Corsica road trip 2017
June, early summer and an invitation from my good friend Georges to go on a motoring adventure to the beautiful Mediterranean island of Corsica. Georges and I have successfully and enjoyably worked together for many years and as I had decided that this year was to be the beginning of my "semi-retirement" Georges invited me to join him for a few days together to say a partial farewell to the working relationship but to transition into another shared passion - cars!
Georges' wife and daughter had just completed a "ladies only" charity car rally from Paris to St.Tropez, driving a 1979 Alfa Romeo Spider 1600. Thus we agreed to meet in Marseilles and take the Alfa on the overnight ferry to Ajaccio. Before the ferry there was time to appreciate the old city and harbour of Marseilles and its wonderful new harbour museum. Arriving in Ajaccio in the early morning there was just time to fuel up and get our bearings before heading off south and east across the island, through the mountains in the general direction of Porto Vecchio. We were following a car-rally-road book which took us through beautiful mountains, villages and countryside and a mixture of roads. Arriving in the south we were staying with friends in their lovely home with views across the straits to Sardinia. The 4 days on Corsica were a mixture of road-trip, food & drink experiences, sightseeing and relaxing. We had some great food wherever we went - in the mountains, on the coast, in the cities and at beach restaurants. The car and the Corsican roads were a delight and since this was a journey where lower gears were in much more regular use it was also a joy to hear the soundtrack of this lovely Italian car and exhaust. Day 2 had a leisurely start, good lunch and then a trip around the coast via Bonefacio, the lion rock at Roccapina, Propriana to a lovely overnight stay at Vetricella. Day 3 was similar, relaxing start, a great lunch and a coastal trip back round and north to Ajaccio and a visit to La Parata. Friday saw us drive north in the direction of Calvi, enjoying some of the most spectacular coastal roads and views that the world can offer, up in Les Calanques de Piana before an about-turn and a re-run of this fantastic road, back to Ajaccio and the overnight ferry back to Marseilles. From the moment of arriving on Corsica I liked it. Four days later, beautiful unspoilt island, friendly and welcoming people, great food and drink (even a local whisky!), wonderful weather and a great driving adventure in good company, I am luvvin' it! I will definitely try to return and explore more and can highly recommend it to anybody as a great holiday destination. My thanks to Georges for this great experience and trip together and also to his lovely Alfa which was lots of fun to drive (lovely sounds, wonderful steering wheel, terrible light stalk arrangement on the left of the steering wheel).
