2022 April 6th - June 6th: France. Covid Breakout of Toronto at last 👍

 2022 April 6th - June 6th: France with attitude and a bike

Dateline: 2022 June 9th. Toronto, Ontario

This trips travelling map 

Running away from the Canadian winter: escape from covid

My long nurtured dream, hatched in the depths of winter despair and relentlessly researched of the hiking route GR20 in Corsica

 Well, here I am dear reader, 73 already and biking around Corsica just for the fun of it
Some folks prefer sitting on a couch watching TV. That's fine with me as long as it's other people

This to the anal point where I was deciding on 50 gram accessories or 75 gram accessories (space blanket), water purifying tabs, new ultra light tent and sleeping bag etc etc involved a trans GR20 hiking trip of Corsica was cut short, well, read on.....

I've also packed a full biking kit as I'm borrowing one of the wonderful bike at the Alexanders, so I have double paniers, rack for same, lights, pump, bell (no helmet) for a biking adventure down to Newts place in Sigean

 Statutory shot of  Canadian winter during one of my lesser depressing walks. March 14th

 April 14th, back at the Alexanders to be not in Canada 

 Same suspects, slightly aging, slightly the worse for wear 
Always a glass of red to aid recovery

 Straight into the local France social maelstrom 
A local artist exhibiting in a cave

 We can sit outside and enjoy
the local food (croissants) and coffee

 All French local wine
are great

 I know it's not gong to be Sigean quality,
but the bonus is, it's also not Toronto quality

 I'm soon setting myself fitness things to do
Here biking

 Bikers throw down. His

 I kit myself up with my
 potential hiking gear and
throw in about 5Kgs of
dinner as a test hike
around Laborie with
Martin

 And His also

 2Km and feeling like this is definitely possible

 But 10Km in and my knee
 is
complaining 

 I relinquish dinner from my backpack, and
struggle with ideas of completing my proposed
trans Corsica hike

Peter embraces his prefered
lifestyle

 Lots of local neighbours. Note fabulous views

 This appears to be my
 main task
here, re organising the
perpetually
disorganised car port
(again)

Maybe Peters last bike ride
We head out for a coffee at Castelnau

 The sun shines, and apart from limping 
everywhere
After a few painkillers (yes! Me!)
all's well (enough) with the world

 Martins birthday bash

Tim, Martin's son

organises

 a fantastic prime rib BBQ

 More of the same usual suspects

 Maybe one of my failing attempts
at not so fine dining

 Shucking oysters in about 20 degrees
I send one to my sailing skipper

 I am positively encouraged to get the
lawnmower out. OK. It's quite fun

 Still counts as cool down here 

 We are into projects. The front oak door,
probably about
150 years old and sorely in need of a refit 

 Note casual attitude and  full bags of paniers. On my way to Sigean.
Newts place down south.
I take the train

After a few weeks of peer pressure,
I'm on a bike, so I bike into Gaillac to catch the
train
Through the vineyards' of course
Very poetic 

 This is how you transport
 yourVelo in France.
Note, you must reserve
your spot

 Safe again. Traversing French railway stations (like Toulouse)
involves a lot of steps which with a heavy bike and a gammy
knee was zero fun. Other travellers (especially older farts) had an even worse experience. Local staff couldn't give a shit
Glad all trains had washrooms. That was close several times! 

 

 Much as I try, the Sigean Newt #1 sandwich is best
created by an expert. ie, Newt

 I'm in my element here
Poached salmon I'd say
with a crisp white,
probably a Picpoul de pinet
I want for very little here

 I'm mobile on my Velo so I can take the slow
 route to 
Port La Nouvelle and check out the local flora

To the lifestyle not born, but Chaddleworth
certainly gave me the impetus to achieve, well
just about everything

 The back of the Newts pied
a terre
The balcony of delight
 is 3rd down, centre 

 Downtown Sigean. I'm showing this because
the Newts
have sold this delightful place, so I will not be
here again 

 Today, I'm off to Leucate. About 25Km away
Hopefully, on quiet roads for an oyster feast
Spring flowers are just a onus

 A veritable shuck full of oyster options

 Passing through town, quite safe for most

 town riding

Main roads? Check your mirror often

 The French do great bike
trails in towns and
municipalities 
This along a beach

 The French way of life. Unbeatable

 Next, Its off to Gruissan. Another hang

out for the BiValve

cognoscenti set (thats me)

 Time to send pix to my
mates back in Toronto

This could go on for a long, wonderful
time
without me getting bored

 It's not exactly bike path,
more
horse path, but a lot
safer
and
almost deserted

 It's quite a hike on my bike, maybe 20+Km,
and I can't quite
remember where it is, so several hours later 

 More really well thought out and
 functional bike paths

Whats a guy got to do to
enjoy his retirement
around here?
Gruisan. Fabulous Huitre

 On the local salt water lake heading back

 I choose the long and winding return track

 I head down a totally disused back path. Lots of sharp thorny objects. Ooops 
My puncture repair abilities, as taught to me by my dear old daddy, still work!

I still have a slow flat.
I try (unsuccessfully) to fix it permanently

 May 5th. My 73rd birthday
How else to live it up? 

Head to Port La Nouvelle for

the market.

Bike options are less enjoyable, 

but I score some home made

Madeleines

 There, that was easy
Another glass of wine sir? 

 Just another day etc etc 
However! I understand
that the
proprietors are now
looking for a buyer
My glorious freeloading
days here
are numbered

 Crossing a different country 

Well, I don't always need to have a glass of wine

 I like these shots!

