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Day 33: Messina - Taormina - Naxos - Francavilla di Sicilia - Castiglione di Sicilia - Milo - Zaffarena Etnea 123 km
When I arroved with the ferry in Sicily yesterday night at ten o'clock, I succeeded to find a hotel in
downtown Messina. The hotel is not exactly a five star hotel but I have had a good nights sleep whatsoever.
Still sleepy I go to the reception and ask where breakfast is served. I am directed to a bar
three blocks away. "Breakfast Italian style", the hotel manager explains. If people feel the
need for such interpretations in advance, you know that you will be fooled. For the fun of it I
decide to just let things happen. In the cafe I show the receipt from my hotel. The bartender
gives me an intimidating expression: "Guests of hotel Cairolo always get the small breakfast."
It seems like a matter of dignity to cheat as openly and insulting as possible. With a sense of
craftmanship the bartender shows up with a tea cup with a crumb on the top of it. Surprised,
I look at the crumb on my tea cup. If I closely inspect the thing, it shows that the little crumb
has got the shape of a croissant. The bartender stares at me proudly. I will have to do with it.
I do not respond and I surely do not protest or show any sign of disappointment. If I would do, the bartender
will refer to the hotel and the hotel owner will refer to the cafe. I will not spend any energy on
the issue, so much energy did not I obtain from this breakfast...
Messina does not fascinate me and neither does the coastal route to Taormina. In Naxos I meet a
special man of about sixty one years, who begins telling me about his tragic lovestory as a
young man. Forty years later he is still in pain and looks back in melancholy. After Naxos I
leave the coast and ride towards the Etna, that is veiled by clouds today. Through the beautiful
town of Castiglione di Sicilia I cycle to the campsite of Milo, which appears to be closed. I
am forced to move to a luxurious hotel in Zaffarena Etnea.
Day 34: Zaffarena Etnea - Etna - Ragalna - Adrano - Regalbuto - Agira 93 km
From Zaffarena Etnea I start the day with a big climb: from 500 meter to 1900 meters in fifteen
kilometers. There is the tourist center of the Etna. The summit of Mount Etna is much higher, at
3300 meters altitude, but you can only reach the top with an organized tour. I climb
through the deep green forests of Mount Etna until after a few miles I cycle through
magma fields. A barren brown landscape is all around me now. The road switches up through
the wilderness. I continue on the winding road up but often I keep silent for photos. Unfortunately
the summit of the Etna is soon wrapped up in clouds. Rapidly the mountain is collecting
more clouds. Further up the mountain, the lava fields turn into a reddish purple and black.
Pink, mossy flowers grow on the black flanks and elsewhere yellow herbaceous species grow out of
the mountain. Those are highly unorthodox landscapes that I find on the flanks of Mount Etna.
I reach the tourist area at 1900 meters altitude. From here I take a short stroll
up one of the many craters that is within reach. The view is limited by the many clouds but
I can still discern the sea two thousand meters below. I walk back to my bicyle and
I descend to the west, down to the village Ragalna. The landscape between Ragalna and
Adrano is messy and is full of newly built concrete houses.
From Adrano I am proceeding to Regalbuto. I enter a dry, yellow, hilly landscape,
one of the highlights of this cycling journey. The farther I ride away from the Etna, the
more impressive are the views. The sheer volume of the giant volcano defies imagination.
The colossus of Sicily rises far above the surrounding landscape. Seen from far, the
Mount Etna has got a Smurf blue color, which makes a wonderful contrast with the yellow ocher hills
of the immediate surroundings and the dark green, wooded valleys below me. The most fascinating of this
landscape are the towns and the villages, which seem to grow organically out of the hills and
mountains themselves. The most beautiful town so far is Agira. I spontaneously decide
to spend the night there. In the interior of Sicily are (almost) no campings so I have to
look for some place else. I manage to find a tavern, run by an old woman. For 25 euros
I can sleep in one of the most attractive lodgings, which I have seen in my travels:
a pastel blue room with a Vincent van Gogh-like bed that fills almost the entire room except
for a narrow passage. The only decoration in the room is a painting of Mary. And there is
a mirror. I put my bicycle in the narrow passage beside my bed. At sunset the old town on the hillside
is immersed in a searing, blood-red glow. The first day in Sicily was a false start
but today was as good as a bicycle travel day can be...
