Firstly, thank you to Elpis canoe club for looking after my boat and kit since last October, especially Pietro and Nicolo, and Alice, who helped me get ready.

After a few days in Genoa I was ready to leave, although not feeling ready. A week of poor sleep and not eating enough left me feeling weak and tired before I’d even begun.

I know these first few weeks will likely be tough. I haven’t trained properly in 7 months, my skin has gone soft, my muscles weak. Plus its hot, seriously hot and it’s only going to get hotter. I’ve already learnt that the hard way, falling asleep on the beach and waking up looking like a lobster, just two white prints on my chest where my hands were resting. Typical Brit abroad. I laughed until it started stinging.

But anyway, in every adventure I’ve heard of its been the same, no one seems to start fresh. And I’m not trying to break any records so I’ll take it easy, adapt over these first few weeks.

Barely able to lift my boat, I staggered to the pontoon and waved goodbye to my one well-wisher (at the scene anyway), the club’s handyman, and took my first strokes.

Once on the water my boat felt light and I felt at home almost immediately. I paddled out of the huge port and hugged the shore, passing the beach club that burnt down on that dramatic final night of my last trip and colourful fishing villages packed in to little coves, now part of sprawl of Genoa.

A light swell came from my right and bounced against the short rocky cliffs, the sea an incredible shade of blue.  

Apparently after the war people flocked to the beach in droves and things got out of hand – having not been taught to swim, many drowned, and the beaches became overcrowded and dirty. The solution was dividing the beach in to private beach clubs, each with its own lifeguard, deck chairs and parasols, plus a restaurant, bar and toilets.

Every inch of coastline in Liguria is covered in these neat rows of deckchairs, making finding a campspot a challenge.

I cut across Camogli to a headland with towering cliffs where the sea became a deep navy blue. A narrow pebbly beach with just enough room for my boat was my best option for the night.

When I set off last August, I did so spontaneously, and there was nothing to lose. This time I’ve invested 7 months in waiting to do this, and with that comes a slight pressure for the trip to be a success. But I’ve waited for a reason – I love doing this – and it felt great to be back at it again today.

Diabetes

Levemir: 5 novorapid:3

Good stable levels. Trending downwards slightly during paddle, maybe could reduce levemir further. Dexcom fell off towards end of paddle. Day 8 of 10 on sensor so not too much wastage. Thought the transmitter had fallen off in to sea but then saw it floating by my feet. New dexcom inserted so some inaccurate levels expected for next 24 hours.