Corsica 2010

June 9th

Drove from Correze to Toulon

An early morning start for Lin, myself and our border collie Bonnie, towing our recently acquired caravan.

Took the A89 east, skirting Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon, then took the Autoroute de Soleil south. There was a strong Mistral blowing straight up the Rhone Valley; we were driving a 1600cc Ford Focus, towing a caravan, and we were driving in 4th sometime 3rd gear to maintain headway.

We eventually got to Toulon and boarded the ferry bound for Bastia in Corsica. We’d booked a dog cage for Bonnie, but they were so small, we refused to put her in it and they allowed us to have her in our cabin. She was not happy with the smells, the vibration, and even the patterned carpets, but we somehow got through the night without crisis.

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June 10th

Bastia to Camping Rondinara (near Bonifacio)

It was a tedious drive from Bastia, through many villages and towns. We got to the camp-site (Camping Rondinara) in the afternoon and set up the caravan and awning. It was a pleasant site with bar/restaurant, and nicely landscaped gardens and surroundings. The beach was in a sheltered lagoon, and was around 600 meters away on foot, but 1.7km by road. As we had sun loungers, towels, etc., we drove to the beach after lunch. Bonnie was off-leash and was happy chasing sticks in the shallows, but she didn’t like the waves.

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June 11th

Drove from the camp site to Bonifacio

Very hot and sunny. We drove to Bonifacio and wandered around the narrow streets of the old town, pausing for many photographs, and the odd beer. Bonifacio is very picturesque, situated as it is on top of crumbling cliffs! We had lunch, then took a boat trip out of the harbour on the inland site of town, round the headland until we were looking up at the clifftop houses of the old town.

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June 12th

Stayed around the campsite

Took the footpath down to the beach, and spent some time there, sunbathing, reading and swimming. Had an indifferent evening meal in the campsite’s restaurant.

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June 13th

Drove to Camping Ideal at Galeria (where we knew Jan and Sue were staying in a gite).

The drive was back up the east coast road, then through the mountains encountering heavy rain, and rubber-necking drivers, actually overtaking some of them whilst towing a caravan! Got to Galeria late afternoon, and Jan and Sue joined us and helped set up the caravan and awning.

They went back to their gite to change. We unloaded the car and settled in, and then we all met up a little while later for a meal at Restaurant L’Alivu.

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June 14th

Stayed around Galeria

Walked to Jan and Sue’s gite, then along the coast past the Tour de Galeria to the Fangu Delta where we rented kayaks for an hour. Had lunch (somewhere???), then in the afternoon, we waded around a headland to get to a secluded beach where we could skinny dip.

Snacks and drinks at the campsite, under the awning with torrential rain outside.

During the night, Bonnie started making heaving noises, so as the caravan door was open, I tried to eject her onto the grass under the awning. She put her feet either side of the door, and bared her teeth when I started pushing, so I jumped over her, and tried enticing her out, but she was having none of it – she felt crappy and was determined to throw up inside the caravan. But… now she was still in the doorway and I was outside. And she was now suspicious of me and bared her teeth whenever I tried to get past her.

Fortunately, there was a large window next to our bed, so I opened it wide enough to climb in. Unfortunately, the double skinned plastic window chose that moment to become de-laminated! 3am and I was standing there, in my pyjamas, dismantling the window before I could climb back in bed.

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June 15th

Lin and I went for a drive into the mountains.

Lin and I wanted to do a little sight-seeing, so we drove south down the coast to Porto, carried on south for a while taking pics of the pink granite cliffs and strange rock formations, then back to Porto for some lunch. We then drove inland, and walked to the Pont génois de Zaglia. Drove back to Galeria under lowering skies, and eventually heavy rain.

We walked with Bonnie the kilometre or so to Jan and Sue’s gite for dinner and drinks. By the time we needed to head back to the campsite, it was raining hard. Lin and I had cagoules, but also shorts and sandals, and the water in places was up to our ankles! Also, Lin convinced me at one point to turn right instead of left, and so now we were lost as well as soaked!

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June 16th

Did a two-car trip to the Fangu river valley

Dropped one car of at the end of the walk, and all drove to the start. Walked for a couple of hours, naked when there was no-one around, and had a picnic lunch at the riverside. Found a bar on the way back.

In the afternoon, Jan decided he hadn’t had enough exercise and took himself off on another walk, Lin and Sue decided to go for a swim at the secluded beach we visited on the 14th, so I walked to Galeria harbour for a little photography. I have a video of Lin and Sue in the distance, carefully negotiating the wading bit around the headland.

In the evening, the four of us drove to Calvi, and had a nice meal by the harbourside.

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June 17th

Stayed around Galeria.

We walked through the village following the old fossé d’irrigation (water supply) until we reached a turtle pond. Had snacks and drinks, watching the turtles and the dragonflies. Our last night together, so dinner at a restaurant???

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June 18th

Drove from Galeria to Saint-Florent

Lin and I said our goodbyes to Jan and Sue, and headed north up the coast road to our next destination, Camping Acqua Dolce near the pretty town of Saint-Florent. We stopped en-route to take a picture of the idyllic looking Marine de Sant’ambroggio. Had lunch in what was to become our adopted restaurant, Chez Toinou on the quayside in Saint-Florent. Lin had moules mariniere (of course), and I had an excellent pizza.

In the afternoon, we explored our local stretch of beach.

Bread and spreads at the caravan in the evening.

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June 19th

Beaches and activities near the campsite

Had a very improvised lunch at the campsite eating the most edible things we could find in the camp shop. Then spent the afternoon on our local beach with Bonnie… and watched the clouds building up over Cap Corse to the north.

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June 20th

Drove to Bastia and back

Weather was much fresher, so we drove to Bastia to checkout the ferry situation. Rain at first, then brightened up in time for us to have some lunch and a wander around the waterfront area.

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June 21st

Drove up Cap Corse

Drove north from Saint Florent on the west coast road up Cap Corse. Got as far as the pretty village of Nonza. Had lunch at the Cafe de la Tour, and then walked up to the tower itself. From this vantage point, the sea was a startling turquoise colour.

Decided as it was the last night, to eat at Chez Toinou again. Bonnie was wandering loose, so I went to round her up, but she bared her teeth. I wasn’t going to get bitten just to take her to the restaurant, so we left her behind. When we got back, our neighbour came across and said Bonnie had bitten him when he tried to defend his barbecuing from her attentions. He was very nice about and said he was used to dogs, but it was a little embarrassing. We’d had her twelve years, and she was fully grown when we got her, so we knew she was getting on in years, but it was now clear that she was getting senile.

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June 22nd

Saint Florent to Basia

Hitched the caravan and off we went. Uneventful trip on the ferry, Bonnie in our cabin again. We didn’t ask this time! Nice sunsets over Cap Corse.

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June 23rd

Toulon to Correze

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