Day 35: Agira - Nicosia - Gangi - Portella dei Bafurca (1120 m) - Geraci - Castelbuono - Cefalù 124 km
Through the parched interior of Sicily I push on through to the west. The road winds through
the mountainous landscape. It is great cycling here. The road is never flat here. And
luckily, the landscape is not either. There is little traffic. The temperature rises by the minute
and after I have passed the beautifully situated village of Nicosia, it is burning hot. Every small
climb results in a merciless sweat attack. As just before Gangi the road is closed
and I am obliged to make a detour on a small farm road, I have to do an extra climb of two
hundred to three hundred meters with percentages to 20%. Because of the steepness, my front
wheel nearly loses contact with the ground. It is around noon now and the temperature will be
at least 35 degrees. Sweat is flushing over my body, the salt water running in my eyes
and in my mouth. Then I am finally in the town Gangi. From Gangi I climb in 10 kilometer to the
1120 meters high pass, the Portella dei Bafurca. From the pass it is almost exclusively down to the sea.
I soon pass the pretty village of Geraci, which is located on a sharp ridge. The village has got some
remarkably high buildings. I descend into the naturul area of Madonie, a rugged mountain landscape.
I find myself a little thousand meters above the valleys on either side of me, on both sides of the valleys
new mountain ridges emerge with other villages like Geraci on top of the mountains. The descent
switches from one to the other side of the ridge. The road winds in all directions and unfolds
ever-new vistas. I pass the town of Castelbuono, then I have a small climb to the
Portella di Monte Nero. A few minutes later I descend to the sea and not much later
I am in the special town of Cefalù, beautifully situated on a bay and just before a
huge rock. I visit the famous cathedral of the town and I finally find a camping. It is
a good thing for me to be able to do my own cooking again.
Day 36: Cefalù - Termini Immerese - Porticello - Palermo 87 km
At 5 o'clock, the ferry will leave from Palermo to Sardinia but I do not know if I will be allowed to go.
The company does not make reservations for persons without a car in the high season.
On the Internet I get error messages when trying to make a reservation. There is only one company
that travels to Sardinia and that is only once a week from Palermo to Cágliari.
Neither on Internet, nor by phone is it possible to make a reservation. I suspect
that the company can earn more money by allowing only people with cars and that
the error messages on Onternet are not accidental. But maybe I am too suspicious. I decide
that I give the Italians one more chance, so I will cycle to the booking office of Palermo
and I see what happens. As I do not manage to arrange the trip to Sardinia, I will go
with another company to Genoa, and I will cycle as soon as possible out of the country.
In mostly flat 87 kilometers I cycle to Palermo, where I reach the ferry terminal at half past twelve.
To my surprise a charming and helpful man arranges the tickets. It takes a while before
I know whether or not it is possible for me to go to Sardinia, but after fifteen minutes
the good news comes: I can go! Another man had to wait three hours for the good news, but he
is allowed to go too. I have got a few hours yet to explore the city of Palermo and
then I will make the great crossing to Sardinia, a crossing which will last up to 14 hours.
Day 37: Cágliari - Sestu - Ussana - Senorbi - San Basilio - Pranu Muteddu - Escala Plano - Orroli - Nurri 111 km
Sunday, August 9, 6 o'clock in the morning. The night has been driven away by the day.
My ship is coming in and arrives at the port of Cágliari. I am riding off the boat
and I find a new island, Sardinia, below my wheels. The town of Cágliari is still
asleep. Through te empty streets I cycle to the citadel, to the old city. The churches,
the higher points in the town, are touched by the orange sunlight. Occasionally a man or a woman is
strolling through the streets, I am practically alone in the big town. A cafe is open yet,
I am the first guest. From the terrace, there are beautiful views of the harbor and the hills
in the distance. Meanwhile, the whole city is illuminated by the sun, a beautiful view.
After a good breakfast and an equally good double espresso, I am ready for the day.
I have managed to sleep quite well on the boat, the seats were pretty comfortable. I am
not tired now and I feel that I do not need a shortened program today. I explore the city
a little further. The cathedral is very atmospheric. Then it is cycling time. The city
is slowly waking up now, but it is still quiet at 8 o'clock on a Sunday morning.
Cágliari appears to be a surprisingly big city. Like every Italian city I do not
manage to find the correct exit road again. Therefore it takes me sixteen kilometers
to get out of town. The landscape is almost flat and certainly not too special.
