We bought some Corsican ham (cut much thicker than prosciutto) and local wine from. La Cave Sartenaise and had lunch in one of the cafes on place Porto. Wendy was adventurous and had a ham, cheese and tomato crepe because we had noticed several creperies in the larger towns we have recently been to and the square folded and very thin crepe was excellent.
We then followed some advice in the Lonely Planet Guide by driving towards Bonifacio to Bergerie d'Acciola, claimed to be a mandatory stop for cheese lovers. We were not disappointed in tasting and then buying two of the farmhouse cheeses plus a long piece of yummy smoked saucisson, some local olive oil and local wine.
The most amazing part of our journey so far was our visit to the prehistoric site of Paddaghiu, not far from Sartene, because there are 258 menhirs, making this the largest collection of megalithic statuary in the Mediterranean and one of the most interesting in the world. These are large slabs of stone erected in groups around 4000 BC, all stones within a group being lined up with each other. The reasons for their existence and why they are aligned are still a mystery to archaeologists.
The signs leading to this special site of world importance were handpainted by someone obviously trying to help people find them and the track we walked along for ages (in boiling heat!), hoping to eventually see them, was extremely rugged. It's extraordinary however that they are not protected in any way and we were surprised that graffiti artists have not spoiled them yet.
We were ready for a swim but by the time we drove around narrow hillside roads to the beautiful cove at Campomoro and found a car park (like several hundred other beach lovers!) We only had the time and energy for a drink at a small beachside bar. Our scenic coastal road back to Propriano ended our very special day of touring the incredibly diverse Corsican countryside and coast.
Luckily we had a reservation at an equally special restaurant, Terra Cotta, where we devoured some of the best food we have eaten in Corsica - dishes such as zucchini panacotta topped with finely sliced lettuce with a delicious dressing and served with a tempura battered prawn; or soup poisson which is a rich fish soup served with crostini that you rub with garlic and then top with rouille (a type of egg based mayonnaise flavored with a light mustard) before placing in the bowl of soup so that your next mouthful has all of those flavors; and desserts like lavender flavored creme brulee or tiny chocolate cake filled with a hot chocolate sauce and served with ice cream and brittle toffee.
Tuesday, August 27, we motored (no wind!) down the coast to Bonifacio, but stopped on the way for a swim and snorkel in a stunning cove called Cala de Paragnano. As usual the water was crystal clear, but in parts it was the most amazing turquoise blue. Swimming there was really special.
It was only a short hop to Bonifacio, referred to as Corsica's belle of the ball. The entrance to the harbor is not easily sighted along the towering cliffs where the old town of Bonifacio is perched.
The harbor is a fjord, about 100 metres wide and a couple of km long, and it is a crazy port with tour boats steaming in and out, each with an Italian commentary blaring over loud speakers. A ferry also entered the harbor just as we did, along with multiple other sailing and motor yachts, all looking for a berth. We had to "wait" for about an hour until it was our turn for the harbor assistants to tell us our place. Greg developed his boating skills by keeping the boat in the same area for that amount of time while continually watching for the day trippers buzzing about and other boats reversing into their berths nearby.
Greg has also become a better electrician while here because almost every marina requires a different size and style of electricity plug and he even had to rewire the plug for this marina.
We had a lovely dinner on board, berthed below the enormous citadel and cliff face. Fabulous smoked Corsican farmhouse saucisson and olives for nibbles with little squares of pizza slice, followed by grilled minute steaks, pork sausages and salad, with a red wine from the Sartene AOC area (Domaine Fiumicicoli). Then some excellent cheeses (mainland French goats cheese, Italian gorgonzola and a Corsican farmhouse cheese) with fresh black figs and pear slices, which all deserved our second bottle of local red (Domaine Saparale).
Thankfully our berth was in a very quiet area of the dock, far enough away from the string of shops, restaurants and bars at the head of the harbor to escape the noise of the throngs of people. Even the shops are open until 1.00 am!
Today we spent wandering around the town and getting ready for the next few days of the journey, with Greg plotting the courses and me organising marinas. Geoff and Wendy explored the old town high above us and we all meandered along the harborside promenade later in the day, stopping for a drink at the B52 bar. Most importantly we surveyed the restaurant menus and selected where we would have dinner.
Sent via BlackBerry® from Telstra