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H - 199 : Did Copper Start Maritime Trading?
Replica of the Uluburun Ship which sunk in 1'300 BC near Kirkova, and was found in 1982 Always wondered when trading in the Mediterranean...
hbanziger
Jan 11, 20245 min read
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G + 11 : Porquerolles - The Storm - Day 2
Woke up this morning to the same hauling winds that blew when we went to bed. The Mistral continues to blow unabated. Wonder where...
hbanziger
Jul 26, 20234 min read
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G + 8 : Saint-Tropez - Never Say Never Again
Approaching Saint-Tropez at 9 am - already lots of movements in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez The wind calmed down last night – we woke up to...
hbanziger
Jul 23, 20233 min read
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G - 13 : When Nature Changes the Course of History - The Silting of Ports
Last year, when sailing along the Anatolian coast, we came across many ancient harbors which are now completely landlocked. Nearby rivers...
hbanziger
Jul 2, 20234 min read
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G - 37 : Cervo - Corals for India & China
When entering the church of Saint John the Baptist in Cervo, its serenity and tranquility captures you instantly. Sun rays pour through...
hbanziger
Jun 9, 20235 min read
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G - 49 : Genoa's Denial of Access Strategy
Sanremo's Yacht Harbor from the Genovese Fortress Cannot believe that in less than 50 days we embark on our journey along the Ligurian...
hbanziger
May 29, 20234 min read
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G - 82 : Rhone - Gateway to Europe
Avignon on the Rhone with the famous Bridge and the Papal Palais to the right The Rhone is not the longest river discharging into the...
hbanziger
Apr 25, 20234 min read
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G - 87 : Toulon and the Longitude Problem
A Royal Navy Ship of the Line in Story Weather (Artist Impression from 17th Century) We write the year 1707. A British Fleet of 21 ships...
hbanziger
Apr 19, 20235 min read
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G - 98 : Mistral - The Wind That Gave the Côte d'Azur its Towns
The French call it their crazy wind. Strong, cold and dry, it blows regularly down the Rhone Valley - except for the summer months. It...
hbanziger
Apr 8, 20234 min read
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G - 130 : Piracy - A cruel but lucrative Business
Fort Mont-Alban built in 1557 between Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer to prevent a repetition of the devastating Siege of Nice in 1543 by...
hbanziger
Mar 5, 20234 min read
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G - 141 : Building ships makes independent
Noli during Summertime - the Beach is covered in a Sea of white Umbrellas 60 kilometers west of Genoa, there is Noli, a quaint Ligurian...
hbanziger
Feb 23, 20234 min read
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G - 153 : Marseille - Geography as Destiny
Entrance to Marseille's Greek Harbor - Fort St Jean, built by Louis XIV, protects the port Always wondered why Greek settlers decided to...
hbanziger
Feb 11, 20234 min read
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G - 154 : Calanques Make Excellent Ports
Four years ago, when sailing along the Dalmatian coast, we wondered as to why there were no rivers (see my blog C - 18 from 2019). There...
hbanziger
Feb 10, 20232 min read
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G - 189 : Bankers are good - Galleys are better
There are two reasons behind the meteoric rise of Genoa as first global financial centre. We talked about the first in the last blog:...
hbanziger
Jan 6, 20233 min read
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F + 23 : Greek Pirates loved Aeolus
Aeolus, the Greek God of winds, must be angry. Yesterday was supposed to be the peak of the storm but high winds continue unabated....
hbanziger
Sep 7, 20223 min read
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F + 13 : Ancient Wrecks in Fournoi
Divers of the 2015 Project lifting ancient Cargo from one of the Ship Wrecks For the first two weeks of sailing there was almost no wind....
hbanziger
Aug 28, 20224 min read
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F + 11 : Epicurus and a Disputed Border
It is a quiet day today. Having stayed overnight in the Marina of Kusadasi, we plan to stay away from ports and enjoy the tranquility and...
hbanziger
Aug 26, 20225 min read
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F + 2 : Gallipoli Day
Another early day - coffee at 7 am - we would lift anchor a few minutes later to sail to the ANZAC Cove where Serhan, our guide and...
hbanziger
Aug 18, 20225 min read
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F - 11 : Arms Race in the Aegean
Largely unnoticed and overshadowed by the war in the Ukraine, an unhealthy arms race is gaining pace between Turkey and Greece, both...
hbanziger
Aug 4, 20225 min read
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F - 20 : Montreux Convention - More than just a Piece of Paper
One of 50 Russian Warships which sailed in 1921 through the Bosporus to the Mediterranean Standing on the Four Seasons’ terrace that...
hbanziger
Jul 25, 20226 min read
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