SLOW TRAVEL - RAIL & SAIL CANNES - AJACCIO

When I stepped off the train in Cannes and was in the hotel lobby no more than five minutes later, I knew I was a long-distance rail convert. With images of a transforming French landscape freshly etched in my mind, platform 5 at London King’s Cross floated into a distant memory. I had watched the flat and floral countryside - dotted with scattered stone farmhouses greyed even more by the overcast conditions - transform into mountainous valleys before eventually opening up to reveal the blue hues of the French Riviera; the horizon a mirror reflecting an identical sea and sky. By the time the train pulled into Cannes-Voyageurs, twilight blanketed the air.

Travelling can be viewed as purposefulfulfilling the essential task of getting you to a desired destination as quickly as possible - or the journey can become a part of it, with an enhanced aim to educate and immerse.

Travelling through - not over – the 745 miles between London and the French Riviera allowed me to sit back and watch the world through a calmer, ground-level lens. An authentic Parisian lunch at Le Train Bleu between trains only helped reaffirm my first thoughts that slowing a journey down can reap plenty of rewards - I knew I had an opportunity to submerse myself over the next few days, not just dip in.

After a peaceful night at the family-owned Villa D’Estelle, situated a couple of minutes’ walk from the harbour, I awoke to fresh pastries outside the door from a local bakery – a taster of what was to come in the morning ahead. A local guide gave us a walking food tour experience and it soon became apparent that I needn’t have devoured the doorstep croissants. We sampled fresh orange juice, coffees and pastries from a local bakery draped in lilac foliage and clearly a hotspot for the locals. We meandered through the market, tasting crepes made from ground chickpeas cooked in front of us, as well as pisaladierres (caramelized onion and anchovy tarts) and deep-fried zucchini flowers from an unassuming yet immensely hospitable roadside café. By the time we reached our eighth establishment - now full to the brim with lemon buns from St Tropez, fresh bread laden with local truffles and cheese, glacier fruits and nougat – we decided that we’d probably give lunch a miss.

kicked in. Stepping onto the teak decks warmed by the sun, the gleaming brass work of the windows and exterior finishings twinkled in the afternoon sun as guests from sixteen different countries mingled over a varied buffet served at the Tropical Bar. After a swift check-in within the ship’s 1920s-inspired library we were greeted with a cocktail and immediately felt at home. Sailaway on a Star Clippers ship is momentous; words can fail to describe how peaceful and atmospheric the experience is. As darkness fell on the upper deck, crew members heaved and pulled the thick ropes connected to the sails in perfect synchronisation - a routine conducted with such focus and technical accuracy that you can’t help but watch in awe. The sails slowly unfurled to the tune of Vangelis’ Conquest of Paradise and the wind breathed life into the fresh white canvas. Star Clipper began to glide gracefully, cutting silently through the calm, Mediterranean Sea.

I watched the sun rise before the early morning yoga class. An area that was filled last night with captivated spectators now only held a few officers briefing for the day ahead. Sipping coffee as I spanned the 360-degree view around me, lightning flashed in the distance - a seemingly random event given that night had lifted to leave a clear, albeit slightly hazy, dawn. We were sailing slowly towards Monaco, every lap of the ocean heard as the gentle breeze guided us. Cristel taught the yoga class at the stern of the ship, leading us gently through our breathing and stretches, calm sways of the ship giving an extra core workout to remain stable.

Whilst Monaco delivered on the luxe front –superyachts proudly lined the harbour, boasting prime positions as the city geared up for the Grand Prix - I looked ahead to the following day’s tour from L’Ile Rousse, Corsica, a place I had never visited before and was keen to learn more about. When dusk fell once back on board, we headed from the dining room – an airy space themed on provincial elegance with nautical nods – to the deck for a spectacular display of colours projected onto the sails.

of a Red Kite blurred past us as it searched for lunch. En route back to L’Ile Rousse, we stopped at Pigna, a tiny, pedestrianised village which dates back as far as the 9th century, where twinkling melodies floated through open blue shutters from a local lady making music boxes.

As Star Clipper’s sails rose up that evening, I reflected on how much I had enjoyed a slower-paced, more immersive few days with opportunities to learn and absorb the culture around me. Travelling to Cannes by train, rather

Rejuvenated from another morning yoga class and delicious, varied breakfast, we headed from L’Ile Rousse into the mountains of Sant’Antonio - the winding roads leading us to a rustic outhouse-turned-saloon at the bottom of the village. Sipping freshly squeezed orange juice, we watched a group of cyclists course down the narrow streets - one backpack-laden couple stopped their bikes and opened up a basket attached to the handlebars to reveal a tiny, wiryhaired terrier. I wondered just how far they’d travelled. We walked up through the village, snaking through alleyways and brushing past almond trees, taking in the views of the luscious, hilly landscape – the unmistakable forked-tail than plane, reduced my individual carbon emissions by 77%, yet amplified the entire experience before it even truly began. There is nothing to be lost by slowing down, only opportunities to gain knowledge, enhance human interactions, learn about other cultures and connect with a new place in a way that we are so quick to forget is possible.

- Rosanna Ivkovic PR & Communications Manager