October 15, 2018
Galeria to Porto
Twisty turny road with amazing vistas
Today the weather was a bit cloudy but the morning was warm and we had our breakfast on the patio. The sun had just begun to clear the local hills by 08:30 am. Our breakfast was typical of many that we have had lately, very fresh croissants and a baguette with local jams, orange juice and coffee. Pat is craving eggs but no luck today. We organized our gear and were on the road to Porto by 09:30. There were not many towns between Galeria and Porto but the scenery was impressive!
Our route took us back along the road by the water, and we stopped at the local belangerie for today's sandwiches and treats. We rode along D351 for about five kilometres before turning on to D81 where the road began to climb to slightly more than 400 metres in elevation. Initially, the grade was worrisome for Pat as it required some 1 and 1, but things soon levelled out and the grade and temperatures were very nice. We rode along, frequently side by each as the car traffic was minimal. We were enjoying the ride and stopping at the car look outs to take in the valley views. At the first look out a man who was interested in our trip came over to talk to us. He and his wife both said several times, "respect" and "courage"! It would not be the last time we received the compliment today. We had a great conversation as he was from Quebec and his son worked in Squamish, no more than one hour's drive from our house. We pass by there on our many trips to Whistler mountain.
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We reached the top! Just over 400 metres! When we rounded the corner, the Mediterranean came into view. Wow!! It is always really quite stunning! We stopped for a snack and watched people in cars come and go after taking a picture or two. It was a great place to meet people!
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We had now crossed from the Haute Corse region to Corse du Sud. As we started down the hill, Pat commented that it was as if the roads were maintained by different departments. It was not that it was a bad road, but the surface was more chip seal and not at all smooth. This certainly moderated our downhill speeds to only 15 kilometres per hour. We are very careful on downhills in any case. Pat calls her bike "Prudence" for that reason.
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The road soon levelled out about 200 metres lower after twisting and turning along the side of the hills all the while punctuated with great views. A small cafe right on the highway just outside Curzu provided a nice coffee stop. We then continued our descent on a long turny stretch right to the valley floor before having to climb up one last hill before another steep descent into Porto.
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We arrived at 3:30 and our check-in time was not until 4pm. What do you do after an excellent day's ride??? We picked up two cans of beer and headed to the beach. Scott had a swim and we enjoyed our cold ones as the sun went behind the hills. It goes down early over the sharp hills surrounding Porto. The forecast for tomorrow is for fairly steady rain so we are preparing for perhaps a rain delay day in Porto.
Today's ride: 52 km (32 miles)
Total: 721 km (448 miles)
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