. We arrived at the harbour in Ville Franche in the morning, there was some traffic about but we made our way to the anchorage without any problems.
It was close to lunch time when we went ashore, Fred and I stopped off for a couple beers before he headed to Nice by train to find a hotel for the next few days before his flight home. I walked around the town for a while and met up with Arvil and Marita at one of the bars where they had a good wifi signal. Shortly Bob joined us and once we finished with the internet he and I went on a search for a restaurant for our final crew dinner. The town is built on the side of a hill; the streets were narrow and steep flanked by the faded pastel buildings we have become accustomed to seeing. Like most of the stops we have made this is a place I might want to come back to someday to explore and get to know my way around; but there is only so much time and so many beautiful places in the world I know it most likely won’t happen.







Some views of the streets

We decided on a small restaurant up the hill a few streets back from the waterfront. They had a few fixed price offerings which some of is chose while the others ordered of the menu. The food was OK and the wine flowed; we reminisced about the places we had been, it was sad to be leaving in the morning but after five weeks everyone was ready. Back on board we had some nightcaps and more conversation, plans were made to get to the airport in Nice and then it was one last night on the shelf (Skyelark has bunk beds in the forward cabins) before heading back to reality.



The buildings reflect on the calm water in the morning sun

Bob had an early flight, and Arv and Marita had a lot of luggage so they made arrangements for a taxi to the airport. After dropping them off Dan came back for Fred and I, Jim joined us for breakfast in town while Fred opted to go straight to Nice. After breakfast Dan and Jim helped me get my bags to the train station and I was off. The train takes you to Nice and there is a bus stop right outside the station to go to the airport, it’s all very easy.
My flight to Istanbul was on time and uneventful; I took the Havartis bus to Taksim stopped for a late lunch at one of the cafes near there (no alcohol being served since it is Ramadan) and then got a taxi for the trip to my hotel.
I found a nice place in the old city, directly across the street from Hagia Sofia, it had good reviews on the internet and was priced under $70 a night. I checked in and then took a nice long shower before heading out for the night. The restaurants were very busy, I guess because many people had been fasting during the day. There was a bandstand set up outside the Blue Mosque with local entertainment; the whole area had a nice vibe to it, just a lot of people having fun.
The next morning I had breakfast at the hotel, which is included in the room; I met an Australian couple and a gentleman form the US, we talked a bit while we ate. Once finished I headed straight over to the Blue Mosque and got there just in time as I went straight in and within a few minutes the crowds of day trippers started lining up. This is one of the top sites in Istanbul, famous for the blue tiles decorating the inside, but I think the Hagia Sofia was more interesting.



The Blue Mosque



The domes of the mosque decorated with ornate tiles

Afterwards I made my way to the spice market and loaded up on Turkish Delight and also some spices and pomegranate tea to bring home. I stopped off at one of the many kabob restaurants in the area for a quick lunch and then took the tram back to the hotel to avoid walking up hill in the midday sun.



Tea sets and spice grinders on display in the spice bazaar

I decided to treat myself to a nice dinner on my final day so I made reservations at the hotel restaurant. It turned out to be a good choice as the lamb shank I ordered was one of the best I’ve ever had and I finally got to try lamb brains as a starter, washed down with a bottle of wine it was a great end to this trip. I spent the rest of the evening walking the area stopping off for a beer and some raki before heading back to get some rest before my early airport transfer.
The trip back to Toronto was uneventful; the airlines misplaced my bag but it showed up about a week later, thankfully so because it had not only all the tee shirts I bought on this trip but also many of my tee shirts from previous trips which I wouldn’t be able to replace. I skipped the Mega Bus ride home and rented a car one way instead, this got me back about 3 hours sooner than if I had taken the bus so it was worth the extra cost.
All in all it was really a great trip, my head spins when I try to think of all the places we’d been and the many fascinating things we’ve seen. The crew was great, everyone got along well; being on a boat together for 5 weeks can be challenging; and best of all I finally got to meet Fred, I have a feeling that we will sail together again one of these days.
Thanks everyone for your kind comments, I hope you enjoyed the reports and photos as much as I did putting them together. I saw something the other day that said “most of the people who died today had plans for tomorrow”; so don’t let life pass you by, travel enjoy the world, live your dreams! And if you ever see me on a beach or in a bar somewhere stop and say hello.
Cheers, Sammy



Our route