Corsica

(4 photos)
In 1980 we decided to visit Sicily and looked for an alternative to driving the complete length of Italy twice. Our ferryboat left Livorno, Italy, at breakfast time and arrived in Bastia, Corsica, by lunch. The morning rainstorm had increased in intensity, so after driving around Bastia, we drove on to Corte, near the center of the island. After locating the rather primitive municipal campsite, we walked around town and saw the old castle on top of a large rock in the middle of town.
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In this part of Corsica we could see little or no agriculture or fruit trees, and no sign of mining or other reasons for the existence of a town, and saw no indication as to how the people made a living.

In early June the countryside was ablaze with wild flowers — red poppies and purple blooms as well as bushes with big yellow blossoms — a spectacular array of color. Snow-capped mountains in Corsica in early June surprised us, but the melting snow contributed to the rushing streams and rivers.
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Bonifacio, on the southern tip of Corsica, is an exquisite ancient jewel. All of the island was interesting, but Bonifacio makes the trip to Corsica completely worthwhile. It sits high on a long, narrow promontory on the edge of a 200 foot high cliff, with town walls, a fortress, interesting shopping streets, and multicolored apartment buildings along the harbor below.
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Often a small arch extended across the walkway, from building to building. It was difficult to tell if they were holding the buildings together, or keeping them apart. One reference said those arches are really rain water gutters directing water to one of the town’s many cisterns. Under the Ste-Marie-Majeure church, there is a cistern with the capacity of 140,000 gallons of rain water.

In 1980 the ferryboat ride to Sardinia cost $28 for the RV and the two passengers, and we have yet to blunder into a more wonderful way to spend $28. It was a picturesque thirty minutes to Sardinia. A week later we sailed to Sicily, then after a few days, on to Italy's "toe" on the mainland.

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