After a delightful couple of days with the relatives, we make a bee line for the ferry and back to England for a mad week seeing people, dentist, etc and generally sorting things out before our next foray on to the continent. Even time to see our son-in-law riding his bike through a powder track…reminds me of my youth!….I love motorbikes!

And tomorrow it’s off to Germany…

There’s a fabulous free “aire” in Puylaurens and it’s a great base if you’re keen on gentle rural walking…

We choose a quick 6 kilometre circuit…on a lovely day…

…followed by a well-earned drink in the local caff…..

Then, it’s off to see the relatives…

Oh well, the season’s over. The campsite is empty, and there’s just time to take in one or two sights before we leave… the lovely Pinarello Beach…

…and the wonderful scenery on the way from Corte to Ajaccio… 

We take the opportunity to explore Ajaccio before driving to the ferry port…

…there’s all that Napoleon stuff for starters…

…plus some random member of the public…

Then it’s an overnight crossing to Nice, catch-up with some old haunts and young(ish)friends around Fréjus, before setting off north via Sommières…

 Is this the local climbing wall?…..

Sommières is a lovely town…

….but how to get through the keyhole….?

Alice in Wonderland managed it, so a nibble of a biscuit did it…
And then it’s time to shrink off over to St Pons again (see last year’s posts)…

Oh well, can’t sit about doing nothing, can we, so it’s up at the crack of dawn with Daniel from the campsite and squeezing along the precipitous lanes from Corte along the Restonica valley. At this time of the morning it’s quiet, but for five euros the car park guys pack us in like the proverbial. And we set off for the famous lakes, quite cold in the shade up here, though the sun is already slipping down from the peaks…

We gain height quite quickly but pause from time to time, not only to catch our breath but to take in the breath-taking views, if you see what I mean…

Ah, and here comes the hard bit – to choose the easy ascent or the “sportif”?…. Daniel says that in fact the “sportif” is more straightforward and less slippery, so…

This is an easy bit! Pity we didn’t get any snaps of yours truly climbing up the iron ladders built into the rocks. Who said I was unfit? My legs, for starters… But actually, it is wonderful…

And at last we arrive….

Lake? What lake? (He’s the sherpa…)   Aah…this lake….

The lake is called Lac de Melu, and situated at 1711 metres above sea level, with the peak beside it at 2342 metres, it’s no wonder it’s frozen for five to six months of the year…apparently there are a few trout who don’t mind…hardy souls (soles?)…..

The bad news is that this is only the first lake and my legs are shot. The good news is that our companion is very affable and understanding and the sherpa has a damned fine picnic in his bag…

We decide to leave the higher spot for another time….

A great day! Only thing was that there were a lot of people about – everyone flocking to see this famous spot, but then, who can blame them?

Now September is here and our busy season is nearly over, there’s time to enjoy a little leisure with friends….Some mountain gazing….

…some swimming…is this the Lady of Shalott I see?….

And also there’s a chance for a little interaction with the locals…

…though this one doesn’t seem awfully interested in us…

No one must contemplate a trip to Corsica without partaking of the Corsican singing experience. We had seen some performers already – indeed one of Terry’s fellow musicians here sings in the traditional voice of the island. But last night topped it all! I Muvrini were fantastic! A real show!

 Yes, they were embracing nationalism, which doesn’t float my boat, to use a good sea-faring metaphor, but most of all they were promoting a genuine compassion, a humanity, a focus away from materialism towards creativity, poetry, respect and peace, with intense musicality. Now you wouldn’t expect me to like that, would you?!

We have just had the most bizarre week! Two days ago there was a man standing on the roof of the ladies’ toilets shouting, “C’est l’année de la merde!” That was just the start. Campsite overrun by goats, tearing through escalonia, eucalyptus, laurel and oak trees like a plague of locusts, people turning up at all hours expecting accommodation, the mysterious appearance of what I can only describe politely as a pile of human faeces beside a tent, which a customer asked me to clear up…Added to which, no hot water in the showers, in fact no water in the showers at all, only discovered once I had undressed and begun to soap myself…meals interrupted, a thunderous deluge…I fear the world is truly turning upside down…

We haven’t been out for a while so decide to go up to Aleria to the site of the ancient Roman town. Interesting little museum if you like looking at old pots and jewellery (I do) and worth the 2 euros entrance. Then you can walk along the side to the actual site – another area where one lot of people have conquered another lot, conquering another lot – you can peel back the history like layers of onion… It is also very beautiful…which you may not say about onion…if you see what I mean…

There were one or two ancient relics there…

Could say this fella was a little blue in the face…

I think he’d had a few too many beers…but then it was rather hot….

Not too much work today, so head for a much deserved (we think so, anyway!) swim in the sea, followed by a drive up to one of our favourite villages, Prunelli, where we have lunch at the cafe. Cured bacon and melon salad, followed by rabbit and potato dauphinois with assorted veg, all very tasty. The coffee is delivered in a rather unusual manner whereby it lands upside down on the table, much to the embarassment of the cafe owner. Still, no harm done – we agree that he keeps a breed of live cup, and he gives us our next cup of coffee, this time served in the cup, for free. Oh, and by the way, if you’re ever passing this way, you must visit the toilet – the view from the window is fabulous!

On the way back down to the plain, we stop by at the river to cool down – wonderful for the feet!

Ghisonaccia town is one of the places to be in the evening of this fête day.

 It’s a glorified Late Night Shopping with bands on every street corner…

Not bad musicians, in my opinion. Some concerned with their image…

Others hoping the evening won’t be a wash-out…

And there’s a rather spectacular firework display on the stroke of midnight – or rather not on the stroke of midnight – like everything else in Corsica, it’s late, but after a while it happens, and it is worth the wait!

A few hours off again and we drive up into the mountains to visit Sari-Solenzara. It’s a cooler day, but that means cloud: these towering rocks are cloaked in mist, but we make it to the Monastery where apparently five Sisters live and are amenable to any random discussion about the universe that might occur to you as you are passing…

The village of Sari is scruffily pleasant with some lovely looking houses and a couple of stray dogs that enjoy giving you a guided tour. There are views of the sea from outside the church, and half an hour’s walk up the lane is Monte Santu, the peak where you can go climbing or simply enjoy the views. We decide to come back on a clearer day – there’s a thunder storm threatening – instead, we opt for coffee on the harbour front followed by a swim at the “Beach of the Cows”…