David's Diary: Friday, June 7, 2002

Calvi Citadel

Yesterday, there was a big storm in Calvi. Gale force winds threw Dragonsinger around, even though we were tied to the dock. And pouring rain meant that we were all forced to have an idle day. The forced idleness was good for us as we spent the day in bed, reading and relaxing, with occasional timeouts to play cards or a game of chess.

Today is still very windy, but the sun is out and we want to explore the Citadel together as a family. Jocelyn, Kevin, and Allen show the way as they have been there once before. We follow along the harbour breakwater before heading uphill on a tiny track that leads to the Citadel walls. We walk through a narrow tunnel, up some stairs, and we are inside the Citadel wandering the narrow streets.

St-Jean Baptiste Cathedral

We walk by the St-Jean Baptiste Cathedral. Despite its somewhat dilapidated appearance outside, we know from the children that it is a wonderful interior. We walk up the steps leading to the Cathedral and enter the tiny door.

Inside Cathedral

Before us lies a beautiful light-colored nave leading to the main altar which dates from the 17th century. The church itself was built in the 13th century and then rebuilt in 1570. Calvi's seafaring past is obvious in the Cathedral's decoration which includes many models of ships.

Harbour Views

We continue our exploration going up and down narrow streets and stairs. The pastel colored buildings stand out against the bright blue sky. We plan to return to this spot tonight because we are going to celebrate the end of school with a special dinner out. The bright yellow doors on the left mark the tiny restaurant where we plan to have dinner.

Nighttime in Calvi

As the sun sets over Calvi we dress up for dinner. We walk around the harbour once more and take in the bright lights with the spire of Église Ste. Marie in the background. The wind is still blowing, but we'll snuggle up around the dinner table as we celebrate the end of the school year and the start of summer holidays.