Tag Archives: corsica

Corsica: Back to Ajaccio

Today really marks the beginning of the end as I return to Ajaccio in preparation for the flight home tomorrow. It’s kind of odd not to have to get up early in order to cram in five hours walking, but, given this is a holiday, it?s also rather welcome. (Well, I could have gone for the early bus to the capital, but I decided to relax in laid-back Porto instead.)

Genoese fort, Porto, Corsica

The curse of the low season strikes again, as the tower is closed at ten in the morning despite the sign saying that it opens at nine. I am told it actually opens at eleven, but at five past the gates are still chained shut.

I head for a coffee in one of the few open cafes. While I wait, the tower opens. Indeed, now the sign says it opens at eleven.

First stop on the way up is a small museum. It starts with a bible passage and heads downhill from there. It?s difficult to tell exactly what it?s for. It?s not exactly about Porto, it’s not all religious or historical. I guess it adds value-for-money to the entrance fee for the tower. Inside the tower is nearly as disappointing — and also only in French — but, fortunately, the same cannot be said of the view from the roof.

View over Porto from the Genoese fort, Corsica

The stop for the bus back to Ajaccio is in some doubt. The tour notes say not to believe the tourist office but it seems slightly implausible that it should leave thirty minutes walk up-hill away from the town centre. Implausible or not, it’s true and I leave Porto with the rumble of my wheely-luggage. Once on the bus, the trip is surprisingly quick and efficient. The roads start very narrow, with magnificent views over the coast and horrifying drops to the same. Once past Piana the roads remain twisty and narrow but are less likely to induce travel sickness.

Ajaccio seems very different on my return. Somehow smaller, but familiar and busy. I’ve spent most of the week seeing almost no one else, just the odd walker and a regular at a hotel bar. Seeing cars zipping in and out of traffic is a shock.

I take a quick wander around before heading back to the airport. On the first night it seemed large and alien. Today it seemed much smaller and more manageable.

Ajaccio harbour

I took Cours Napoleon as far as the beach, took a detour via the the Citadel, which was much more closed than that in Corte. Still a military base, the place is surrounded by barbed wire fences. Nearby is the restaurant I ate at on my first night here — that seemed miles away at the time!

Ajaccio street

I meander back up to the main shopping street, Rue Cardinal Fesch, which at this time on a Saturday is still largely closed. I had hoped to bring back a little something but ended having to go into a super market for a bottle of local wine — not exactly what I’d been planning. (Typically I picked the only bottle in the whole store that would not scan. My French wasn’t really up to the ensuing conversation so I just nodded and smiled until they took some money.)

Overall it was a fairly relaxing end to a great walking holiday. Some of the hikes had pushed my abilities but, ultimately, that’s a good thing. Even at the time where I was totally exhausted, the magnificent sights of the country never let me down. The food and hospitality were a bonus, and I loved the fact that Corsica is not just an extension of France. Despite the links, it truly has its own identity. It’s surprises like this keep me travelling.

Corsica: Evisa to Porto

Today is the last day of walking, and is a relatively east stroll from Evisa to Porto via Ota. The first half is, according to the guidebook, one of the highlights of this part of Corsica.

Walk from Evisa to Ota, Corsica

I’m not entirely convinced, though. Mostly it’s descending through pine forest, which is pretty but not stunning. I’d probably have been more impressed had we not experienced the scenery on the first couple of days. I cross a couple of old bridges. Pretty and something that I’ve not seen yet this week but I’d hesitate to call it a highlight of my week here.

Walk from Evisa to Ota, Corsica

I stop for a drink in Ota, a beautifully situated village about half way on our walk.

Ota (half way from Evisa to Porto), Corsica

The rest of the walk was on a tarmac road. Cars travel quickly even considering the narrow lanes and significant drops to the side, meaning that I tended to dive to the very side of the road whenever I heard a vehicle.

I entered Porto on a main road and head right to the sea-front, here my hotel is located. I get there and I see a “Hotel Ferme” sign, which I initially take to mean this entrance is closed but actually means the whole hotel. Not good.

I eventually find that I am booked into another hotel not far away, unfortunately it’s at this point that I realise that my bags were supposed to be heading by taxi to the closed place. I am assured that the taxi firm knew where to send the bags. I am less sure.

Walk from Ota to Porto, Corsica

At the second hotel I find the receptionist doesn’t speak English and is not terribly interested in finding my bags. (Or maybe doesn’t understand, so I may be being mean here.)

I call the taxi company. They note that the first place is shut. (I know!) I’m currently panicking — a delay to the bags could screw up onward plans from here — and so am not entirely sure whether they commit to send the bags to the new hotel or not.

I decide to take a wander around town while I wait; there’ll little I can do and fretting is not helping!

Genoese fort, Porto, Corsica

Until the 1950’s there was little here except a Genoese fort on a rocky hill overlooking the bay. In 2007 there is the same tower, a few hotels, restaurants and cafes. In high season the place is overrun with tourists but in October it’s pleasantly laid-back. So laid-back, in fact, that most of the hotels, bars and restaurants are closed.

Still, the harbour is pretty and there’s a little excitement as an ambulance hurtles down from the mountains to a waiting helicopter.

Meanwhile, the bags do arrive and panic abates.

The guide book suggests two restaurants, noting that the others are generic tourist traps. Of course, out-of-season the good places shut. In fact, as noted above, most of them are. I end up in one slightly secluded place, hidden in the rocks below the tower right by the sea. It’s actually quite good and makes a pleasant end to the weeks walking.

Tomorrow I head back to Ajaccio.

