Next, we head up to Les Aiguilles de Bavella, around 1600 metres high. Our poor ol’ van doesn’t know what to make of it, huffing and puffing up to the Col, but stunning is not the word for the scenery…

The rock formations, as we approach, are breath-taking in more senses than one. These needles are famous for their ever-changing colours…they alter from grey to bluish-pink to an eery green before our eyes, and the forms of the rocks are beautiful…

Once up to the Col (1206 metres) we strike out on foot – our objective is to reach the apparently popular Le Trou de la Bombe… there it is, tiny little hole in the volcanic rock in the distance…

Nothing like a nice gentle walk for releasing the sciatic nerve which is giving me a bit of gyp today…

We go up…and up…

…and up…

We meet a French couple who have spent an hour looking for the trou. The secret is to follow the red arrow…

…until you find it…

The rocks and views here are out of this world – a truly magical place…

…but all good things come to an end and we make the descent back to the car park via an old chapel, then on down towards Porto-Vecchio, stopping en route at the most extraordinarily peaceful lake…

…not forgetting the excellent cup of coffee in a lovely little village by the name of Zonza. Sciatic pain? What sciatic pain?