Una traversata per traghetto a Sardegna…the Boat to Sardinia! (31st May – 3rd June)

As dawn broke we could see out into the harbour at Porto Vecchio and its empty expanse of water – no ferry, no shipping-line staff or port employees – nothing! Ever more concerned that we’d got something wrong in the all-Italian purchase of our ferry ticket, we were partially reassured when a few other vehicles turned up, with their occupants equally bemused. After talking to a couple of young French travellers who looked more relaxed than the rest of us, we were informed that the ferry was on time, would be docking at six and leaving at 0630 as advertised.

Reassured, but a little bemused that there were only ten vehicles waiting for the boat, sure enough, the Mega Express 2 hove into view and was docked by 0600. We then witnessed one of the most unusual disembarkations we’d ever seen, with small batches of cars, campers and trucks making their way off the boat, separated by odd periods of inactivity…

It was only when we drove on and saw that the boat was still almost fully laden, that we realised that it had clearly stopped off at Porto Vecchio en route from somewhere else – and that we weren’t going to be sharing the Mega 2 beast with just a handful of people! The episodic disembarkation was clearly caused by the different types of vehicle being unloaded from different part of the boat – quite a logistical feat! Maybe this was part of the reason this two and a half hour crossing was cheaper than its 50 minute counterpart, which leaves from Bonifacio and docks at Santa Teresa Gallura?

Either way, this crossing was a real treat, with none of the strong winds we’d read were common on the shorter hop, and as the sun rose higher in the sky we bade farewell to a couple of fabulous weeks in Corsica – and the ferry’s pilot, with one island fading into the distance as the next one came into focus on the horizon.

As we pulled into Porto Aranci (on the north east coast) we checked our Sardinia map and agreed we’d have a go at an anti-clockwise trip around the coast, as the driving, whilst Italian, was rumoured to be less challenging than on Corsica. This way, we’d be able to make use of any roadside pull-ins for a rest, or to admire the view, without having to cross oncoming traffic as we had on Corsica!

This also meant we’d be visiting the most upmarket bit of Sardinia first, where some of the ACSI campsites only offer a discount until mid June, no doubt due to the high demand for a taste of life on the Costa Smeralda (a favourite of Silvio Berlusconi and Madonna, amongst others apparently!)

And so it was with some trepidation that we pulled into the very swish parking area of the Centro Vacanze Isuledda, near Cannigione in the Golfo di Arzachena and opposite the Maddalena islands, favoured by the yachting fraternity and the resting place of the ‘hero’ of the creation of the Italian state, Giuseppe Garibaldi.

Centro Vacanze Isuledda gave us a taste of the Italian ‘camping village’ that we’d last enjoyed in 2015 and before long we had handed over all our important documents for ‘processing’ (it’s still a legal requirement that campsites send photocopies of documents from foreigners, even EU ones, to the local police!) and been tagged with the obligatory non-removable plastic bracelet! And, as is the case with the these more up-market sites, being second-class ACSI campers, we were only allowed onto pitches that weren’t on the front line, overlooking the beautiful sea, sand and rocky coves.

We’re not that fussed, as you can still access all that loveliness from a 2^nd class pitch of course, and before long, we were parked up amongst, Swiss, German, Spanish, Dutch, French, Italian and a couple of other Brit campers, and ready for some beach time! We even had a view of some interesting ‘Trulli’ style lodges – at least we assumed that’s where the inspiration for these circular huts came from…

Having stopped at a big Conad supermarket en route, we knew we’d be able to laze about for a few days if the weather came good – and sure enough it did, and we did, as we made full use of each of the three beaches available to the happy campers. It was only after we’d been woken at midnight on the Saturday by a firework display, followed by four hours of Euro-pop from a disco across the bay, that we realised that we’d better get a wiggle on if we were to make our plan of the whole Sardinian coast a reality!

And so, with a quick wave to Garibaldi’s house across the bay (we’d planned a boat trip but indolence/swimming/reading got the better of us!) we set off for our next destination via the picturesque coast road: Castelsardo and its fortified citadel.

