Discourse on Corse

When we first made plans to visit the island of Corsica, I really didn't have much of an idea about what to expect. Yes, we'd watched the videos/DVDs but really, they were pretty old and by the time we arrived at our destination, a lot of travel and other travel experience had happened. As we docked in Ajaccio, Corsica, I was promptly overwhelmed by the sheer ruggedness of the island. Not Rockies type of rugged, but everywhere, as far as the eye could see (and all that the eye could see) were mountains that appeared to be rising straight out of the ocean. I'm convinced that there is not one piece of level ground on that entire island. One is either walking up or down from somewhere. If we weren't walking or driving up to see mountains, then we were walking or driving down to see the other jewel that makes Corsica ... its beaches. And we did get to enjoy several lovely beaches on the island.

While being on the island of Corsica is impressive, driving off the main highways on that island is not for the faint of heart. Let me explain. Since leaving Canada on July 31, we have driven a lot of very windy single track lanes from Shetland through to Provence. Our travels have taken us past suicidal sheep to picturesque villages perched on hillsides. But Corsica has taken the single track to new heights ...(I'm not sure if that pun was intended). In Scotland or the Cotswolds or even in Provence, there always seemed to be a little room for cars to manoeuvre around each other when they met (it did get a little close sometimes) and, in any case, what was the worst that could happen? Scratch the rental? Break off a side mirror? Not so in Corsica where outside of the main highways one must drive single track to visit anything from local villages to the popular Restonica hiking trail. To give way on these single track roads with no guard rails is to risk hurtling down to the rocky canyon below. The ride up the Restonica was hairy enough but on our way down the driver of one of the vehicles we met motioned for Bernie to move over (I should add that we were on the canyon side of things at this point). Well we did make it around that vehicle and down the mountain and I will admit to panic during the ordeal ... I can still see the drop when I close my eyes. Needless to say, days later when Bernie wanted to visit a number of mountainside villages, I begged off that exciting experience ... not enough Ativan in the world for me!

Corsica is a jewel ... a rougher one than I was expecting but it is definitely worth making a trip to see.