When most people arrive in France they probably learn how to say important French phrases like "Où sont les toilettes s'il vous plaît?" (Where are the toilets please?) and "J'ai besoin d'un taxi" (I need a taxi). My first French words were “Giclée a gauche” and “Giclée a droite,” which mean "boof left" and "boof right." These two phrases became my lifeline throughout the two weeks I spent kayaking on the French island of Corsica with a group of French speaking boaters.

The Corsica kayaking season takes place exclusively in April, when the combination of snow melt and rain provide enough water in the rivers to make them runnable. Because of this, many view the trip to Corsica as a pilgrimage of sorts and it is evident why when you see the island taken over by Euro vans stacked high with kayaks.

I spent 12 days on the island, paddled for 11, and managed to run 10 different sections of river. The water was crystal clear, the scenery was spectacular and the creeks were steep. One great thing about kayaking in Corsica is that the island is small enough that you don't have to drive very far to get to a new river, but the landscape is changing all the time. And because its an island there are beaches around every turn, so you can paddle in the morning and be sitting out by the Mediterranean Sea that afternoon.