Bonifacio, Corsica
CBR600RR embarking at Marseille
Heathrow - Marseille - Porto-Vecchio - Bonifacio - Sartène - Zonza - Col de Bavella - Porto-Vecchio - Marseille
Dawn flight from Heathrow then a sunset sailing to Corsica from Marseille with my CBR600RR for an unforgettable ride. An epic journey to the île de beauté and back to enjoy a November day of fine weather.
Supermoon with Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde on left, OM Vélodrome on the right.
Dawn with the supermoon setting over the skyline of the Corsican Mountains
A cool November start on the Roman road from Porto-Vecchio straight to Bonifacio.
Bonifacio
On to Sartène, the coast road follows the topography and is a great ride on my CBR600RR: well-graded and a reliable surface. Ups and downs and some complex curves. Happily free of traffic today.
Coffee in Sartène with a Millefeuille vanille outside an old-style boulangerie. Weather better than forecast so decided to go on to the mountains.
Sartène
Riding up a forested steep-sided valley as the trees change with increasing altitude from oaks to pines and chataignes (chestnuts) . I see a lot more birds than vehicles; I avoid a wild dog, then a couple of cows, also a family of three black sanglier.(wild pig).
Picnic lunch at Zonza (903 m.) enjoying Corsican Clementines and the panoramic view.
Zonza (903 m.)
Up the fast road to the Col de Bavella (1218 m.), which is above the clouds coming in to the east of the island.
Col de Bavella (1218 m.)
Shadows lengthening and time to move on, reluctantly. Last bit before the clouds is a contour road at about 950 m. Twisty but no big climbs. On to the Bocca d’Illarata (991 m.). Surface generally OK but occasional big bumps where pine tree roots have undermined the tarmac. Inevitably I got nutted several times. All part of the fun eh!
Down into the clouds and a zigzag down to Porto-Vecchio and the N/M Girolata.
N/M Girolata. docked at Porto-Vecchio, Corsica
I spotted a nail in my rear tyre once re-embarked on the Girolata. Some texting (thanks Brian) and the decision was to crop the part of the nail outside the rubber. A crewman assisted with a small grinder. Lightning outside at dinner and a bit of sea overnight.
Happily the tyre held pressure and I rode home to my Marseille box garage next morning without incident. The rest of the nail had crystallised with the heat of the grinder and came out easily. The tyre is 100% OK, though the incident cost a sleepless night.
Colourless dawn over Marseille
Altogether an unforgettable ride and an epic journey to the île de beauté and back.