I went on a slow adventure at sea at 54 and it gave me a new perspective
It’s 7am in the morning and I’m up earlier than I normally would be on holiday, holding the warrior pose with all my might. Virabhadrasana is challenging at the best of times, but it’s absolutely no mean feat when you’re standing on the front deck of a four-masted sailing ship bouncing its way over the glittering waters of the Mediterranean.
That said, I find myself enjoying the added challenge to my equilibrium created by the vessel’s motion, as well as the lungfuls of super-oxygenated sea air I’m inhaling as I perform the conscious pranayama breathing that is an integral part of the practice of yoga.
I’m aboard tall ship, the Star Clipper, between Monaco and Corsica – part of a much-needed chance to slow down and re-evaulate after a challenging few years that have knocked me off balance and left me with a weight of sadness. This cruise interested me partly for its sustainability. Whenever possible, and certainly for the vast majority of our trip, this ship sails under full sail, with the engines off. And even when they are on, they run on very pure, high-quality low-sulphur gas oil that has earned Star Clippers as a cruise line the International Air Pollution Prevention Certificate.
Star Clippers now also actively encourages its guests to slow down in other ways; my trip included a trip on Eurostar from London to Paris, then a Ouigo (French low-cost train service that includes TGVs) down to Cannes. This gave me the opportunity to stop in the French capital for a decadent lunch at the iconic Le Train Bleu restaurant at my departure station, the Gare de Lyon.
In Cannes, meanwhile, I spent a restful night at the family-run Villa d’Estelle, just a few steps from the beach, before taking a fantastic food tour of the city with Riviera Bar Crawl, packing in a vast array of local specialities at the covered market and various restaurants and shops: bouillabaisse, socca, courgette beignets, olives, pissaladière, tarteauxblettes, croissants, cakes, macarons, Menton lemons in the form of limoncello shots and lemon pesto, and truffle products at Signorini Tarfufi.
Slow travel is all about immersing yourself in a destination and learning about local culture and food while taking the environment into account, so all of this was the perfect prelude to life aboard the ship and the destinations it took us to. Exact routes on Star Clippers’ Cannes–Rome sailings do vary, but all include stops in Corsica, an island I fell head over heels in love with.
Once you’ve moored in a destination, you’re free to go off exploring under your own steam, or even just stay on the ship and take in the lovely views from a poolside lounger. I opted instead for one of the tours organised by Star Clippers, led by a charming local lady and including visits to Corsica’s Balagne region: its hilltop villages of Montemaggiore, where we drank feistily sour fresh lemon juice and sweeter clementine juice in an authentic local bar, and Pigna with its gorgeous rustic architecture.
The scents of Corsica beguiled me, swathed as the inland is in maquis – a fragrant evergreen underbrush including many plants endemic to the island, and dotted by ancient cork oaks and olive trees. You walk past rock roses, prickly pears and immortelles, furry-shelled almonds crunching underfoot as red-tailed kites swirl overhead. It’s another world – a place where time seems to stand still.
Life onboard proves similarly idyllic. I love going to sleep rocked by the water. My cabin is a little haven - small but well designed, with plenty of storage and a porthole that lures me out of bed to watch the sunrise before getting ready for yoga. Food (included; drinks are extra) consists of a copious buffet breakfast including an omelette station, a big lunch spread, and à la carte dinners. It’s good if not outstanding, with lots of fresh fuit and vegetables (as a cruise virgin, I can’t compare it with other operators). The best meal of the trip is an off-menu order of beef satay requested in the knowledge that the head chef is Indonesian.
I love dancing beneath the stars (there’s a DJ among the onboard entertainment) and I love sailing out of Monaco by night, watching the glittering lights of the principality that I’ve just spent an afternoon exploring. One night there is also a light show on the masts, with the sails glowing blue, pink and green in turn.
I wimp out of the opportunity to climb to the 'crow’s nest' (when you get up close, it looks much higher than from a distance!) but I do jump at the chance to fling myself into one of the nets at the front of the ship. And as I do, I remind myself that sometimes it can be fun to wobble and even to lose your balance, that losing control can mean not plummeting to your doom but relaxing and going with the flow.
You can experience Star Clipper on Good Housekeeping's nine-day Costa Rica and Panama adventure in January, February and March 2024.
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