Corsica: Col di Vergio to Evisa

I “cheat” on the walk from Calalucca, starting a taxi ride away. The basic idea of the tour so far has been to do the Mare a Mare Nord starting from Sermano heading towards to Porto. My walk up to Lac de Nino meant that I skipped one part.

Bikers near Calalucca

As it turns out, I find the walk easy, at least in comparison with the last couple of days. I arrive at the hotel mid-afternoon and just mellow out until dinner. This is easy to do as the location is great, looking down the valley and over the hotel pool.

Evisa

The proprietor is described in the walking notes as “a character” and he proves to be just that. He confuses my by describing the steak as “international” and the chestnut mousse as “Corsican.” But there’s no confusion over the quality of the food once it arrives.

Evisa

It’s a lovely place and I can’t help but look forward to the next day. The guide book describes it as the best walk and the tour notes say that tomorrow is the best hotel.

Corsica: Lac de Nino

Goat

In a change to our advertised programme — mainly the Mare a Mare Nord — I decide to walk up to the Lac de Nino, as recommended by the lady running the hotel I’m staying in.

The walk starts in a pine forest a ten-minute taxi ride up hill. The path begins fairly gently but soon consists of large rocks. As I ascend the rocks get smaller and loser. Walking gives way to scrambling and a little climbing. I realise that I’m lucky to be heading upwards as the opposite direction looks to be almost impossible for people as dextrous as me.

On the way, the coloured way-marks are accompanied by piles of small stones, some in neat pyramids, others artistically balanced on or inside dead trees. These were often easier to find than the official marks, but it made you feel very guilty when you very nearly accidentally knocked them over when resting!

I pass a farm and then the level where there are trees shading me from the mid-day sun. After a couple of false “I’ll definitely be at the top after this next bit” declarations I really did reach the summit. Looking down the other side I have my first view of Lac de Nino.

Near Lac De Nino

As the guidebook says, it does have a somewhat eerie quality to it, although I’m not sure about looking Tibetan.

After pausing here for a bite to eat I press on. Shortly after the lake I meet with the GR20, a long distance path for hard-core walkers, and continue for a couple of hours.

Near Lac De Nino

At least that was the plan. I see no way-marks and no obvious signs of a path. With clouds descending on the peaks and the number of daylight hours dwindling I decide that getting lost up here would not be a good option and reluctantly start to retrace my steps.

Near Lac De Nino

Despite looking particularly nasty on the way up, my descent is probably my quickest and easiest so far. This could be tested further as the next couple of days are going to be heading west, largely downhill and towards the coast.

Corsica: Corte to Calacuccia

Today was a significant tested for me.

Walk from Corte to Calacuccia, Corsica

First there was the endurance. I set off around eight and arrived after six, with lunch the only significant break — and that was less than an hour. The terrain was steep, with both climbs of over a thousand meters and descent of the same, meaning that it wasn’t just the distance that was battering my feet.

Secondly, it was today that my boots decided to bite, digging into my ankles, making almost any progress painful. Worse, there was little opportunity to chicken out. The one point where you could call a taxi was less than two hours from the end. After battling on for nearly eight hours by this point, not completing the walk myself just wasn’t a viable option.

Ultimately it was a day that will be judged as an achievement rather than one that I enjoyed every last minute of. That’s not to say that there was nothing good, quite the contrary. The morning (with my boots being an exception) was great. The incline was gentle, the views down the valley were stunning and I was keeping to very good time.

Walk from Corte to Calacuccia, Corsica

The afternoon was when the fatigue set in, making some of it more of a slog. It barely registered when I passed a farm that made cheese, and on the steep decent to Calacuccia all I could think was “Ouch.”

Walk from Corte to Calacuccia, Corsica

Crossing the dam into town became an anti-climax when I realised that I had to head uphill and then walk all the way through and out the other side to the hotel. I was lucky not to have to head back for something to eat. (Actually I was lucky to have something to eat! Apparently all the restaurants closed for the winter at the end of September.)

It will be interesting to see how I feel tomorrow morning.

Corsica: Sermano to Corte

The first day of walking was to take me from Sermano to Corte. I was driven to the start by taxi along the scary, narrow lanes that surround Corte.

Walk from Sermano to Corte, Corsica

It doesn’t take long before things start to go wrong. Crossing a stream I manage to put my whole foot in the water, fortunately only fleetingly and so I am not completely waterlogged.

A little while later I take what I think must be a wrong turning. By the time I get to the bottom I try to compensate for the error, but am still not able to see the “path on the left after a bridge.” On returning to the path I exited earlier I quickly cross a small bridge and there on the left is a path. I was right all along!

Walk from Sermano to Corte, Corsica

The karma shortly turned against me, as the path led me to a stream that I crossed and found no more path! There was supposed to be a wide, cobbled path but I never found it, instead falling back on battling my way directly up the forested hill. I have a number of scratches to prove it.

Walk from Sermano to Corte, Corsica

I never found out whether I took the right path at the top of the hill.

Luckily it was only the first couple of hours that I made such mistakes. The nearest I got to making a mistake again was in the afternoon when the guide suggested I walk through a hole in a fence. I found no hole and instead followed the way marked path. I think this path must have been blocked off when the guide had been written.

I stopped briefly in a couple of villages. In the one I stopped for lunch, I compared notes with a French hiker. The path she had taken from Corte was not well sign-posted. Given how easily I had gone wrong with a well waymarked path it’s just as well I took the path I did!

Walk from Sermano to Corte, Corsica

The afternoon was comparatively straight-forward. A lot of lose rocks (no fun to walk on) but few gradients and even they were not steep. Just my tiring feet holding me back!

Tomorrow I leave Corte and head west towards Calacuccia.