What's on
Another year has begun! If New Year’s Day was spent paddling, then it’s only natural we’ll spend the rest of the year likewise!
In the beginning of January we came back from our winter trip to Sardinia, spending two weeks paddling along the eastern seaboard of the island from Olbia to Villasimius.
It was a marvellous way to spend the holidays with family!

We couldn’t let January pass by without another small trip: a weekend at Palmaria
to celebrate the 62 moons of the Man of Iron (62, nothing less!). It was enjoyable, adventurous and fortuitous: the sea and winds were favourable awarding us with unforgettable days.

The start of a new canoeing year couldn’t have been more promising: towards the end of the month from the 22 to the 28th, Tatiana will once again return to Wales to follow her long time friend Trenk Mueller’s course for Level 3 coach (second part in April). The biggest attraction is the location: the highly acclaimed Plas y Brenin activity sports centre.

Then from the month of March, Tatiyak is introducing, for the first time in Italy,
the BCU 3 Star courses. They will be held in various cities in Italy in keeping with the itinerant nature of our school. There are still a few places available: if interested, make your mind up! The language of instruction for the entire course and written material is in Italian although you might come across English terms such as briefing, contact-tow or edging... 

Kayaking snioppets
I’m always feeling cold both ashore and afloat. Those who know me are aware of
the Arctic sleeping bag and the fleecy pyjama... yet I always wake up with frozen feet!
Mauro has come up with a simple but effective way to keep the feet warm when out paddling:
a pair of soles, made out of nylon, 1 millimetre thick, inserted in the paddling shoes.
I bought a sheet of nylon, cut the soles out to fit and... hey presto!
They are an isolating barrier both from the cold and rocky surfaces. They can get wet without producing smelly feet and can be made to fit any type of paddling shoe wear. In addition they’re cheap to produce and recyclable – a simple way to always have warm feet.

Call of the Inuit
We got to know Robert Peroni through the writings of Ottorino Tosti. He has recently published, in Italy, his latest book with stories of the Inuit people. The title is so evocative: “My second life amongst the people of the ice”. The author, originally from Alto Adige has, for the past thirty years, been living in Tasillaq, eastern Greenland. Robert narrates, among other things, how even when you think that you’ve arrived, you will never get to your destination... The presentation of his book was held in Milan in October 2013, unfortunately I was unable to attend. However I bought the book as it became available and I was happy to publish a synopsis. It’s an excellent read especially during these ‘cold’ winter Mediterranean months.

Over the horizon

Sardinia has remained close to our heart and we’re going to talk about it again.
We had already completed the passage from Arzachena to Alghero in the summer of 2006 and then the coast from Alghero to Cagliari during the winter 2006-2007: we wanted to return not only to complete the circumnavigation but also to enjoy and admire the extraordinary beauty of the second largest island in the Mediterranean. This short film by Erin and Mike egged us on to make the trip: rough seas and strong wind. Justine Curgenven’s film, inserted in her
“This is the Sea 5” DVD pays homage to Sardinia: we still have a few copies for sale,
it would be worthwhile to see the eight kayaking voyages one by one...