S&J

Essential Delights at La Ferme Sorbelle (30th May) Published June 18th

Corsica's maquis (wild scrubland) smells amazing, and one of Mrs B’s hopes here was to be able to visit an essential oils producer, or at least source some locally produced oils. Our first attempt, a producer we’d seen advertised near Calvi came up with a no longer used web domain, so we left it in the lap of the gods, hoping we’d happen upon somewhere else. . .

And we did! An organic producer not far from Aléria, in Antisanti, due to have an open weekend for visitors… but a couple of days after we were due to leave the island…

Undeterred, we emailed, as it seemed that individual tours or visits just might be possible, and although there was no reply by the next day and we were due to leave, we thought we'd try anyway, on our way out of town, and headed off into the hills, armed with directions from a flyer picked up at the local tourist office.

The drive was beautiful, up windy roads, then a track, crossing a stream, and still a little further until we arrived at a gate. We parked up and walked the short distance up the hill, not knowing what to expect. We arrived at the farm to a bustle of activity, with a picnic area being set up under the shade in readiness for the weekend. Next to it, a couple of farm buildings and outside, a still for the oils, powered mostly by solar. Even the water here is purified via solar power, with bottled gas just for those very dull days.

Patrick, the owner, was eventually located, working on the farm, by a lovely helpful woman, who, it turned out, was the artist-in-residence, creating sculptural installations throughout the site. Patrick kindly agreed we could look around and walked us to the start of one of the farm trails, telling us about the different plants en route and was then happy (as were we, with all those amazing smells!) to let us wander for half an hour or so.

The time spent there was a real treat, and we left happy, with essential oils (myrte vert, cyste ladanifère and immortelle) plus some olive oil and myrte liqueur.

If you’re in Corsica and fancy dropping in, it’s best to call first. You will find the farm here:

http://www.aromes-solaire.net

J&S

Alèria and a tale of Romans, Napoleon’s favourite oysters, wild boar and more… (28th – 30th May)

Alèria was on our Corsican itinerary as Mr B had read about the Greco/Roman site and museum there and, fired up by our last island adventure on Sicily in 2015, visiting one of Corsica’s most famous Roman sites was high up his list of must-dos.

However, as anyone who has visited Italy or Sicily will know, it’s a very hard act to follow and a bit of expectation management was in order… especially after the menhirs of Filitosa...

Located a short cycle ride away from our campsite (Marine Alèria) we arrived at the ticket booth in the museum (housed in a very imposing Genoese bastion, Fort Matra) to discover that entry was free, rather than the €3 each we were expecting to pay. Perhaps this should have told us something…

The museum housed a wide range of artefacts excavated from the Roman site (most of which is still buried), including Hellenic, Punic and Attic ornaments, household goods and weapons. Most interesting, and entertaining though for us, was a bowl featuring Dionysus, clearly having a good time…

Coming a close second, was a ‘rhyton’ or drinking vessel in the shape of a dog’s head…

The expanse of the Roman site itself however, lacked just a little of the scale and majesty we’d seen at other Mediterranean locations, and although we enjoyed a peaceful wander around the site and admired the views back to the fort and the coast, it lacked some of the wow factor that Mr B had clearly prepared himself for, and the cycle back featured more conversations about dinner rather than ancient monuments!

The campsite itself more than made up for any archaeological disappointments, nestled as it was between a sandy beach and hectares of vineyards, and we were fortunate to spend a few very enjoyable days there. The beach was long, sandy and dotted with some amazing driftwood deposits, including some truly enormous ones!

On one of the less sunny days we cycled along the dunes to the end of the lagoon that lay to the north of the site, the l’Ètang de Diane, to explore the ‘Tour’ that guarded the inlet to the lagoon. Pushing our trusty folding bikes to their design limits on the rutted sandy tracks along the dunes, Mrs B celebrated our safe arrival at the Tour in proper off-road style…

As we returned along the dunes, we noticed one or two spots that might be perfect for a wild camp…

The lagoon was used by the Romans as a harbour for a fleet at the time Alèria was the Roman capital of Corsica, and has been a centre for cultivating oysters and mussels for over 2000 years. Napoleon allegedly had his favourite molluscs shipped over to Elba when he was in exile, but having sampled the mussels here, all we can say is he probably didn’t visit the Baie de la Somme, where we still think the best mussels in France can be found!

