We’re now on the ferry from Bonifacio/Corsica to Santa Teresa di Gallura/Sardinia.. It takes about 50 minutes to get there. From Santa Teresa we take the bus to Olbia Airport, where a Renault Clio is already waiting for us. From Olbia we then try to find our way to Alghero, or better said, a B&B 10 minutes outside of Alghero. We found the very nice and friendly looking B&B Las Rosas using hostelworld.com. Should be a 2 hours ride (if we find our way at he first try ;-))
After Alghero - we wanna stay there one or two nights - we don’t know exactly where to go next. We’ve already got a few options, but the main target is Cagliari, because from there we have to take the night ferry to Sicily on Friday, where we meet our good friend and superduper Sicily travelguide Giorgio again.
Today we’ve checked again at the upper town a bit. Very nice, atmospheric place with small alleys and many Restaurants We’ve been at the Cape, where you’ll get a spectacular view of the Area and of course of Sardninia - which is just 12km away - and the Marine Cemetry.
After that we’ve checked the Escalier du Roi d’Aragon, which was absolutely cool. 187 steps down to the sea with an awesome view. It’s a little bit like a tunnel with one side open. The legend says, that all of the steps were carved by King Aragons troops in just one night. As said, it’s just a legend.
Anyway, we’re now heading to our hotel, to pick up our luggage, because we’ have to catch the ferry to Sardinia at 15.30 (which was 30.20 EUR for both by the way).
Last night, we’ve discussed intensively what to do next. So, we’re taking the afternoon ferry to Sardinia (Santa Teresa di Gallura) from where we take a bus to Olbia. At Olbias airport is already a car waiting for us (Renault Clio for three days = 132 EUR). From there we drive to Alghero on Sardinias West Coast. Right now we’re trying to find a room there, which is, again, not that easy
We’ll keep you posted!
Yesterday we made a boat tour (30 EUR each) to Lavezzi Island with tour watching the magnificent location of Bonifacio on the cliffs. It was absolutely breathtaking! Water and Sand on the island were fine as well.. We stayed there for a few relaxing hours for swimming and sun-bathing (My legs are burning like hell!).
Here are the last pictures from Ajaccio and the Napoléon Monument. We’ve also been at Napoléons Birthplace, but were’nt allowed to tak pictures or Video.
Napoléon Monument at Place d’Austerlitz
Travelling without Laptop?? No way!
Ewa with Baguettes on the Market. Just the “Marcel” (this is how the French call a white undershirt) is missing
From Ajaccio we tooked the bus to Bonifacio. The bus station is directly on the ferry terminal, just a few meters away from the tourist office. We had to pay 21 bucks each (20 p.Person + 1 for the luggage) for the three hour ride. The views from the inland were awesome! Such a beatiful landscape, Wow!
We arrived in Ajaccio at 7.30 pm at the bus station, which is directly next to he hotel we’ve booked. The hotel, Roy d’Aragon is a three star and very beatiful, but the room they gave us, is indeed, very loud.. We’ve got a bunch of air condition machines nex to our window (I deliver photos soon), but we have to deal with that, because there are no other rooms..
Anyway, our first impression of Bonifacio is just fu***** amazing! Especially the upper town, with it’s citadel on the cliffs. Down on the marina the atmosphere is a bit jet-set like.. Expensive restaurants, even more expensive boats, people drinking champagne, and so on.. This evening we’ve just checked the ferry terminal for our ride to Sardinia (which is just 12km away from here) and had a few beer at Café del Mare. After that we went to bed.
Right now it’s 9 in the morning and I have to hurry. We’ve signed for a boat trip to a lonely island with beatiful beaches, at 9.30. I’ll deliver photos when I’m back.
Oh, I’ve totally forgot: We made a little Napoleon Tour in Ajaccio. You’ll get photos of that, too. But now I have to go.
Wow, at first it seemed to be really hard to get a room in Bonfacio for tonight (we’re going there with the bus on late afternoon today), but we made it!! The fourth hotel we’ve called had a room for us. Haha, the receptionist asked me a few times if I’m really sure to take this room, because it’s very noisy. I’m damn sure, I said! How noisy can it be?? We just want to have a place to sleep, no matter what.. I think it’s a good idea, to start planning our Sardinia adventure NOW, to avoid such troubles.
By the way, again it’s not cheap. 87 bucks!
It’s going to be a beatiful day. Today we’re going to do the Napoléon Tour. We wanna visit the Napoléon Memorial and the house where he was born.
