“TET CORSICA”
(Part 1)
Trying to find some sleep on a ferry without having a cabin is in general an uncomfy undertaking. Thinking about myself how smart I am, I made the plan to sedate myself with vodka. That worked very well, and I faded away quickly in my sleeping bag, outspread in a staircase corner, somewhere at an upper deck of the ferry boat to Corsica. But I wasn’t aware about how loud my own snoring noises went, when a proper pillow is missing and alcohol affects the throat muscles. For me that was no big deal, because I don’t get disturbed by my own snoring, but for my direct neighbor at the staircase floor it was. The poor dude aside me had to wake me up three times this night …
Around 05:00 in the morning I woke up because of the noises which some already awoken people around me caused during packing their stuff. I stayed about five more minutes longer in my sleeping bag for dozing on until the stubborn fatigue (after the few vodkas last night) had loosened.
When I finally went up, my “floor neighbor” knocked me on my shoulder and said: “Oh look, the snoring bear is up!” I grinned at him and told him that I feel sorry, but the lousy alcohol was the reason for the immense snoring. He reacted with a huge laughter and went off for breakfast.
I packed my sleeping gear and went also to the canteen. Because I got up as one of the last ones I had to wait about twenty minutes for my prepaid …
breakfast. Costing hardly five euro, the breakfast was nothing more than an uncommon belly filler (normally I don’t have breakfast at all). At least the coffee was great. When I was done with this culinary tragedy, I went to the toilet for changing my clothes. I had no idea what awaited me there: Obviously someone had way too much alcohol and puked into the handwashing sink. The sour smell nearly kicked me out of my boots. I instantly went out of the toilet and changed my clothes in the public floor. Leastways the passing ladies had something to giggle, when I was nearly falling down whilst struggling to put the long underwear on. ^_^
When the ferry reached its destination I went down to xxx, packed my stuff and waited for disembarking. It took us nearly forty annoying minutes til, all the cars and trucks before us had left the boat. Finally, around 0700 in the morning Чернотa put its front wheel on the Corsican soil. We left …
the harbor of Bastia, where already plenty of cars waited for boarding. Just at the moment when we left the city northwards …
it began to rain. I put my rain gear on and …
the journey along the east coast began. Only a few miles further north …
the sun came up behind an impressive cloud formation.
We passed a few Mediterranean houses and …
big graves aside the street. About 45 minutes of riding Чернотa and I reached the entrance point to our first off-road part of Trans Euro Trail Corsica …
located near this interesting “holy stair”, from where …
the first view over Corsica Island was a lovely one.
The TET Corsica welcomed us with some nice …
and easy rideable gravel tracks through …
… former forest fire country. Due to the ongoing heavily north wind …
a tree was fallen recently and blocked the only way over the mountains in this part of the island. For me and my injured leg this obstacle wasn’t passable and way to heavy for pusing it aside. It was blocking the whole track. The vegetation on both sides of this obstacle, and also the steep terrain aside it had been not an alternative to bypass this hurdle. After checking the map of the area; when I was just turning the bike for riding a very long disappointing detour, …
my god sent private support crew of seven Corsican Hunters arrived at the obstacle. Speaking no word french I showed them with some hand signs, that with about five people we should be able to push the fallen tree out of the way. With …
united forces we pushed the tree aside. I had a short palaver with one of them afterwards. He told me that I should be careful in the mountains because it was hunting season for wild hogs and sometimes some pigs just get wounded. Such hurt pigs can be very aggressive. They are strolling through the bushes and it’s likely to get hurt from such a wounded animal, when meeting one. Also, he warned me about probably incoming snow withing the next days in higher areas of the island.
Gosh! Such a nice perspective for the incoming ride … 🤔
After saying farewell to the helpful hunters I thought to myself: “Then let this adventure begin!”
I unleashed the mighty LC4 with the ignition button on the right handle bar and spurred the pony upwards. The track …
which we have been following …
through the mountains was in good conditions, …
but in some places very steep. With gaining height …
the quality of view increased. Along the …
way upward this forlorn fire hydrant was seen, which was another sign that Corsica has some serious wood fires in dry season. Surely a fact which should be minded when planning a trip to this island.
Finally, the pass height of this gravel track was reached. The wind up there was so strong that I was hardly able to keep Чернотa upright while making this picture to the east.
The view to the west wasn’t …
less spectacular. On my way down …
I stopped at this fountain for a refill.
I nearly suffered a heart attack when a hunters man in KTM colors stumbled out of the opposite bushes, holding his riffle in front of his body. He wasn’t looking less baffled when he saw me. With a kind of elegant swing he put the riffle on his back and showed me with his hands to stay here and to be quiet. Then he ran away the track downwards. Still surprised …
I watched the hunting spectacle for about ten minutes. Suddenly the hunter on his lookout rose his riffle and a few seconds later a gunshot echoed over the island. He waited for a short moment and then signalized me with a waving, that I can continue with my ride now. I jumped on the bike and continued my ride. Two or …
three gravel bends further hill downwards, another hunter was just dragging the body of a shoot wild hog out of the bushes. Good hunting! 🐗
While riding through Corsica I recognized many of this little chapels and …
well cherished family graves located directly aside the road. It looked like that the people on the island are very religious and this imposing little graves everywhere are kind of a tradition on Corsica island.
This pig head was seen along the tarmac road …
back to the coastline. On this windy day …
the water along the coast was very troubled.
At a parking lot I stopped for a shot of the latest version of Suzukis Jimny Jeep. Surely one of the best car for traveling around along Corsicas rough backcountry and its narrow trails. There is also a huge tuning scene around the Jimney, which produced some nice adventure builds based on that vehicle. Normally I don’t often stop for cars, but ….
this adventurous parked pickup forced me to do it again.
The route switched between some parts along the coastline, …
back country roads and a …
a boat infected river near the city Saint Florent.
After a stone shrine in oyster shape, about an hour before midday …
my shadow beauty and I reached …
the viewing point “Bocca di Veccu“, where the second off-road part of my planned route along TET Corsica was located. This viewing point offered some nice sights over the …
rocky central-northern part of the Island.
Huge …
puddles …
and kind of …
technical bulbous terrain …
accompanied us along …
our way to the beach.
About an hour after the last stop Чернотa and I reached …
some sandy terrain called …
“Ghignu Beach” which is surely one of the highlights of TET Corsica. I made an extensive break and enjoyed the view over the bay whilst having a snack.
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