Corsica

After a rather expensive petite déjeuner [breakfast - Ed] by the marina in Bastia we boarded the tiny diesel (and also rather expensive) train toward Calvi.

After more time spent standing in the heat (an emerging trend) at some obscure station in the middle of Corsica where the lines meet, we finally chugged over barren boulder strewn hillsides for the final section of track that winds its way along the north coast just above the white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. These same waters lulled us and we opted for the late bus to Calenzana so we could spend the afternoon at the beach.

After an early rise, a slow start and some phone calls home we eventually started up the GR20's first étape [stage - Ed] at around 8:30, so far as I could tell we were the second last lot of people to start for the day (they don’t hang around!).

We were expecting a rough start; the first day climbs over 1400m with a total ascending (adding the downs back in) of over 2000m, more than sea level to the top of Mt Kosciusko. As we stopped for one of many breathers on the way up the hill a French man, probably in his fifties, who had just completed a full 14 days from the other direction, remarked "it is good that you come all this way to see our Corse."

As we stopped for another rest on the second high pass the clouds cleared and we could see the impressive (but comparatively small) Monte Grossu, its dark cliffs towering over the cloud filled valley below.

As we sat (yes, yet another theme occurring here!) on the next gap a herd of goats passed through, probably more than a hundred with long coats, big horns and sturdy footing! We looked on jealously!

After climbing further still we could finally see the refuge on the horizon. 11 hours after leaving Calenzana we finally plonked our bags down outside the refuge, the book had recommended we do it in 6 and a bit hours plus 10% for breaks, hmmm!!

The next day we decided to take the low level route down the Melaghia River and back up the Figarella Valley, rather than another day over high passes. The walk down the first valley passes easily in the early morning shade, and we stop for lunch on the boulder-strewn riverbed where the two rivers meet.

After climbing for about half an hour it becomes apparent that we are overburdened, under prepared and overtired. We concede defeat there and then (as more than half of the GR20’s walkers do in the first three stages) where turning back is not too tedious.

At the road head in Bonifatu we check into the campground behind the hotel. Bonifatu lies in the depths of a steep valley, flanked by high impressive cliffs. [Picture of Bonifatu on the left - Ed] The river emerges here and runs through pools where we spend the remainder of the afternoon basking.

We rise late in the morning as the tent does not turn into a furnace as quickly as normal and at around lunchtime we manage to hitch a ride back to Calvi in a campervan with a retired French couple and their dog. I speak pretty much no French and they pretty much no English, but armed with the phrase book I manage to make conversation for the 30-minute journey back into town. In fact I suspect they went out of their way to drop us at a convenient point, most kind. We pitch our tents in full sun in a rather barren campground and lounge on the beach for the rest of the day.

We spend the next morning wandering the laneways and Citadel of Calvi. It is apparent why the Citadel was built where it was; it drops steeply to the ocean on three sides and offers commanding views over the surrounding coastline. At the highest point within the citadel lies a small church with a rounded belltower on top, it can be seen from everywhere in Calvi (or so it seems). We buy a snorkel from the supermarket and lounge on the beach for the rest of the afternoon.

For dinner we splurge and go out. The restaurant sits in a square below an old church. Erin has a couple of fish dishes that we can’t 100% identify and I have the Wild Boar, nice and tender, quite gamey, very nice! At about 10pm two classical guitarists set up behind us on top of the church steps, one of them is especially talented.

We feel quite posh eating French food by candlelight, under the stars listening to live classical guitar.

Matt

Well after an enjoyable night out last night (our first ´proper´ dinner out!), we slept in as long as the sun would let us, then lazed around on the beach in Calvi till it was time to catch the bus to Porto in the afternoon. Continued on the ´lazy´ theme for the rest of the day heading down to the rock pools formed by giant boulders just down the river from where we were camped at ´Sole e Vista´. It was too hot for anything else! We were pleased to open the local paper to find we were experiencing a ´heat wave´ so we weren’t the only ones melting!