Here are a few pictures from this morning:
After a delayed three and a half hour train ride, through the beatiful island of Corsica, we finally arrived in Ajaccio. We’ve already chosen a few hotels we would prefer to stay, but, and that was a huge mistake, we didn’t book!! Every bloody hotel in the city is fully booked - we found out by walking around for more than two hours with our huge Backpacks. We decided to check the tourist office for other options.. The only hoel they had was a bit outside the city center (another 15 minutes walk), directly on the beach.. It’s called Hotel Imperial, and that’s how it looks like: old-school Napoleon style with a lot of grandmas ;). Really bad was, that they had only the biggest room available for “just” 120 bucks!! But we had no choice.
I don’T know what’s going on in this city. It’s not even main season and every hotel is fully booked. Imagine what’s going on here in main season with a big festival, or if they decide to move the Love Parade to Ajaccio.. The city would collapse
Anyway, the room is nice, with seaview and WiFi, what is a big plus. Here are he pictures (clickable):
We’ve decided to skip Corte and go directly to Corsicas Capital Ajaccio, the hometown of Napoleon Bonaparte. The train from Bastia goes at 8.40am and should arrive in Ajaccio at 12.10 pm (20.70 EUR p.Person)
By the way, we’ve been in a damn good restaurant in one of the side streets at Bastias old Port (again, recommended by Lonely Planet). It’s a favourite place of the locals, the name is: U Tianu. It’s a family-run, simple place with no menu or anything like that. As soon, as you’ve chosen your table, the party get’s started: You’ll get a five course corsican meal including aperetif, coffee, wine, water and bread for the total of 23 EUR per person. Compared to the prices here, it’s very good value and absolutely delicious food and wine
I’ve alreay tried a few local brands (e.g. Pietra - dark, Colombo - light) here, and I must say, they’re really good. I don’t know how to describe te flavour in english, so you have to be satisfied with just “really good”. But what really fucks me up is, that you can’t get a beer bigger than 0.25 liter.. Nowwhere.. So I have to deal with directly ordering a new beer after my first sip
So, our first stop on Corsica is nearly over. Tommorow we’re heading to our next stop, but right now we’Re not sure, what that would be. We’ve got two options: Ajaccio, Corsicas capital, or Corte, the former capital, which lies halfway between Bastia and Ajaccio in the mountains. As far as I know, Corte itself should be not so special, but the Vallée de la restonica should be amazing. According to the Lonely Planet, “on of the pretiest spots in all Corsica”. I think we’re going to discuss that this evening, with Live Music at the Pub Assunta.
Anyway, Bastia is very nice so far. The Vieux Port is very pretty and the Views from the Citadel with it’s Jardin Romieu is breathtaking. Today we did the walking tour which the Lonely Planet recommends and saw a lot of nice buildings and churches. Especially the Oratoire up in Terra Nova with it’s golden ceilings was really nice.
Then we headed a couple of kilometers north (9km) to the small village of Erbalunga (2 EUR bus ride each way). With it’s small alleys, and the tiny “harbour” really beatiful, but for me a bit to quiet. Kep in mind that all restaurants are closed in the afternoon and open between 7 and 8pm.
So, now enough blabla, here are a few pictures..
Ewa is going wild!
Statue of Napoleon at Place Saint Nicolas
War memorial at Place Saint Nicolas
Hottie at Place Saint Nicolas
Views from the Citadel
The two of us
Erbalunga
A Genovese tower in Erbalunga. You find these watch towers in many places around Cap Corse
After a 90 minutes flight we finally arrived at Bastia Airport. The Airport is a bit outside of the town (approx. 30 minutes), so that you have to take a taxi or the bus to get to Bastia. Our problem was, that the first bus was going at 10am but we arrived at 8 and didn’t want to wait.. So we asked two other backpackers, who were up for the GR20 by the way, to share a taxi into town. The trip was 40 EUR, so 10 bucks each.
Anyway, Bastia is a really pretty little town with a nice atmosphere and beatiful buildings. Our Hotel, the Posta Vecchia is located directly at the port and they gave us a simple double room with a stunning sea view for 70 EUR a night. Here are the first pictures (all pictures are clickable):
In front of our hotel
Fiadone, a corsican speciality. It was kind of a cheese bread with a little lemon flavour. Very good!
Ewa’s sunglasses
This is how it looks like when we open the giant window/door of our hotel room. Absolutely amazing.
We’ve been at the Cape, where you’ll get a spectacular view of the Area and of course of Sardninia - which is just 12km away - and the Marine Cemetry.
