Most of my time in Corsica was spent in the Haute-Corse region around Corte. While most Frenchies consider la corse to be a summer beach paradise, the mountain region is not to be overlooked. First off, all of the villages and cities seem to be precariously, but perfectly perched on the side of various mountains, and to arrive at such towns requires passing by quaint dirt roads with ever so violent twists and turns. The most dramatic and fulfilling one of these roads I experienced won't take you to to any village. The route in the Valley of the Restonica truly embodies the idea of one's journey being the destination. We drove for hours on frighteningly small roads, catching glimpses of stone-lined brooks, small waterfalls, dramatic valleys, and craggy peaks. At the end of the road, all that was to be found were more mountains and valleys, only accessible by foot or horseback, and a small stone house selling delicious plates of local cheeses. Our afternoon-long journey was definitely a highlight of my trip, as I do cherish the sense of travelling but never arriving.
We also visited rivers and hidden lakes, and one day that I so desperately wanted, the beach at Calvi. But what I really loved about this trip was sticking close to the region immediately surrounding Corte. I felt like I had an opportunity to learn about the city, instead of trying to fit too much into a short journey. To follow are some photographic highlights:
The harbour at Bastia
The citadelle in Corte by day
The citadelle by night
The beach at Calvi
The river in a hidden forest near Corte
And of course, the Valley of the Restonica
No comments:
Post a Comment