Corsica by Motorbike, August 2008

FORLI-BASTIA-ST.FLORENT

WE LEAVE AT 5 FROM FORLI. PASSO DEL MURAGLIONE, FREEZING COLD AND BAR MURAGLIONE STILL CLOSED!DAWN IS BREAKING AND WE'RE ALMOST AT FLORENCE, THEN LIVORNO.. FERRY LATE AS IT WAS ON THE RETURN TOO! ARRIVAL AT BASTIA, WE HEAD FOR ST.FLORENT WHERE WE BOOKED THROUGH THE SITE (hotels.com), room not available due to the hotel's mistake! SO AT THEIR EXPENSE THEY SEND US TO PATRIMONIO(2KM) AND WE SLEEP IN A BRAND-NEW HOTEL WITH ITS OWN WINE BAR ON THE GROUND FLOOR.(HOTEL DU VIGNOBLE).

CORTE-VENACO-VIZZAVONA-AJACCIO

WE SET OFF TOWARD AJACCIO, AS ON OUR FIRST TIME IN CORSICA WE THINK A STOP IS DUE.. EVEN THOUGH WE WOULDN'T GO BACK AGAIN GIVEN THE TRAFFIC AND NOTHING PARTICULAR TO SEE..BETTER TO SPEND ANOTHER DAY IN THE RESTONICA VALLEY, AT THE GORGES WHERE THERE ARE TRAILS AND ADVENTURE PARKS IN THE FOREST. AFTER 2 HOURS OF HIGH MOUNTAIN AND RISK OF RAIN WE ARRIVE AT AJACCIO. CENTRAL HOTEL "NAPOLEON" BOOKED ALWAYS THROUGH THE INTERNET... WE LEAVE THE MOTORCYCLE AT THE HOTEL AND WALK THROUGH THE STREETS OF THE CENTER LOOKING FOR A RESTAURANT FOR DINNER..

ST.FLORENT-CALVI

ABOUT 90 KM FOR 2H OF ROAD HILL ROAD WITH A STUNNING VIEW OVER THE TURQUOISE SEA..WE DECIDE TO REACH THE BEACH OF SALECCIA, BUT WE TAKE THE WRONG PATH AND END UP ON A DIRT ROAD WITH JUTTING ROCKS, IN SHORT AFTER 5 KM WE GIVE UP AND TURN BACK. A GENTLEMAN THEN TELLS US THAT THE BEACH WAS JUST AS FAR AND CAN ONLY BE REACHED WITH AN OFF-ROAD VEHICLE. FOR SALECCIA THERE WAS A SIGN JUST OUTSIDE THE CENTER OF ST.FLORENT. AFTER DRIVING ALONG THE WHOLE NORTH COAST WE ARRIVE AT CALVI. BEAUTIFUL LITTLE HARBOR, A BIT ST.TROPEZ STYLE, WITH THE CITADEL AND BEHIND IT THE ALLEYS FULL OF CHARACTERISTIC SHOPS AND OPEN-AIR RESTAURANTS. WE PARK OUR CAPONORD AMONG THE TABLES OF THE OUTDOOR CAFES BECAUSE THE HOTEL (BALANEA) IS RIGHT IN THE CENTER. APERITIF IN FRONT OF STUNNING YACHTS AND DINNER IN A RESTAURANT IN THE CHURCH SQUARE.

HOTEL BOOKED WITH OCTOPUS ABOUT 100 EUROS, BREAKFAST A BIT SPARSE BUT NICE ROOM AND ABOVE ALL GREAT LOCATION!DINNER ABOUT 30 EUROS EACH

CALVI-PORTO

ABOUT 80 KM OF CURVES ALONG THE SEA. WILD LANDSCAPE, RED ROCKS, LUSH VEGETATION AND THROUGH THE HELMET COMES THE SCENT OF THE EUCALYPTUS TREES. AFTER ABOUT 2 H I ARRIVE AT PORTO. HOTEL VAITA BOOKED THROUGH hotels.com FOR 2 NIGHTS 180 EUROS INCLUDING BREAKFAST. WE SPEND THE AFTERNOON AT THE BEACH OF PORTO, LARGE ROUND STONES AND BIG WAVES..BEAUTIFUL! FOR SUNSET WE ARE READY TO SEE THE FAMOUS CALANQUE OF PIANA, RED ROCKS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD SHEER ABOVE THE SEA..A SPECTACLE!! APERITIF IN AN ISOLATED CHALET SITUATED ON THE ONLY TERRACE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CALANQUE "LES ROCHES BLEUS". DINNER IN THE CENTER OF PIANA

