We spent a few lazy hours on Monday morning relaxing in our hotel, then touring the old part of Livorno. We took a taxi to the port for a 1:45 departure to Bastia, Corsica. We were there early and watched the disembarkation of the arriving passengers, their cars, RVs, etc., plus so many semi’s that it was hard to believe they could all fit in one ferry. By the time everyone was unloaded and the departing passengers were loaded we got a late start.
We arrived in Bastia about an hour late. We didn’t have any reservations made, or any plans whatsoever, for that matter, but fortunately there are many hotels, car rental agencies and a tourist office very near the port. We asked about a hotel and were directed to one where we got the last room (complete with balcony). We walked to a grocery store and picked up something to eat and brought it to the hotel. Within an hour of our arrival we were enjoying the evening from our hotel balcony. One thing we didn’t have at our hotel was an internet connection, so therefore, no blog yesterday.
This morning we visited the tourist office and got some suggestions about the highlights of the island. Following the suggestions, we rented a car and spent the day driving along the coastal route of the northern tip of the island called Cap Corse. The first part of the drive along the eastern shore reminded us of drives we’ve taken along Lake Superior. After we reached the northern tip and started our drive down the western coast of the island it wasn’t nearly so much like Lake Superior. There are so many switchbacks, with steep plunges to the sea just off the edge of the road. This ride was more like the roller coasters at Disney World, but lots more scary. Happily, we survived the afternoon. One of our later stops was at a fort where a man had once, single handedly, held off a force of 1200 French soldiers.
We are now partway down the island on the east coast. We plan on driving to the southern tip tomorrow where we will catch the ferry to Sardinia the following day.
This part of Livorno was called "Little Venice." The area was built up starting in 1590 when the moat for the fort was dug and connected to the sea.
We had some beautiful views of the city as we left.
Coming into harbor in Corisca was pretty nice as well.
We got into our room late so we went to a grocery store and had a picnic on our porch!
The roads round the "Cap Corse" or northern end of Corsica are pretty stunning - even if you have to drive a tight corkscrew and the sides are straight down!
This fortress was started in 1523. This is where an Italian soldier once held off 1200 French soldiers!
This is the view from the fort overlooking the town. Most of these towns are very small and hard to get to. We found that most stores, restaurants, etc. were closed down for the season.
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