We tried the Étang mussels at the campsite restaurant, with perhaps the best part of the evening being the moonlit sky as we returned to our van... oh well! Watching a full moon over the sea is always quite special, and this night was no different, as the light cloud gave it a magical appearance.

Although the weather was mixed for our stay, with sun and cloud competing for our attentions interspersed with bouts of heavy rain, we were treated to some amazing starry nights, moonlit beaches and an opportunity to get chatting to our two really friendly ‘motard’ neighbours, Catherine and Djamel, travelling by motorbike and camping light, as we lent them our beach brolly to help keep the rain off their dinner one evening – A bientôt mes amis!

Having wanted to get his hair cut when we were in Calvi, but fearful that he may have ended up with a military Foreign Legion crew cut (more fitting on the buff young legionnaires!) Mr B decided to put his limited French to use and cycled off into the nearest town one morning to try his luck. Returning with a close approximation to his usual ‘style’ and a lucky linguistic escape over the numbers used with electric clippers, he could now add French/Corsican to his growing number of Euro-haircuts!

Bidding farewell to Catherine and Djamel as we left the campsite on the same day, we decided on the spur of the moment and basking in the not-seen-for-a-while sun, to explore up the coast for a possible free camp in one of the locations we’d seen on our bike ride. As we left our pitch, the snow capped mountains in the interior were just visible in the distance, not something we’d expected at all and quite a contrast to the sun drenched vineyards!

And after an amazing visit in the morning to La Ferme Sorbelle (see separate entry) we tucked ourselves in by the low dunes, on an almost deserted beach where we spent a fabulous last afternoon in Corsica. As we had a ferry booked for an 0630 sailing, free camping meant that we were able to head off in the early hours without disturbing anyone, and the beach seemed like a better alternative to just parking up at the port in Porto Vecchio.

So with the setting sun visible from our camper window, and with our first sighting of an enormous wild boar rootling in the vegetation not five metres from the van, we treated ourselves to a hot van-shower (it’s small but perfectly formed – and worked a treat!) and dinner, and then settled in for a short night (alarm set for 0230!) before the drive to the port, with just the sound of the sea lapping on the sandy shore – perfect!

Woken by both our phone alarms and their competing tunes in the dead of night, we enjoyed an almost vehicle free drive down to Porto Vecchio, arriving with plenty of time to spare, only to find the port all locked up and no other vehicles – or sign of any life at all, let alone a waiting ferry… Had we got the time wrong, or were we at the wrong embarkation gate for our boat?

S&J

The Napoleonic Corniche road around Cap Corse (24th – 27th May)

The drive from St Florent to the start of the road that hugs the coast of Cap Corse (Corsica’s ‘finger’ at its top end) started to get interesting as we headed north from Patrimonio (Santa Maria) and crossed our first ever road bridge made of timber, and with only one vehicle allowed on it at a time! We didn’t get a photo as there was nowhere to pull over – a foretaste of the route to come! Soon we were winding our way up, traversing crystal clear streams making their way to the sea, with an abundance of colourful flowers growing along their banks.

As the road began to climb, snaking its way along the cliffs, we were treated to a variety of different types of beaches and coves, including this one which had turned grey as a result of pollution from amianthus mining up the coast. Used in the manufacture of asbestos, huge amounts were dumped in the sea when the industry collapsed as a result of cheaper Canadian imports, not only decimating the marine life, but turning the beaches grey for years to come. We didn’t stop for a paddle…

As with much of the coastline, there was also a succession of Genoese lookout towers, still standing watch despite the passing centuries.

As we drove through the tiny villages that are now mainly tourist honey-pots, with most of the activity in each centred around feeding and watering the many travellers exploring the twists and turns of the coast road, we were struck at how isolated these communities must have been when there was only the original commerce that led to their creation; sometimes mining, or sometimes fishing. By the time we’d found somewhere safe to pull in after seeing the small harbour in the next photo, we couldn’t tell whether this was a mining or fishing village, but according to our Rough Guide, it would have been one or the other.

