A Year in Villefranche sur Mer

October 30, 2018

Day 510 (Tuesday)

We watched the news last night and saw that Corsica was really hammered by a storm yesterday.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

French island of Corsica on high alert due to storm of "exceptional magnitude"

Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-30 04:05:55|Editor: Mu Xuequan

PARIS, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Electricity was cut, roads were closed and people called to avoid moving on the French island of Corsica on Monday as strong winds swept the region, the regional authorities said.

A storm "of exceptional magnitude" and high winds of up 163 km per hour was forecast on the Mediterranean island that "could generate very strong waves, “according to French weather agency.

It had put Corsica on red alert and decided to maintain the alert system in the zone till Tuesday afternoon.

Cited by local media, Corsica prefect Josiane Chevalier announced that the island's four airports as well as the ports were closed on Monday.

Local authorities also ordered the closure of schools and parks in the region where 16,500 homes remained without electricity.

"One have to avoid any movement ... There are a lot of tree falls, “recommended Chevalier, adding that one person was wounded due to the storm.

On his twitter account, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said "the commitment of the state is total," adding "the inter-ministerial crisis management operational center...monitors the situation in Corsica and in all affected departments in real time."

The next two photos are not mine

So, I think we got off very lightly yesterday.

I’m happy to say that normality has returned; the sun is shining and the sky is blue once again.

But I am unhappy to tell you that our neighbour has lost another beautiful palm tree

It was a bit windy but I hadn’t realised just how windy it was until Huw showed me the photos he’d taken this morning from our kitchen window.

I had an email from the IELTS examiners asking me to confirm some details so maybe I didn’t complete the 11-page application form for nothing.

Huw very kindly gave me a lift into Nice and now that the rain has stopped I can hopefully have another lesson on Kisbee very soon. It was quite chilly on Kisbee as it was a bit windy but it was lovely and warm as soon as I got off. There was no classroom available for Eric and I today so we went to a nearby coffee shop and spent a pleasant two hours outside doing grammar. Quite a few people were eavesdropping but it didn’t faze him in the slightest. I walked over to International House and enjoyed a quiche (not homemade) in Mozart Park before meeting David. David was talking to William about his exam and when they had finished William told me that David was very happy with me as his teacher. I told him about the IELTS people and he was really pleased.

Huw very kindly picked me up at 5 and he’d brought my leather jacket with him, which was just as well as on the way home it was bloody cold in my cotton trousers and espadrilles.

After dropping me off in Nice Huw rode down to the seafront and took these amazing photos and I am rather jealous that I missed this.