Corsica, 9th-25th June 2007
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What to do with a week in Corsica in summer when you can't go walking in the hills?
We started off by spending Monday relaxing in Corte (unfortunately, the Citadel is accesed via the museum, which is closed on Mondays)
Les escargots
At Corte station, waiting for the train to Calvi. We met Neil, Lucy and Doug on the trian, heading back from Vizzavona having completed the North part of the GR20
We picked up our hire car from Calvi airport and headed off down the West coast, noting that a display outside a pharmacy showed the temperature as 32°C. The views were often quite spectacular - this is looking down at the town of Porto from a bend in the road
Roadblock. I'm not entirely sure what's stopping that photographer from falling over
Fire - a huge problem on Corsica
We spent the night camping near Propriano, then headed up the small roads into the Alta Roca area the next day. Monte Incudine and the Aiguilles de Bavella can just be seen in the background through the haze - the third and second most Southerly stages of the GR20 head through there
Picnic spot. It was very hot, even in the shade
A beastie sunbathing on the car
We headed South past Porto Vecchio and stopped off for a paddle at a beach
After the beach it was North to Sartene, a spectacular mountain village. We booked a room in Hotel Villa Piana for two nights, as it seemd a nice place to stay. Plus they had a jacuzzi.
Roccapina beach the next morning - a few kilometres down a very rough dirt track from the road South of Sartene, so not as busy as many beaches on the island
Having a dip
Cactus
We went to Cauria standing stones in the afternoon
Over-friendly cattle
More stones at Cauria
Bugs
A stone age bus shelter?
The pool and jacuzzi at Hotel Villa Piana, Sartene. The Aiguilles de Bavella could be seen from here too
Sunset from Sartene, after a dinner of creamy Cep pasta for me and giant gambas for Jen
On Friday we headed up towards the hills again, and stopped off at the turtle and tortoise sanctuary A Cupulatta enroute
Guarding the way
Dragonfly
Conversation?
Giant turtles
Charge!
How tortoises are made.
Click for porn flick
A soft shelled turtle
Three's a crowd
We booked into Hotel Monte d'Oro at La Foce, above Vizzavona, where we had stayed the first time we walked the GR20
The town of Vivario and Pasciolo fort
Walking out to Fortin de Pasciolo
Fortin de Pasciolo
In Hotel Monte d'Oro
The dining room
On Saturday we drove up the Restonica gorge above Corte and walked up to Lac de Capitellu
There were many choughs flying about at the lake and trying to persuade people to share their sandwiches
We had lunch on the slabs by the lake
As did this lizard
Leaving Corte. We headed to Calvi and checked into the cheap and cheerful Hotel du Centre for the last two nights
Sunset from Calvi citadel. We met Neil, Lucy and Doug at a restaurant just as we were heading to bed, so stopped off and shared a few drinks before retiring
Our room had a pull-out bidet, which we found quite pleasing
Bouldering under Calvi citadel on Sunday
We had dinner at a restaurant within the citadel on the last night
The harbour from the citadel
A pink church
Narrow alleys in the citadel
Sunset from the citadel on the last night
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