I am riding to the north and the landscape becomes hillier as I am proceeding. After
fifteen minutes, I take the first exit of the main road and now I am cycling on a small
regional road. I am passing the first villages and I realise how sparsely populated
this region is, now that I have left Cagliari. The mainland of Italy and Sicily are densely
populated, even the outlying areas. Sardinia in contrast is very sparsely populated, the rest
here is very beneficial. And I am still in the low areas now. How will the rugged interior
of the island be like? I will know soon enough.
After Senorbi I am climbing into the hills. The hills of southern Sardinia are not as high
as the central part of the island but that does not mean that I do not need not climb
here. The road keeps going up. As I am getting higher, the surrounding hills seem to
get increasingly higher as well. It is only 12 o'clock in the morning and it is already bloody hot.
Under the influence of the wind the sweat evaporates quickly. My skin feels rough and
stiff from the salt. Never before have I experienced such heat this early in the day.
A prolonged effort under hot conditions is much more fatiguing than a similar effort
under normal circumstances. That is my experience at least. I really do not know
why that is, perhaps because of the extensive loss of all kinds of minerals and salts. The
fatigue of an effort on an extremely hot day feels different than ordinary tiredness during a similar
effort. The hilly landscape around me is barren and deserted. Cork oaks are the eye-catchers in
this heavily weathered landscape. Because of the wind some cork oaks do not grow up straight,
but in a characteristic s-shape. After a long descent I reach Pranu Muteddu, an archaeological
site of menhirs, tombs and mysterious nurraghi buildings of perhaps four thousand years old. Who and
why these buildings are built, is unknown. The function of the tower shaped nurraghi is unknown.
The buildings are scattered over the island. I take the time to stroll across the site. If I
return to my bike after an hour, it is extremely hot. This is by far the hottest day of the trip.
I cycle on through the deserted landscape. Numerous hills and valleys I pass. The landscape
is a plateau landscape that is cut by river valleys. The road alternates constantly between
the hills and the valleys, so that I have to climb a lot. The heat, the wind and the climbing
take their toll. There are not too many facilities in the deserted villages and if by chance there is one
cafe in one of the villages, then it is a closed one because it is Sunday. The largest
town on the region should provide food and drinks, otherwise I am having a problem. But in
EscalaPlano, everything is closed again. Everything except one cafe at the end of the village.
And that is a good thing because I desperately need food and drinks.
I am traveling further through the hills. It is late afternoon now and slowly
the temperature drops to more normal conditions. That means below forty degrees.
The landscape is a bit greener and I pass some nurraghi. In the village Orroli I meet
a group of old men, that seem to gather daily at the central square. The men are
curious about what I am doing here. They ask me whether I like Sardinia. "Yes, there is a
great atmosphere here", I reply enthusiastically. The men look at me bewildered.
"Really?" One of the men looks surprised. "Yes," I let my enthusiasm run wild, "what about you?"
"Many stones, little bread. That is Sardinia in a nutshell. More I can not make of it."
These men do not owe many illusions. In the next village, in Nurri, I find a bed & breakfast.
I meet two German ladies, that visit the village of Nurri every year. They tell me about
life in the hillside of Sardinia. Entire villages have worked in the Volkswagen factory
in Germany in the sixties and the seventies, that is why all old men speak German fluently.
Day 38: Nurri - sadali - Seulo - Aritzo - Dèsulo - s'Arcu de Tascussi (1245 m) - Fonni - Mamoiada - Nuoro 139 km
I cycle away early in the morning. I want to go early, now that it is not too hot. After a few flat
kilometers and a descent I reach a large lake, the Lago del Fiumeadosa. Here begins a long
climb to the central highlands of Sardinia. After one hour of climbing I reach a plateau that
stretches out before me. Miles to the north and to the east, new mountain ridges are visible.
I cycle over the plains to Sadali as I see a gray, thick-haired dog with a thick
fluffy tail dribbling before me. Is that a wolf? I did not think that there are any wolves
in Sardinia but I pick up some stones and fill the pockets of my cycling shirt. Just to be sure.
The 'wolf' is still walking calmly before me and does not snow any interest in me. Or maybe he does
not even does not even know that I am here at all. Better thins way. Neither of us will
benefit from a confrontation. After a few kilometers of cycling on the lonely plateau I
reach the village Sadali. In a roadside pub I take a break to recover from the climb and from
the confrontation with the wolf that probably was not a wolf at all.
The immense plateau that stretched out before me cannot be considered a plateau on closer inspection.
Nothing here is what it seems. The plateau is intersected by numerous rivers. So there is a lot of
climbing and descending before I have crossed the plateau. And after that there is still the real climb
to do. Just before Aritzo I reach a pass and I descend into the village. Aritzo is perhaps the most touristy
Sardinian village in the central interior. That does not mean that the town is very touristy.
