Monti a Mare

Having completed our hike at the highest road pass in Corsica we are now going to head for the seaside town of Porto less than 10 km away as the crow flies but almost 1500M lower in altiude. To get there we will be making a very steep descent through the Gorges di Spelunca area past the mountainside towns of Evisa and Porto.

We stop off first in Evisa. Dana is pretty tired from the hike and we decide this will make a good lunch stop. It's a small narrow town overlooking the gorge on one side. The guide highly recommends a local restaurant, A Tramula which has a small balcony with a teriffic view. We arrive just in time to snag the last table available for their lunch service.

The menu includes a very delicious sounding three course meal but that really seems like too much food. Instead, Dana and I opt to share two appetizers, each of which turns out to be as large as a regular dish. The first, a Brocciu omelet is very light and perfectly cooked but a little light on the flavor side. The second is a delicious chestnut flavored Terrine au Sanglier which is essentially a pate of pig (or chopped liver made with pig instead of chicken liver). Given the abundance of local chestnuts as food for animals, the local pigs end up having a chestnutty flavor to them. A unique quality to Corsican Charcuterie.

Lunch over we get back into the car and continue our journey to the coast. Originally, I had hoped to hike along a trail that runs between Evisa and Ota by descending into the Gorges di Spelunca. Instead we're taking the long way around via the D84 which follows a long and winding course around the spectacular gorges. The road, as is typical, hugs the side of the mountain on one side leaving the other side open to the towering rock walls and dramatic vistas of this unique landscape. I got a few pictures from the car but the best way to see it yourself is to go to Google Maps and look up Evisa, Corsica. You'll see the D84 as it  winds it's way towards the coast. Zoom in for a street view somewhere along the twisty curves and you should be able to see the same awe inspiring and slightly terrifying views.

GR20 Meeting

This morning we are going on a slightly more strenuous hike to the Bergeries de Radule (even though most guide books rate this as fairly easy).

Bergeries are mountain huts where Corsican shepherds (called bergers) tend their flocks during the summer months. These particular bergeries are located only a short distance (probably about 1 kilometer) from the Col De Verghio, the highest mountain pass in Corsica. This is about 25KM from Calacuccia and is reached by taking a winding road through a large pine forest. 

We park the car at the pass right in front of the large statue of Jesus and set out on the trail. This is the same trail we were on yesterday just somewhat further up the way. The path slopes up for a while providing a great look at the entire valee de Niolo. 

We can see that the path is heading toward a large stone wall with almost no vegetation. The Bergeries is just at the base of that wall. 

We have to carefully clamber down rocks, in some places with the assistance of chains.  

Finally we cross over a small mountain stream via a couple of wooden planks and we have reached the Bergeries. 

One of the unseen bonuses of having reached the Bergeries is that for the last several hundred feet we have actually been hiking a very small portion of the GR20 hiking trail. The GR20 is widely considered to be one of the best trails in the world. It runs along the spine of Corsica's mountains offering a 15-20 day mental and physical challenge that even the best hikers can find difficult. The rewards include some of the best landscapes and high mountain ridges imaginable. I wish I was physically able to do a trail like this but it just isn't possible. Instead I'll just have to settle for making this very brief appearance on the trail.

DI mare a Monti

After lunch we take a short drive around the Vallee de Niolo passing through the small villages of Calacuccia, Albertacce,  and Casamuccoli. We've got some time to kill before the tourist office opens up and this seems like a nice way to do it as we stop the car on several occasions to get some photos of the dramatic landscape. 

The center square of Casamuccoli is virtually deserted but for some cows and bulls just hanging out in the park like teenagers without anything better to do. 

There is a cow hidden behind a tree in this photo, can you spot it?

Once the tourist office is open (sign says 230 but it really means 3PM) we get information on a nice short hike that we can take to an old stone Genoese bridge next to a mill. The hike turns out to be a part of the Monti a Mare trail which leads all the way to the coastline if we were going to continue following it. 

We thought that the hike would likely be an unexciting trek through the woods but within minutes we are treated to incredible vistas as we hike on a ridge above a river. This brings us even closer to the mountains that we had seen earlier. 

Within about 30 minutes we reach the bridge and mill. The bridge is a great example of the structures that the Genoese built all over the island to help with transportation of people and goods. 

After returning from the bridge hike, we check into Casa Balduina, our residence. The woman who runs the place is both quirky and likable. We end up going back to the center of town for dinner. I try Beignets  de Brocciu which is essentially fried batter with a little Brocciu cheese. There is so little cheese in the batter it's mostly just empty calories without much taste. Still, the cheese is tasty. 

For a main course I have Souris d'Agneau in a myrtle and thyme sauce. The sauce is very good although the particular piece of lamb (is it a shank? Can't quite tell) could have been a little better cooked. Not bad though.