A Postcard from Corsica - News and Photos
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A Postcard from Corsica – News and Photos
It seems a long time since the last blog but in the intervening six weeks we spent half the time back at home in UK.
We last reported on 5th May from Bonifacio in Corsica. We are now back again in Corsica but after some further time in Italy.
After three days in Bonifacio we headed back to Sardinia to Cala Gavetta marina in La Maddalena.
La Maddalena is an attractive spot despite the amazing amount of traffic for such a tiny island with an endless stream of cars coming on or off the ferries to the mainland at Palau.
From La Maddalena it is only a dozen miles back across the straits to Santa Teresa di Gallura where we had booked in Ione for a month for only €500 while we were in UK.
The marina at Santa Teresa is substantial and in the main well sheltered. Ferries leave from here regularly for Bonifacio. There is a ‘leisure complex’ at the end of the marina but totally shut in May and showing only limited signs of life in early June. However there is some life in the small town but this does involve a 15 minute walk around the marina and then a stiff climb uphill to the town itself.
On the plus side there is an ‘express’ bus, taking 1¾ hours to Olbia airport for only €5. This we took on 12th May, returning to Ione again on 2nd June to start the second phase of summer.
It was wonderful to return to the warmth – markedly hotter than three weeks previously. Winter duvets were packed away and the water temperature was starting to look inviting! With a benign forecast for the next week, we couldn’t wait to get away.
First stop was Cala Corsara on Isola Spargi, the closest of the Maddalena islands, where we had our first proper swim of the year. The water was beautifully clear and the tripper boats were not in evidence. Swimming buoys were just being laid during our lunch stop.
From there we spent the night in La Maddalena in order to reactivate our Italian TIM SIM card and to get an anchoring permit for a week around the islands at a cost of €60. It was a sociable (read boozy!) evening in the company of Rita (from Sicily) and Joe (from Corsica) from the boat next door. Both live in Paris, so it was good for our French.
Next stop was the anchorage at Porto Palma, very peaceful with only five other boats around and lots of space. The summer mooring buoys had not yet been laid.
The Maddalenas do have some wonderful anchorages;
Cala Corticcio was the next lunch stop.
Then Santa Maria for the night.
We have been meeting Ray and Judy Steward on Start Again regularly every year since we first wintered next to each other in Cartagena some 4 years ago. Having seen them briefly in Mahon in mid April, they also had sailed to north Sardinia, so on Saturday 6th June we anchored close to each other for lunch in Cala Corsara before heading to Cala Gavetta in La Maddalena for a meal ashore together in Ristorante Lio.
With beautiful gentle weather it was the ideal time to sail, anchor and swim in company with Start Again. The next night we were back in Porto Palma. Then lunch anchored off Isola Budelli and the night in Santa Maria.
We had always planned a visit to Corsica, so on 9th June, having persuaded Start Again into accompanying us, we headed all of a dozen miles north, across the straits of Bonifacio to the SE corner of Corsica, anchoring in Rondinara. Sadly we took no photographs of this beautiful spot – a well sheltered circular bay. Clear water and wonderful warm swimming.
Next stop Port Vecchio, having had a wonderful sail there in ENE F3 just pointing it all the way for 16 miles.
The modern marina is just underneath the ancient citadel town. On arrival we found Bill Macmeikan from Bridjeen (met first last September!) also in harbour, thus giving the excuse for inviting Ray & Judy and Bill to a huge plancha supper on board.
The old walled town is very attractive with the narrow streets and high buildings. A good excuse for lunch at Shirley’s – English sounding but Corsican cooking.
The weather forecast for the next few days indicated strong winds and some rain, so this was an ideal opportunity to hire a car and visit inland Corsica.
The first day’s drive started in rain along the coast but over lunch in Aléria the weather cleared as we turned inland and started to climb inland.