Had another early start the next morning, catching the 7.30am bus to Ajaccio (A-jax-io). Most of our time here was spent coordinating buses and ferries for the next few days as Ajaccio, despite being the capital, has very little to offer if you’re not interested in Napoleonic history! Moved on to Bonafacio, (briefly via Propriano) another coastal town, located at the southern tip of Corsica. This is a coast with a difference though, mostly formed of huge chalky sea cliffs as far as the eye can see. Running out of daylight again, we scavenge some dinner and follow a sign directing us to a campground near the beach. Unfortunately with the sign giving no indication of distance, and us being the scorched, weary travellers that the heat and hills were making of us; after an hour of no hope, we head back to the campground on the main road into Bonafacio. Shady, but dusty and very noisy.

Woken up by the pools of sweat dripping from our bodies (no dirty minds please), we decided to get the hell out of the tent and do a tour of the town after a big drink of my new best friend- granita! (like a slurpy but better). We walk up another hill (argh!) and through the big old citadel perched on top of the steep headland. The view from the citadel was great, with cliffs on two sides and the marina on the third. The narrow streets were mostly filled with tiny tourist shops at road level, with people living in the apartments above them. Pretty expensive though- so no presents sorry guys! There was also a big old cemetery with huge, well-preserved crypts and a big staircase carved out of the side of the cliff from the top of the citadel to almost sea level down below, with a short pathway parallel with the sea. It was very spectacular, but they were charging for the prive ledge- I’m not stupid - with my current attitude towards stairs there was no way...

Once again, the heat forced us to go find a beach... and after another lot of unclear signage and an hour walking, we found quite a nice one, with clear water and snorkelling for the kiddies (namely Matt and his ?5 snorkel). After a lovely afternoon and a different set of tan lines, we trudged all the way back to camp to enjoy our staple ´one-pot-meal´ of vegies and pasta and a drink with our French-but-English-speaking next door neighbours Germain and his offsider whose name I can’t even pronounce so therefore can’t spell.

The next morning, using our best negotiation skills (well Matt’s best...) we bargained an hour long tour of the marina and out along the coast of Bonafacio for ?8 (cheap in comparison) and spent the morning listening to the lovely commentary in French, ooing and aahing at whatever everyone else was! The highlight was when the boat went through a tunnel in the cliff and into a cave with a skylight! The sea was pretty rough, so were glad we didn’t opt for breakfast before we went.

Took yet another bus back to Propriano, cooking our one-potter on the grass along the foreshore. After being asked to ‘move on’ by the nearby restaurant owner we moved to our beds for the evening - - the end of the pier. Like real bums, we waited till it got dark and most of the people had left before we set up our beds amongst the rocks.

Woke to sound of a rather large ferry docking on the pier, with 1000 people and cars pouring off. Discovered this was the ferry that we were about to embark on to take us to Marseille. Spent the rest of the day, again being lazy, on our 9-hour cruise to Marseille.

Arrived in Marseille around 7.30pm, with 6 hours to kill before our 1am train to Barcelona. Decided (on the ferry) that we'd have some dinner and a wander and go find an Internet cafe to catch up, etc. Not half an hour out of the station we had been offered drugs, witnessed a gang fight and I had been eyed off by every male passer-by (most with less than three teeth), so we grabbed some cheese to have with the plain pasta and retreated back to the station! The spot we chose to sit was an excellent location, with three security guards in sight, a phone nearby as well as some lovely "pay" toilets. Two trains and a stiff neck later we arrived in Barcelona at 10am in the morning.

Thats it for now!
Love Erin xo


Postcard from Matt 18/7/03

G'day,

The town on the card (pictured left) is where the GR20 starts from, you can see what the mountains look like, we climbed 1400m in the first day.
[Frank says they look very intimidating - Ed]

It all got too hard so we ended up in the valley at Bonifacio swimming in the river instead. Changed our minds about leaving on Tuesday, caught the bus down the coast instead.

Love Matt & Erin