There are not many tourists at all. There are no campings apart from the coast and there are
hardly any hotels in these regions. Ideally I would reach Nuoro today, the most important city of
the interior of Sardinia. If I get is half. It is a small 140 kilometer from where I Nurri morning
began to Nuoro and the first part to Aritzo knew much climbing. The heat is not too bad today.
I am cycling between 500 and 1000 meter higher than yesterday and that menas that it is some five
degrees cooler. And those five degrees make life a lot easier. After the long descent from Aritzo, I am
climbing again. The climb is the longest of today and ends at an altitude of 1245 meter on the
s'Arcu the Tascussi, amidst the mountains of the Monti del Gennargentu, the main mountain massif of Sardinia.
From the beautifully situated village Dèsulo there are beautiful views over these barren,
weathered mountains. I reach the pass, then I am descending and climbing on the edege of the highlands.
After one last climb, I have finally crossed the highlands. I descend to the village of Fonni
and then continue to go down further. The last forty kilometers of the day are therefore covered easily and
in no time I reach the provincial town of Nuoro. It takes the necessary effort to find an overnight stay,
so I must be satisfied with a boring hotel in the suburbs. The center of Nuoro is not too special
anyway. The town consists for the most part of gray high-rise. The view from the city to the
limestone cliffs to the north however, is breathtaking.
Day 39: Nuoro - Galtelli - Irgoli - Posada - San Teodoro 99 km
Today I want to reach the sea. With a little luck I will succeed to find a campsite today.
I take a northeasterly direction and I find myself from the first minute in beautiful
mountainous landscapes. In the north lies a high, steep, razor sharp, white limestone massif.
Galtelli lies south of a new, bright, white mountain massif, this time with a round shape. Here it is
not the altitude but the color and the sheer volume of the solid stone that impresses. From
Irgoli there is only a short climb that separates me from the sea. I reach the pass and
I descend to the coastal road. It is a little disillusion as I reach the coastal road.
The silence and the rest of the recent days is replaced by the very busy coastal road.
The introverted atmosphere of the interior gives way to a hedonistic, consumer atmosphere
on the coast. Unimaginative buildings have been strewn down haphazardly on the most beautiful spots
along the coast in recent years. The coastal route is not yet very interesting.
Sometimes there are beautiful views to the interior mainland. And there is the village Posada with
on a small rock on a beautiful bay its little houses painted in various pastel colors.
I find a camping in San Teodoro, a cheerless young Italian-only resort. The campsite itself
is okay and there is space for me.
Day 40: San Teodoro - Olbia - Porto Cervo - Cannigione - Palau - Santa Teresa - Bonifacio (France) 129 km
North of San Teodoro is a beautiful natural area. There is a lagoon with many birds before me,
behind the lagune is a huge white rock that rises up from the sea. The huge white teeth in the
landscape is linked to the mainland. The road climbs over this connection and turns around the
white block. I cycle to Olbia, the largest city in the northeast of the island and not
much later, I reach the Costa Smeralda. The reputation of this area as one of the finest coastal scenery
in Europe is not fulfilled. Although the coast is mountainous, it is not very steep and not very high either.
The landscape is green but it is completely messed up by unkindly and hastily built
down holiday creatures, occupying the slopes everywhere. Also Porto Cervo, the northeastern tip,
fails to impress. I cycle towards the northernmost tip of the island Santa Teresa. A true highlight
is the rocky Capo d'Orso with a few beautiful bays and beautiful tropical style views
to the islands of La Maddalena National Park. Here I meet Renzo, an intelligent man and
enthusiastic cyclist. I cycle over Palau to Santa Teresa, where the ferry to Corsica leaves.
It takes only an hour to reach Corsica. The last ten minutes of the boat trip are beautiful,
as we pass the beautiful medieval town of Bonifacio on the edge of the vertical cliffs
above the sea. It is six o'clock at night as I reach Corsica. I have left Italy, now
I am in France! An unexpected problem arises when all the campsites prove to be full
and - as they tell me - all the hotels as well. All the vcampings do not offer me a place on the
camping, although I see that sometimes there is place indeed. Regulation, which is always
the explanation that I get. Not until half past eight I manage to find a place on the last
camping of the city. I am very lucky, as I have got the last place...
