At La tête du chien, Calanche de Piana
Capu Ghineparu (515 m.), Corsica
Calanche de Porto
Riding through the beautiful red rock and pine forest of the Calanches on the west coast of Corsica
Calanche de Porto
Eucalyptus trees, Porto-Ota
Eucalyptus trees, Porto-Ota
Genoese Tour de Porto
Plage de Menasina, Cargèse, Corsica
Vico, Corsica
Pont de Trughja, Corsica
Bocca di Sarzoggiu (603 m.)
Girolata: on deck
Dawn over Marseille
Riding through the beautiful red rock and pine forest of the Calanche de Piana, listed for its beauty, I’m thinking of course it’s OK to have the D81 coast road go through a UNESCO World Heritage scenic site. Leaving behind Porto-Ota, its cove dotted with many hundred-year-old Eucalyptus trees, probably planted to deter mosquitoes and malaria when this was a trading port to export the forests’ chestnuts.
Out from the Costa Rosso and back to the silver sand beaches around Sagone, prettily streaked with surf from the previous night’s storm.
I ride uphill and inland to the hill town of Vico, from afar it looks like a Tuscan town in the hills of the Gargafagna. Being on a trail bike, I take the D1 towards Ajaccio, which follows the valley and gorges of the U Liamone. The D1 is newly tarmaced as it leaves Vico but soon degrades to potholes, washouts and sand or stones plus goats and chickens roaming free; the Versys 650 takes it all in its stride. I stop at the bridge Pont de Trughja where there are people skinny-dipping in the river, so it’s no surprise there is a naturist camping site a little further along the road.
The locals in the country areas strongly prefer the place names in the Corsican language, erasing the French spelling with bullet-holes. Unexpectedly next, I ride past the vineyards of Clos D’Alzeto at Sari d’Orcino.
Last col, the Bocca di Sarzoggiu (603 m.), looking back towards Piana and the red rock coast. I realise that I’ve made it, I’m on the home run to Ajaccio; I return the hired Versys 650, relax a little on the terrace of a bar overlooking the port before embarking and watching Corsica recede in the evening sunshine from the deck of the ship, the Girolata.
A classic Provence dawn welcomes me back to mainland Europe as we enter the port of Marseille next morning.