Captivating Corsica

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Geo: 42.7021, 9.45075

Just when we thought it couldn't get any better we arrived in Corsica!

First impressions were not good as the collection of the pre booked rental car definitely didn't go according to plan but it all worked out well in the end and we finally left Bastia airport bound for Algajola about 90 minutes drive away. From the outset the scenery was beautiful and certainly rivalled Mallorca although it was green and thick with vegetation in comparison. Not suprisingly since we are actually quite close to central Italy, the scenery was reminiscent of Tuscany. We enjoyed the drive in the sunshine and as we got closer to the coast and to our destination it just got better and better. Instead of the pretty little bays in Mallorca there were wide sandy beaches and only a handful of tourists swimming in the sea or laying on the sand enjoying the warmth of the sun. No long lines of beach huts in this town, just a few sun umbrellas.

There are several large cities on the island, including Calvi which we visited briefly to check out the citadel, Bastia which we flew into, Ajaccio which is the capital, as well as Bonifacacio which is a long way south and Corte which is right in the centre.

We chose to stay at Algajola. Its a small resort town on the north coast with about a dozen hotels set in and amongst the old original buildings. Most of the hotels have adjoining restaurants. So far the food has been great, some of it spectacular. Everything in the village is within walking distance. We have taken to strolling through the village after dinner, partly in the hope of walking off some of the calories, but mostly because its such a nice way to end the evening. Its very pleasant to wander through the laneways and tunnels, past the ancient walls and through the church and market squares as well as along the waterfront where we can see the odd fisherman casting his line from the rocks. The sunset lasts for so long that there is still some colour in the sky late into the evening and the bay has a unique azure and pink hue.

So we were already pretty happy with our lot and then we ventured further and found out there was more, so much more. I have always had a bit of fascination for the islands in this area but one of the main reasons I wanted to come to Corsica was that I had read that the coastal scenery rivals the Amalfi Coast but without the crowds. So we chose to forego the option of the Italian coast and come here. Great decision I say!

We knew it would be a long day but we set out regardless to drive the west coast to Ajaccio. There is really no option to only go half way because there are no other roads, but if you can make it to the capital then you can take the highway home. As we headed south the vista improved with every bend in the road. We have travelled alot of scenic roads in alot of different countries but we were firmly in agreement that the views on these roads were the best we had ever seen by far. It pretty much combined the best of what we had seen in many other places including, Canada, USA, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, Italy and Spain. I have always wanted to drive the Amalfi coast but I have little doubt that I have bettered that. Hopefully I will get there one day so I can compare.

Just when it couldn't possibly get any better we reached Les Calanche which spans the road between Porto and Piana. At this point I simply ran out of adjectives! I will therefore quote the Unesco website as follows. "The site includes a coastline of astonishing beauty studded with offshore islets and sea pillars rising out of the translucent waters" In my own words I would say it was like the red rocks of Sedona in Arizona towering above the most pristine waters of the Indian Ocean.

The only downside was that the granite cliff faces next to the roads were so steep and the roads were so narrow there were very few places to stop off and take photos. And I'm sure that the photos that we did take in no way do this place the justice it deserves. At times the roads were so tiny and the drop offs so steep that I momentarily feared for my life.If you went off the edge it was a long way down. Some of the roads were situated up to 2000 metres above sea level and it wasn't like the other vehicles were keeping to their side of the road. It was a bit like the bravest wins and gets the right of way and sometimes there was no white line which just turned in to a free for all or figure it out for yourself, the only rule is there are no rules!

We found a great little restaurant high up in the hills overlooking the largest bay and enjoyed a beautiful view and delicious lunch. We eventually made it to Ajaccio which appeared on the surface to be a large, busy town with a thriving port and some pretty Parisian architecture. Being the birthplace of Napoleon there were some good museums to visit if you had the time but we were keen to get started on the trip home.

As I said the shortest way home was via the highway that runs through the centre of the island. We expected this journey to be fairly mundane but in fact the road turned out to be anything but ordinary. We finally got to put our three cyclinder turbo charged Ford Fiesta to good use. The road was in very good repair and more than wide enough for a car each side or even a truck. So that was a pleasant change from the deathwish type roads we had just used. But the best part was that the scenery was just as stunning. It was a beautiful windy mountain road running from almost the bottom of the island to the top. At this point we were discussing either moving to Corsica permanently or coming back for another holiday and shipping our Ducati over. We had seen lots of bikes in the area and certainly many on the smaller roads but didn't think it was that ideal for bike riding. But now we knew why there were so many bike riders around.

So four fabulous days in Corsica are coming to and end. On our last evening we found yet another great restaurant and sat on breezy terrace overlooking the crystal clear water. We sampled some more local specialities including wild boar and chestnut fondant. And the local aperitif called Cap Corse is pretty good as well.

Oh and did I mention the awesome two bedroom apartment that we stayed in which is ultra modern, exceptionally comfortable and spacious, with sea glimpses and a pretty little outdoor garden area conisting of among other things a lavender bush and an agapatha patch which is just about to bloom. The garden also has a beautiful blooming white rhododendrum shrub. We have seen these plants everywhere and alot and in all colours. They are so iconic in this part of the world particularly in Mallorca and Corsica.

So another case of I don't want to leave but on the other hand I'm keen to see Nice and get back to Italy which is one of our favourites.

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Comments

[Jenny]

Sounds lovely lots of drizzle here at present