Day 41: Bonifacio - Sartène - Levie - Zonza - Serra di Scopamène 111 km
Along the south coast I am proceeding on the road from Bonifacio to Sartène.
There is few traffic and there are few villages. Large-scale bungalow parks or big
hotel complexes as on the north coast of Sardinia are completely absent. I cycle through
beautiful and peaceful coastal scenery. It is strikingly green after the semi-arid landscapes of
Sardinia and Sicily. Just before I pass Sartène I pass an Italian young lady on a bike.
For the first time in nearly three weeks I meet a traveler bike in action. She has packed her bicycle
remarkably sloppy. The sleeping bag hangs loosely 'down' and almost touches the ground. The elastic straps are
not firm enough, apparently. I make her aware of the fact that she almost looses her sleeping bag.
She hastily and roughly pushes the sleeping bag back inside the cover. The result is
by no means less messy. And the constellation really is not much tighter now. Just before we reach
Sartène, I make a few pictures while she is riding on. I will not see her again. In Sartène
I meet cyclists again, a young Belgian couple. They are crazy about cycling in Corsica. We
share some experiences and I continue in the direction of Zonza, in the inland mountains
of Corsica. That means climbing of course. About one thousand meters upward. After the climb the road
remains at more or less the same height and winds along mountain ridges and plateaus. Sometimes I
find myself several hundred meters above the valley and sometimes I go along mountain ridges
that rise far above me. Most impressive are the granite rocks of the Aiguilles de Bavella.
I finish the day at the camping at Serra di Scopamène, where many hikers stay overnight.
Day 42: Serra di Scopamène - Aullène - Col de la Vaccia (1193 m) - Zicavo - Col de la Verde (1286 m) - Ghisoni - Col de Sorba (1311 m) - Venaco - Col de la Bellagranajo (723 m) - Corte 115 km
In Corsica, there are roughly three north-south routes: the east coast, the west coast and the highlands in between.
The east coast from Bonifacio to Bastia is flat and boring. The route is 173 kilometer long and is
only suitable for cyclists who want to cross the island as fast as possible. The West Coast of
Corsica is very mountainous and is one long series of bays and excellent rocky cliffs. This
route from Bonifacio to Calvi over Ajaccio is up to 300 kilometer long, there is virtually not a
flat kilometer but probably offers very interesting to grandiose landscapes. The mountain route
in the mountains in between offers a lot of climbing with several passes above 1000 meters altitude
and is probably as scenic as the west coast ride. The route from Bonifacio to Calvi over Corte and
the N197 is also nearly 300 kilometer. So there are two very interesting routes and one uninteresting
route. I have decided to make the best of the two interesting routes. I will first cycle to Corte
through the interior mainland, from there across the highest mountains of Corsica on the Col de Vergio
and subsequently over the west coast to the north, to Calvi.
In the early morning I cycle to Aullène. Aullène is located high above
the valley of the Coscione. The road climbs parallel to the valley in the direction of the Col de la Vaccia.
The road is not steep and after an hour I reach the first pass today. From the Col de la Vaccia
I have great views to the north, to the higher mountains of Central and Northern Corsica.
The next climb, from Zicavo to the Col de la Verde, is longer and steeper. The weather is not
improving. A first small storm just misses. I hurry down. As I reach Ghisoni at the foot of the third
and hardest climb of the day early, I know that it will not remain dery today and that I
can expect the worst. Everywhere heavy, black clouds cling to the mountains and they are growing at
a frightening pace. But the darkest clouds are in the north and because I am climbing on a
southern slope to the Col de Sorba, I cannot see how things develop on the other side of
the mountains. If I arrive the pass after a little more than one hour of climbing,
the sun shines. But it is a fearful sun against the backdrop of deep black clouds. A hedge of rain
blocks the view to the other side of the valley. No time to lose now. I hurry down. I
have barely started, as the first storm thunder blast crushes all illusions of a dry
arrival in Corte. After the descent I have to cross a fourth pass today. Then the rain starts.
After few minutes I cycle down through heavy, torrential rains. One thunder follows another lightning.
If the thunder storm is too close, I have to get of the bike, despite there are no shelter
options. More than one hour I let the rains pour down on me. The showers will not leave soon.
If the thunder is finally a little bit further away, I decide to descend a bit, hoping to find a
shelter. After the first turn after two hundred meters, there is already a cafe. In retrospect
I have let myself rain soaking wet for nothing. In the cafe I hide until the rain finally stops.
