Farewell Italy ....Hello France

Our stay in Florence was brief, and we soon found ourselves heading west for the nearby ferry port of Livorno . But on this occasion we would not be sailing back to Spain. A hoarding told us that this was the home of one of my favourite artists; Modigliani. We boarded that afternoon and by evening we had landed in the Corsican port of Bastia. With one short sea crossing we had been transported back to France. The next morning found us heading west towards the tiny port of Ile de Russe. From there an overnight ferry would take us to the port of Sète. And so, with very little driving, and a great economy of fuel, we would be home.

As we approached the eastern shores of Corsica, jagged mountains rose steeply from the coastline, while tiny settlements nestled close to the shoreline. Such savage beauty!

As we approached the coast we came upon the village of Patrimonio, famous for its Corsican wines. A little further on came the pretty port of St Florent , where for the first time we encountered cafés and bars buzzing with tourists.

The next day we decided to take the longer route to Ile de Russe, and explore this wild hinterland. Before long we were driving through the beautiful uninhabited area which is known as Cap Corse: such a contrast to the gentle rolling hills of Tuscany . For many winding kilometres, we did not see a single settlement: just bare mountains and thick garrigue, where strawberry bushes, olive trees and the occasional wild fig and prickly pear flourished.

After a short walk around this pretty harbour, we became anxious to leave. The ferry from Ile de Russe to Sète only runs once a week and we could not afford to miss it. But what a contrast as we approached this port. Unlike the enormous busy docks at Barcelona, from where we set off, there was only one single stone jetty. We spotted our ferry already berthed, waiting to board everyone for the sailing later that afternoon. As we left Corsica , we looked back and vowed to return.

We sailed in towards Sète early the next morning, and as the sun rose behind us, a waning crescent moon and Venus were still visible. We stayed on board to watch as Sète came into view, delighted to see this different aspect of our newly adopted town.It felt good to be back.