Ajaccio to Propriano to Bonifacio, Corsica 9-19-19
September 20, 2019
Bonifacio, Corsica said by some to be the best kept secret in France!
September 23, 2019
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- Bay of Porto Vecchio, Corsica
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- Bonifacio, Corsica Harbor and fortress walls and town view
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- Bonifacio, Corsica City view
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- Aiguilles de Bavella The “needles” of Bavella Bavella Pass
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- Aiguilles de Bavella The “needles” of Bavella Bavella Pass Alta Rocca Mountains Corsica
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- Local Trout with potatoes and salad Auberge de Sanglier, Zonza, Corsica.
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- Le Sanglier The wild boar Mascot of the Auberge de Sanglier
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- Auberge de Sanglier Zonza, Corsica
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- Alta Rocca or “high rocks’ mountains of South Eastern Corsica
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- Gulf of Porto Vehicco, Corsica.
I have spent the last two nights at the Hotel Genovese in the Corsican city of Bonifacio, the southern-most point on this beautiful island. Our plan for yesterday, 9/20/19 was to take a one hour boat ride to view the amazing cliffs in and around Bonifacio but the weather was windy and a little cool so we decided instead to take a drive toward Porto Vecchio but detour then northwest and up the mountains to view the spectacular Aiguille de Bavella or the “needles” of Bavella. The needles are an unusual formation of adjacent mountain peaks in the Alta Rocca Mountains, part of the Serra di Scopamene range, which project up into the sky like needles in the mountain area of the Bavella pass. Actually, to me, they look more like fingers of a hand pointing to the sky. The individual peaks are also referred to as the Seven Tours or Towers of Asinau.
Our drive took us to the town of Zonza, a small village really but packed with travelers, hikers and bikers exploring these lovely pine-covered mountains of the Ospedale’ Forest and valleys below. We joined many of them for lunch at the rustic Auberge de Sanglier or the Wild Boar Inn. The specialty of the house is wild boar steak cooked with wild boar blood and roasted potatoes but I decided to pass up that dish in favor of a more mundane local trout with salad and potatoes, which, however, was delicious and followed by a dessert of cooked Figs in sugar and Vanilla ice cream!
From Zonza we continued up to the best viewing sites of the Aiguilles with the peak topping out at just over 7000 feet in altitude. Unfortunately, as you can see from the photos, the needles were mainly shrouded in low clouds and fog! It was a long climb for a somewhat disappointing viewing but the drive up the mountains and back down was exhilarating with the temperature at sea level about 79 degrees and at the top near the needles an invigorating 60 degrees with a brisk wind making it feel even colder.
Last night was my final night in Corsica and today we will go to Porto Vecchio to catch the 9 pm ferry for an overnight trip back to Nice. The day is again windy and a bit overcast so I am not sure if we will make the boat ride of Bonifacio harbor or not. We shall see and so shall you, my dear readers.