Most of these little villages on the west coast followed a similar pattern, with houses strung out away from a harbour and almost always topped by a church. We also expected there to be a cemetery close by, with the dead given the best views of all, as is customary – but not here on Corsica, where the custom seems to be that families buy a small plot of land at the edge of a usually very precipitous cliff, and build a family mausoleum, with much of the roadside between villages given over to a succession of funerary competitiveness with each family trying to outbuild the next. As with the wooden bridge, we weren’t able to get a photo as the roads had very few passing places – but think of your favourite showy Victorian tombs and spread them out along a cliff edge and you’d get the idea!

One of the places we’d chosen to head to on this coast, hopefully for a lunch stop, was Centuri Port, apparently one of the top places to go to on the coastal route. As we turned off the ‘main road’ onto a tiny narrow track, we were expecting a tricky descent down to the port, until suddenly the road widened, and it was clear that it had been recently asphalted to allow easy access, in peak season we found out, for many coach tours! Luckily, all we had to cope with was one cautiously negotiated blind bend after another – and no coaches!

As we neared the port itself, we spotted a few campers parked up and just in time pulled into a vacant space, at the same time as we saw a height barrier a little further up the road. Although not anti-campervan per se, much of the coastline near any popular destination on Corsica has been made campervan free, making parking our 7m beast a bit of a challenge now and again. (We found out later that much of the introduction of height barriers and other restrictions only dates back to about 2010, after the number of campers looking for an overnight stop had grown exponentially.)

The port centre itself was pretty busy, but away from the harbour-side eateries, we enjoyed an interesting explore of the back streets, with a quirky charm that offset the intensity of the centre, including one house where the owners had decorated the perimeter with heart shaped rocks … however others had a less romantic approach, which included a resident donkey…

After a surprisingly fast return to the main road from Centuri and rejoining the Corniche heading north, we soon realised we were crossing the northernmost part of Corsica as we sighted Giraglia island from a roadside vantage point.

Dropping down towards the port town of Macinaggio where we hoped to replenish our supplies before heading for our next stop at Pietracorbara, we were suddenly faced with a roadblock and a diversion that took us on a very scenic, and narrow route in a giant loop before we were able to rejoin the Corniche again on the outskirts of Macinaggio. More than a little hot and sweaty after the bonus loop, we stopped off to have a wander and restock, including some of the local Muscat made nearby.

As we wandered around the port, it became clear what the cause of our detour had been – the Giraglia rally – a famous race over public roads that was due to start at the weekend, with our detour organised to allow the drivers a chance to practice. Grateful we’d missed the congestion of the actual race days (and reminded of a similar experience in Cataluña some years ago, where we experienced cars practising on the roads whilst they were still open to the public!) we reached our destination at last – camping Domaine LP in Pietracorbara north of Bastia, set back from a nearby beach and with a heated pool – perfect for an unwind!

The campsite was an interesting mix of free camping in a large field (where we went) and a series of what could only be described as maze-like hedged hideaways, perfect for anyone seeking privacy (the hedges were a good three metres high).

After enjoying a lazy stay here for a few days, enjoying the pool, the open space and dark skies at night, we wondered how far we’d need to travel around Corsica until we found a beach that hadn’t had a recent visit from the Posidonia weed – clearly not here! Not only was it stacked all along the shore line, but the first few metres of sea were pretty gloopy – so we enjoyed our swimming in the pool instead.

Interestingly, all the access points to the beach for parking had signs like this one – no campervans thanks!

And a special shout here for our friend Giselle who made the window blinds in the next photo that are great for allowing ventilation without heat when the sun is beating down on the window. We’d seen these on many campers from mainland Europe but not managed to track down a supplier – luckily Giselle was able to make us a set to our design – and they have been brilliant!

Realising we would need to plan the next stage of our trip to allow for a bit more exploring before heading off to Sardinia, we settled on Alèria, site of a major Roman town (with ruins and museum for Mr B) and adjacent to a long and very picturesque looking sandy beach, hopefully free of weed!

S&J