When the thunder has finally left after yet one and a half hour, I decide to contine. I am
proceed to the beautiful villages of Vivario and Venaco and to the last pass of the day,
the Col de la Bellagranajo. The last kilometers of the short climb have been dry
and when I am on the pass, the weather is brilliant. The views are stunning. A nice
descent brings me to the town of Corte, a pretty town with a citadel on a cliff. The
town is the most important town of mainland Corsica and is surrounded by alpine rock
formations. I find a nice campsite at the riverside.
Day 43: Corte - Col d'Ominanda (654 m) - Castirla - Calacuccia - Col de Vergio (1477 m) - Evisa - Porto - Piana 101 km
A short climb brings me form Corte on the Col d'Ominanda. Impressive rock walls are looming
in the north. I descend to Castirla and here I have my first flat tire of the trip. Once down in
the valley, I can immediately climb again. I am going to the Col de Vergio 1477 meters high now,
the highest pass of Corsica. I am stuck for an hour in a traffic jam in a narrow gorges, there
seems to have happened an accident in the ravine below. When we are finally able to continue,
I cannot see anything of the accident, which is perhaps better this way. After passing the gorge I
reach the village of Calacuccia. The landscape is much wider here, with views over the barren
rocks of the highest mountains of Corsica. The highest mountain of Corsica is the Monte Cinto,
that reaches to 2706 meters altitude. The last kilometers of the climb I cycle through dense forests.
A long descent goes in one straight downhill from the pass to the sea. The first kilometers
still pass through dense forests but from Evisa down to the sea there are spectacular views.
Below, vertically into a few hundred meters deep ravine. Left, where a striking
mountain peak points into the ether. Right, where the beautiful village of Ota emerges from
a continuously long mountain slope. Backward, to the highest mountains of Corsica. And
forward, to the sea that lies seven hundred meters below.
I reach the sea at Porto, where I can climb again. Between Piana and Porto the spectacular
Calanches can be found, red orange rock formations in fantastic shapes, which descend
steeply into the sea. The climb to the Calanches is steep. I have to climb more than five hundred
meters. What I get in return, is one of the finest coastal sceneries in Europe or perhaps in the world.
The altitude difference between the steep rocks above me and the sea steeply below
me amounts to more than five hundred to six hundred meters. I continue the way to Piana
and eventually I reach the scenic village with its grand views over the Calanches. There is
a little camping, where I pitch my tent. In the evening I am blessed with one of the
best sunsets in all my journeys. The jagged rock peaks of the Calanches glow in an
eternal orange red, the ethereal blue sea is completely still and the mountains of Central Corsica
light up mysteriously purple.
Day 44: Piana - Porto - Le Fango - Argentella - Calvi 98 km
I cycle back to Porto through the Calanches. I am riding along the coast further north.
I pass the unearthly landscape of Scandola, a peninsula of red rocks. Despite
the closeness to the sea, all the time I am just climbing and descending. The West Coast
of Corsica is one of the wildest shores of Europe. The landscapes of the Calanches and
Scandola belong, together with the Cinque Terre (near Genoa) and the southern Lofoten (islands in the North
Norway) to the most beautiful coastal sceneries that I have seen on my travels. After so
much wonderful natural beauty the last days, the landscape north of Scandola a little
bit disappointing. They are really beautiful landscapes but just a little less special
than the Calanches, the Monte Cinto and the Col de la Vaccia to name but a few examples.
I reach Calvi, my final destination in Corsica. I am trying to arrange the crossing to
mainland France in Calvi but that proves not to be an easy cause. Half Italy and France are staying
on the immensely popular island currently and I am not the only one who wants to go to the mainland.
But the day after tomorrow I can take the boat to Nice. I continue and find a camping where actually
is no space left for another tent but still I manage. Not an ideal situation tospendtwo days
like this, but I do not have any choice. Corsica is extremely popular and Calvi in particular.
The beautiful city citadel almost collapses under the swarms of tourists who fill
the few narrow shopping streets in massive overloads. Corsica is really a brand, a
marketing concept. Throughout 'authentic' Corsican food restaurants are available.
The criteria for this authenticity are vague. There is scarcely anything in Calvi
that is not being praised as authentic: Corsica Cola, Corsica shampoo, no less than three
brands of authentic Corsican beer. With all this authenticity around me, I ask myself desperately,
how my own authenticity could be judged. After a thought or two I feel reassured. The Lonely Cyclist
is 101% authentic. Even more authentic than authentic.
Read further about the journey back to France and through the Alps back to Holland
on the next page. |
