Here are some wrap up thoughts on cycling in Corsica and the Côte d’Azur, in no particular order:

• It was fun travelling with Mel again after a long break in seeing much of each other while she and her husband were living in Europe. 
• Corsica is a beautiful place. I ran out of words to describe the views. Rugged mountains, lovely beaches, and spectacular blue water. 

• It’s very hilly, but the planning apps we used (mostly Komoot and Google Maps) consistently overestimated the climbing on the cycle routes by a few hundred metres. Mel is a much better/faster cyclist than me. I’d have been hours behind and would needed to shorten a couple of the days. 
• The twisty and hilly nature of the roads in Corsica attracts not only cyclists, but also touring motorcyclists and the occasional sports car enthusiast or wanna-be rally driver. And the rugged terrain means there aren’t lots of options. So if you like quiet country roads and bike paths, or if you hate motorbikes, it might not be the place for you.   
• I think that the motto of Corsican drivers is: fortune favours the bold. Don’t expect them to wait until it’s safe to pass you.  Or leave much of a gap. 

• We were warned in advance that Corsicans are not friendly people, but our experiences were ALL good. The only strange encounter we had was the telephone calls to our host in Ste. Maxime once we had left Corsica. If I had to guess, I’d say that he was drunk. He did finally provide the access code. And booking.com promised to find us somewhere to stay if he hadn't responded.
• English is widely spoken. But Corsicans were very patient about letting me try to speak French, even if it would be easier for them to just speak to me in English. 
• We didn’t encounter a single mean or threatening dog. There are dogs everywhere in cafes and some on the trails. But they were all quiet and friendly.  Amazing!
• Sometimes it’s fun to mix things up - our boat trip in Porto was a highlight. 
• We experienced very good weather in late April and early May. The temperatures were perfect for walking and biking. There was one significant thunderstorm that didn't affect us, and one rainy morning.
• We were booking accommodation in Corsica only a few days ahead, and that worked out. We booked our mainland accommodations and ferries well ahead. 
• Inflation has raised prices everywhere, I’m sure. Like many islands, Corsica is not a bargain destination. Breakfast, for example could cost up to 20 euros. I took a less than 10 minute taxi ride from the Ajaccio airport, and it cost 50 euros (using a meter). Outside of the high season, cabins at campgrounds are a good alternative to hotels or apartments. They were a good price, and it was nice to have a kitchen. 
• I’m sorry that I didn’t swim at any of the great beaches. It would’ve been easier if they had anywhere to change or shower, but all the ones I saw on Corsica were unserviced. In the end, it was just bad timing - when we stayed right on a beach, it was a bit cool and windy.
• Food-wise, local fruits, veg, and cheeses were delicious. The strawberries and oranges in particular.  There’s lots of fish and seafood on the coast. Corsica may be part of France, but don’t expect a boulangerie or patisserie on every corner. 
• It’s very easy to deal with trash - there are garbage and recycling bins everywhere. And in Ajaccio we saw compost bins too. There is very little litter. 
• If you find yourself in a location with terrible cell service, and you’re in need of Wi-Fi, we discovered that the post office offers 30 minutes free. The Wi-Fi was available nearby even when the post office was closed. 
• There is surprisingly good cell coverage in Corsica for such a hilly place. My new Freedom Mobile ‘roam beyond’ setup let me use my phone just like I was at home. No roaming fees, and I had full use of my phone and texting. Calls/texts to and from Canada and within whatever country you’re visiting are free. 
• I’d recommend carrying a bit of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. It’s not always provided. (But for god’s sake, if you use the TP outdoors, take it with you in a ziplock. We need to convince Europeans that TP doesn’t readily break down). A couple places we stayed also didn’t provide soap. Didn’t we just come through a pandemic? You’d think soap would be a good thing for hosts to provide to keep their properties more sanitary. 

• A minor point - I love the Euro requirement for soft drink caps to stay attached to the bottle. It not only reduces litter, it’s handy because you don’t have to search for the lid. 

• I wish that I could’ve biked, but the hiking was amazingly good. I’d recommend hiking at least a few days there if possible. 

• The Côte d’Azur is lovely to look at. And has very busy roads, with lots of bikes and cars. 
• I’d much rather walk or ride a bike than drive a car. That’s probably true for almost everyone who posts here. Next time, I’ll aim to write a journal about my own cycling and not someone else’s! That’ll require me to stay healthy before departing Canada. 

• If visiting Corsica again, I’d consider flying to Rome and then approaching Corsica from either the Italian mainland or Sardinia. From where I live that would save a flight (because I can fly direct to Rome, but not direct to Nice or Corsica), and the ferry from Sardinia to Bonifacio takes less than an hour.