PORTO-CARGESE-SAGONE-VICO-MARIGNANA-PORTO

ABOUT 90 KM WE LEAVE AFTER BREAKFAST DRIVING ALONG THE COAST TOWARD THE SOUTH. WE CROSS THE CALANQUE AGAIN IN DAYLIGHT. THE ROAD IS ALWAYS WINDING AND SHEER ABOVE THE SEA, POINTLESS TO GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT THE MARVELOUS LANDSCAPES. STOP FOR A BIT OF SUN AND A REFRESHING SWIM AT THE CONVENIENT AND UNCROWDED BEACH OF SAGONE. EQUIPPED FOR WATER SPORTS, THE TOURISM SEEMS TO US TO BE ONLY FRENCH OR IN ANY CASE CORSICAN. ONCE DRY WE PUT OUR MOTORCYCLE GEAR BACK ON AND SET OFF TOWARD VICO TO REACH PORTO DRIVING ALONG THE GORGES DE SPELUNCA. NARROW AND RATHER WORN-OUT ROADS BUT FULL OF ANIMALS AND TRANQUILLITY. WE ARRIVE AT PORTO, RELAX AND READY FOR DINNER, TONIGHT WE CHOOSE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RESTAURANT IN PORTO "LE MAQUIS" AT THE JUNCTION WITH THE ROAD TO OTA WITH A PANORAMIC TERRACE, REFINED MENU, WE ATE VERY WELL AT ABOUT 40 EUROS EACH.

PORTO-EVISA-CALACUCCIA-CORTE

ABOUT 100 KM OF HIGH MOUNTAIN THE ROAD UP TO EVISA CLIMBS SLOWLY AND RUNS ALONG THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, THEN IT STARTS TO CURVE AND CLIMB HIGHER AND HIGHER UNTIL WE FIND OURSELVES IMMERSED IN THE FOREST.. STREAMS, TALL PINES, WILD BOARS AT THE ROADSIDE, GRAZING COWS, FOUNTAINS WITH FRESH WATER FROM WHICH EVERYONE FILLS WATER BOTTLES. IN THIS AREA THERE ARE MANY MARKED TREKKING TRAILS THAT REACH SEVERAL LAKES AFTER A COUPLE OF HOURS OF WALKING.(NIOLO AREA). AFTER CALACUCCIA, WHERE WE STOPPED FOR LUNCH AT A SORT OF FARM, A REAL CANYON OF 17 KM BEGINS, WHERE THE ROAD RUNS ALONG THE RIVERBED.IT'S THE "SCALA DI SANTA REGINA". ONCE WE ARRIVE AT CASTIRLA WE HEAD TOWARD CORTE AND SOON WE ARRIVE.

BEAUTIFUL TOWN, SYMBOL OF THE CORSICAN SOUL, DIVIDED BETWEEN THE NEW TOWN, THE OLD TOWN AND THE CITADEL PERCHED ON A ROCKY SPUR! OUR HOTEL, BOOKED WITH venere.com, STANDS ON THE ROAD LEADING TO THE RESTONICA VALLEY. "LES JARDIN DU GLACIERE" OVERLOOKS A STREAM WITH NATURAL POOLS FOR WONDERFUL AND REFRESHING SWIMS..FROM THE ROOMS YOU CAN HEAR THE MUSIC OF THE FLOWING WATER, WE WOULD HAVE STAYED AN EXTRA NIGHT!! DINNER AT A PRODUCER OF TYPICAL CORSICAN PRODUCTS, CORSICAN FLAG FLYING IN THE WIND, CURED MEATS, CANNELLONI WITH BROCCIU AND SPECTACULAR LAMB!!!!

AJACCIO-PETRETO-AULLENE-ZONZA-PORTOVECCHIO

ABOUT 3 HOURS OF ROAD CROSSING THE ISLAND HORIZONTALLY..STOP AT ZONZA FOR LUNCH..QUIET LITTLE VILLAGE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MOUNTAINS.. FROM ZONZA THE ROAD STARTS TO DESCEND AND WE ARRIVE AT PORTOVECCHIO AT THE "RESIDENCE U LAGO VERDE" WHERE WE STAY A WEEK. THE TWO-ROOM APARTMENT IS VERY NICE, TERRACE OVER THE POOL WITH BARBECUE, CLOSE TO THE PORT AND THE CENTER AND VERY CLOSE TO THE SHOPPING CENTER "CASINO"

PORTOVECCHIO-BONIFACIO

from 17 to 23.A WEEK'S STAY IN WHICH TO ENJOY THE STUNNING BEACHES OF THE SOUTH COAST AND LIVE THE EVENING IN THE BEAUTIFUL CENTERS OF PORTOVECCHIO AND BONIFACIO. RESIDENCE IN THE SURROUNDINGS OF PORTOVECCHIO (U LAGO VERDE) NEAR THE HYPERMARKET, WITH BARBECUE AND POOL..CLOSE TO THE BEACHES NORTH OF PORTOVECCHIO AND IN ANY CASE TO THE TOWN CENTER AND ITS PORT..FROM HERE YOU REACH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACHES IN AN INSTANT..AND THE STUNNING BONIFACIO, BEAUTIFUL BY NIGHT AND BY DAY!! THE RETURN TRIP WAS DIRECT TO BASTIA FROM WHICH WE EMBARKED AFTER A COUPLE OF HOURS' DELAY TOWARD ITALY... I THINK WE WON'T MAKE A TRIP ON A MOTORCYCLE AS BEAUTIFUL AND VARIED AS THIS ONE!!!