Photos - Quick Crossing of Corsica | Squat the Planet

Photos Quick Crossing of Corsica

dodi

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Hey y'all,
thought I'd share some stories about my last bike touring trip in Corsica last February :)

So, we rode 200 km and rode up to 1400 m, crossing Corsica using the diagonal highway and mountains roads.

It was February ; so we both assumed that the hottest part of France would be Corsica. Well, that part was true, but we still had a lot of rain falling on our head ^^ I was concerned about the cold at night, my boyfriend about the cold during the day . Turns out both of us had a part right, and we ended up freezing for the whole trip hah

We started the trip for Bastia, after having slept in the corridors of the ferry . Damn would they turn off the light or even shut down that goddamm music ? We ended up crawling in the corridor of the fire exit, which was a bit protected !

First night we had to squat a house in construction, in a tiny village up in the mountains, it was raining so hard...

The next day we woke up reeeally early, because the Corsican man isn't really well known for his liking of strangers entering his house ….

We crossed mountaineous road who didn't look trusty, encountered some cows and goats there, and the occasionnal sign saying « Found gun, call xxxxx if you want to have it back ». Really quiet scene, with nobody on the road, and the fog made it all look a bit more surreal !

And then it started to rain again. At night we made it to Corte. There we sat at the bar for quite a long time, considering what our options were for the night, because we were a bit unsure about camping...

At a certain point the locals started to chat us up, and we exposed our problem to them. Well, they indicated us the cheapest hotel, but also were trying to talk us into NOT going there, because it was so filthy... We weren't saying anything, but thinking « ahahah, we are SOOOO going there », the price being actually really cheap. And then, and small girl entered the bar. The sat next to us, listened for a bit, and then went : well.... You can have my apartment for the night !

A savior:) Turns out she was practically living with here boyfriend, who was the barman, and didn't really use or need the spare room anymore. She said : You know what, I'm not scared, those glasses that you are wearing make me trust you . If anyone is wondering what kind of glasses make people trust you, it's the Harry Potter kind.

So that night was highly confy, and the next days were less wet, so we were able to camp. We made it into Ajaccio, and just there met some awesome people that were in a shared space, dedicated to bycicle repairing, art making, circus and stuff... We would call that « tiers-lieu » in French, not sure what would be the equivalent in English... They also offered us shelter and heath, great folks, really...

We ended up on the Ferry back to Toulon, and that was a really great tour:)

So the roads were bumpy, the weather cold, but we had a great time nonetheless, and I'm never going to believe anybody that tells me the people of Corsica are harsh ahah !

Also, in the end it turns out that actually Winter might have been the best time for he who wants to tour Corsica by bike... Because there aren't many roads, and they are loaded during the summer.

Here are the pictures :
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Like I said, fog was everywhere ...


5.jpg


6.jpg


2.jpg Ahah, and that's for the glasses !

7.jpg

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J4MYZ.jpg

2eRwi.jpg
 
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Tude

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That's awesome and thanks!! Would love to bicycle along that one pic you posted - long stretch on the mtb - sweet!
 
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Tony Pro

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Thanks for sharing; I've been to Sardinia a few times but everything in Corsica looks bigger and better; the mountains, the forests, the culture...
It's good to get a sense of what it's like camping in winter; I've always wondered. Of course, the best part about camping in that part of the world is the abundance of wild food, which you wouldn't get in February.

I once got busted squatting in a Sardinian guy's attic -- he gave me breakfast and wished me 'bona ventura'! Islanders are a good sort wherever you go.
 
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dodi

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Well, for Sardinia I'm not sure, but probably the same that for Corsica : Toulon, Marseille, around there mainly.

Only thing when you have a bike you need to make sure you take a ferry in which they are allowed. That's why we departed from Toulon.
 

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