Well, what a day that was…! I left the camp about 11 and headed north east – destination Saint Florent at the north of the island. There is a major road that would take me directly north, but that would be far too easy and too quick so I decided to take a route through the mountains. The journey would be about 120 to 130 miles, taking into account all the wiggly bits…
Leaving Ajaccio I joined the D1 which took me north – and straight into the mountains with bend after bend climbing higher and higher towards the peaks. After that I followed the D70 and D84 which went up and down and round and around many mountains. Not long after Evisa I stopped at one point to admire the view and it was cold, 11 degrees, and then I realised why: I was at 1450m above sea level…! It was still sunny and if you got out of the breeze it was really warm on your face, which was perfect for a mid-day break to contemplate the world in the peace and quiet of the mountains.
Further along I stopped at the lake at Calacuccia, and while sitting on a wall and admiring the view of the lake and the surrounding mountains I had a drink and munched through a bag of nuts – like a chimp on a picnic… Coming down from Calacuccia was brilliant, the route was mostly downhill but the road followed canyons for at least 10km, with a narrow and very twisty road plus a very steep drop to the right of me – and without a barrier for much of the time. Oo, er, missus…
Soon after I joined the main T20, and it was a relief to have some straight road again but before long I had to turn off onto the D81 which would take me up and across more mountains and canyons to Saint Florent. I arrived around 4 and soon found a campsite that was still open. There are three campsites here, and the bigger two were closed for the season. Plan B was to head towards Bastia where there are more campsites but Camping U Pezzo was alive and well.
CAMPING U PEZZO is great. As you walk out of the camp entrance there is a beach and the bright blue Mediterranean Sea. There are lots of trees on the site, providing lots of shade – as the sun is still quite strong, even in the late afternoon. It’s 12eu a night for the me, the bike and a tent – which is really good. I’m the only tent here as it’s all French or German campervans or motorhomes, and as usual I’m the odd one out being the only tent. When I’m sat outside my tent drinking tea, daydreaming or admiring the view, as they walk past they seem to look at me pitifully; like I’m a waif, or a stray – which I suppose I am, really… The nearby town is within walking distance, but I’m too tired for that. I’m here for a few days, making the most of the UV’s and then I’m going to catch a ferry over to Marseille or Toulon. After that, Spain methinks…
Today was an exceptional ride. Exceptional. I’ve ridden some great roads in my life, especially in Morocco, but the roads today were superb. Good tarmac, bright sunshine and great bends while going up and down the mountains. I always listen to music when I’m riding, which plays through speakers in my helmet via Bluetooth to my phone. At one point, as I was riding up into the mountains George Thorogood started playing (One bourbon, one whiskey and one beer) which added to the excitement as I was riding these magnificent bends. Then as I started to ride through the highest peaks, one of my favourite pieces of music started playing: Spiegel im Spiegel. With the scenery, the roads and the perfect bike beneath me – it was almost a religious experience. I put it on repeat and for the next hour listened to the same music over and over while enjoying these wonderful roads and scenery. Honestly, life just doesn’t get any better some days…!
