Macinaggio

June 17, 2003

After a breakfast at 7:30 at our hotel, and then after failing to pack my great new walking shorts from Patagonia (which we discovered the following day), we started biking up north on Cape Corse. The traffic out of Bastia was a bit harrowing, but it quickly died out. For the whole day after that we followed a quiet, rolling coastal road.

We had a minor scare soon after leaving town when my rear derailleur cable separated from the bike. I've never seen this breakdown before, but it was only caused by the loosening of the retainer from the frame and was quickly corrected. The ride was lovely - always in sight of the rocky coast, passing Genoese watch towers every 5 to 8 kilometers. The village of Erbelunga, with its tiny harbor guarding a well preserved Genoese tower, was perhaps the prettiest spot on the ride.

Corsica is ringed by Genoese towers like this one. They're scattered all around its coastline, but the greatest concentration is on Cape Corse.

Macinaggio is a small fishing town; pretty but unspectacular. Our lodging was in a somewhat characterless small cottage a few hundred yards from our hotel. It was very entertaining though to be escorted there by a shapely young lady, revealingly dressed in a sheer top and billowing long pants, biking before us from the hotel.

After picking up picnic fare from a store in town we set out on the trail to Santa Maria tower, 3-4 miles to the north along the coast. This was a great hike, alternating between a beach walk and ridge crossings through the macquis. The tower, largely eroded and in ruins, is very beautiful and striking against the blue sea.

A tourist attraction on the hike to Santa Maria tower

The ruined Santa Maria tower must be the most spectacular one on the island.

We've been lucky enough to come to Corsica twice, and we hiked out to this tower both times (but this photo is from this tour also). Our second visit wasn't as serendipitous though - I lost the grip on my brand new camera taking a fresh shot of the tower, and it shattered on the rocks - first day on the road. Disastrous. I shot the whole remainder of the trip with a cell phone.

Afterwards, a short walk brought us to our endpoint, a lovely, sandy small cove - startlingly, in addition to a scattering of bathers it was lined with about 20 cattle, settled in like large boulders adjacent to the sea. The water was perfect for swimming, after a ride and hike in the 85+ degree heat. After a swim and nap on the sand, we hiked back to our room and then on to town for a fish dinner on the waterfront.

Topless bathing with the herd - this remains my all time favorite beach scene.

I've always loved this photo. It's been hanging on the wall of our condo ever since we returned from this tour.

Heart

Comment

Link

Today's ride: 25 miles (40 km)
Total: 25 miles (40 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	3
Comment on this entry	Comment	0