Much of the countryside is covered in maquis. This is a scrub mixture of gorse, broom, large heathers, strawberry trees and myrtle. The smell is wonderful but the prickles horrendous. It is the sort of terrain where a local outlaw or bandit, knowing all the tracks and animal paths, could vanish and hide for years. In days of old it was used by those involved in rebellions and vendettas. Later in the second world war it was used by the Corsican partisans – Corsica was the first departement in France to liberate itself from the German Nazi occupation. Hence the name maquis being used for resistance fighters.
Many of the little villages seem totally isolated. Before motor transport it must have taken days to move from one to another. Piedecorte di Gaggio church in this village square is typical. Next to it is a WWI war memorial – lots of names from the same families. Corsica had more men killed in WWI than any other part of France.
We spent the night in Corte, which, for a time in the 18th century, had been the capital under the enlightened Pasquale Paoli, who represented the longing for independence of many Corsicans.
From Corte we travelled south. Near Vivario we passed close to the narrow gauge railway line which crosses the island. This bridge across a gorge was designed by Eiffel of Paris tower fame.
Even in June there was snow on the peaks of the highest mountains.
At the top of the Col di Sorba there were signs of the Corsican independence movement. French words had been spray painted out and the sign was riddled with bullet holes.
Hiking in Corsica is a massive tourist attraction and there are a multitude of trails with rest houses and campsites en route. Probably the most famous is the Grande Randonnée – the GR20 – which crosses the island and is made up of some 15 stages of 5 or 6 hours apiece. We can now say that we have walked the GR20 – albeit for only 200 metres to find a picnic spot!
Corsica is famed for its wild boar and in Corte we had enjoyed a stew thereof. We are not quite sure whether this lot are truly wild!
There are huge numbers of chestnut trees, and chestnut flour has been a staple of the Corsican diet. This restored water mill was primarily used for grinding chestnuts to flour.
That night was spent further south at a friendly little hotel in Zonza, with excellent food. Nearby this tree seemed to take the shape of a browsing bear!
The locals here have a belief that witches may attack travellers and eat their brains. Even the road signs support this!
There was heavy rain and thunder on our morning in Zonza. The road to the Col de Bavella was covered in mist. Despite the conditions, a hill race was taking place although one could barely see the hardy runners.
From Zonza we drove downhill to the coast. The scenery gradually changed as we descended from the high granite crags and tall linaccio pines down to the maquis …
… and to beautiful beach scenery at Pinarellu.
Before returning the hire car in Porto Vecchio on Monday 15th June, we took the opportunity to do a huge and heavyweight shop at the local LeClerc hypermarket.
With the forecast for a SW force 6 until late afternoon, this was an ideal opportunity to move north up the Corsican east coast. Leaving at midday we had 23 knots of wind behind us so made fast passage until at 1450 the wind totally died as if a switch had been thrown. Within 5 minutes we had 13 knots from N by E – essentially the opposite direction. The wind then gradually dropped further as we made our way into Solenzara marina. There are almost no anchorages on this part of the coast so we are forced into more expensive nights! However Solenzara was extremely welcoming and friendly, and we spent a very peaceful night.
Today – Tuesday 16th June – we have come on to Port de Taverna, a motor of 6 hours in negligible wind but arriving at the marina just before heavy rain and thunder. This is a strange place – a substantial marina but with a shallow entrance – at one stage we had only 2.1 metres of water so only eight inches below our keel. There is a holiday village with a full swimming pool, mown lawns but no people. Three or four restaurants in the marina – waitresses but no customers. However it does serve well for our passage up the coast.
From here Bastia is some 35 miles to the north but, more interestingly, Elba is only 45 miles north east. The weather pattern over the next two or three days is unclear but our thoughts are to head towards Elba for a few days before rounding Cap Corse and exploring the west side of Corsica.
Tony & Sarah, Port de Taverna – 16 May 2015 Malo 37 – Ione – http://blog.mailasail.com/ione
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