 In the true Segean
tradition, I'm out in all weathers
munching on my sandwich  
and half bottle of red 

 Note strategically
place glass of Picpoul

 Ah! yes, my seafood stew.
Sometimes I excel myself 
Maybe not this time

 Another glorious riot of days end

 With the sun in frame,
this must have been around 8AM. Breakfast 

 As I work my way through Joyce's Ulysses,
the world continues in it's celestial
ambivalence
Not reading, listening to the unabridged
recorded version 

 And back home with a new look

 A road less travelled
around the
Etang. Usually deserted 

Just me and my phone

Complete with

unabridged Joyce as an

audiobook.

Perfect!

 Looks like another hike out to Leucat for lunch

 I'm sure anyone who's got this far
will wonder why I bother
Hey! There are worse things to do
with your retired life 

 It's still early in the season
So really, just the locals

 Spring in southern France
As Newt would say, what's not to like

 The "usual" riot of wild flora coloursa

 On my borrowed Velo

 About 12Km from Sigean

 Was it all worth it? you ask

Does the Pope shit in the woods? I retort

 Up, over the hill and
down into
Leucat

 Same way back

 But. My Idyl is about to be 
curtailed

 Somehow, I accept my new
role as previous caretake
in my stride

 The landlord has arrived
and taken over all
culinary aspects

Those were the days my friend......

 There's quite a smattering of expats,
many of them, Ahem.... "Artists"
It's ok, they provide great food and
mostly acceptable wines

The "Artists" make things to hang on walls

The guests hang around for delicious food

and get drunk

Everyone goes home with great feelings

of accomplishment

 Now Peter drives, and I
bike and gather shopping
essentials on the return

 Cordon Blue Newt is now in
residence

 With Newt here, I abandon my 
Velo, and we head to our favourite
lunch sites, probably for the last time

Gruisan for Langoustine & Huitre Bi valves.
Probably one of the most delightful meals I've ever had in France 

 And of course, Fresh Moule from Gruisan for dinner. 
Au Revoir mon ami 

 Aware that I have to say my farewells to Sigean (yes, this
is not only the end of freeloading here, but the end of a fantastic era), Newt takes me and bike etc to Narbonne. Farewell Old Friend! 

And I head to Marseilles for the overnight
Corsica ferry

 Not the best sleep. I was more concerned
about security
But we arrive just after dawn in Ajaccio.
Napoleons Birthplace

 On board the ferry,
I celebrate with a
perfect beer. Then crash in the
seats

 I'm all kitted out, but it's far to early to check into my hotel
The caffe's are just opening up. Time for a revitalising coffee

 It's a fantastic day to be alive out on the road to my hotel

I arrive about 10AM and my room is ready.
I dump my gear and head off to discover the town

 Back into town  

And around the bay

I grab a litre of fresh milk and live off of bits
The evening is a crap shoot of poor google information
about restaurants. This area was supposed to be a restaurant
way past my hotel, but was really only a bar and an ice cream shop

 An early start. Dawn
I have a bus to catch (I hope), in an hour

I am catching a bus because it's too much work, and 
as I very quickly discover, really, like bloody dangerous, to bike in the hills here
Luckily, no one else is biking as the bus driver only takes one or two 
bikes ber trip

Propriano, about a 2 hour bus ride. REALLY glad I didn't 
bike here. Real hills and zero space for anything except trucks

What a place. I always put "2" for how many
people
Consequentially, the manager gave me a really
 lovely place  

 The less than casual observer may note in the
distance,
the actual hiking route GR20 on the horizon

Shopping in Corsica, I have
discovered, is difficult
The Australian election kicks out FuckWith ScoMo. I celebrate

Next, another bus ride to
Ponto Vechio
I'm here for a few days,
so I'm
checking out my biking
stamina
around the back roads

I check into my highly rated accommodation
It's only so - so, with no cooking facilities so
I'm 
almost dying by the time I get into town for a
big beer

Ooooops!
Too much Corsican
 Salami

Two days later
On the road again
Pure Willie Nelson

 I'm up, literally before the sun and out of the
door
Maybe 30Km before 10AM to
Sari-Solenzara
The roads are fine up to about 9AM.
Glad I pre booked

 House Agneli.
Near pretty much nowhere, but cheap

 Just an overnighter here, then, with the roads
far too busy
and dangerous (after 10AM), I bus to Bastia

Off in Bastia and simply put all my bits together
and head out for my 20+ Km ride up the
Cap du Corse

, 

I am really loving this. Hills and some traffic,
 but what a delight

 There's a few bakeries. I'm a sweaty mess but
get water as I need it

 I marvel at myself
(As you are aware gentle
 reader)
not a difficult thing for me

 The view from my isolated hotel in a village
with no name 
I arrive too early, so just hang out for a while

The hotels reviews for their
 food
was pretty good, but it's
all about
Pizza etc fast food.
I park the bike and walk
to a local
restaurant

It's Saturday. Everyone
is out
The BBQ goes on about
7PM
I wait. I get grub.
It's pretty good

 Sunday and I'm heading as far north as I can
Unfortunately, there's a Porsche rally all
around the Cap

Occasionally noisy, but by and large, safe drivers

 Those hikers amongst my ever diminishing readers, will note
more profile of GR20 in the background 

As it's Sunday, the French all go out for superb food at
the best restaurants. I, sweaty and gross, have no chance
of getting in anywhere. I buy baked stuff. Much Cheaper 

And then back to the HotelStead

 Well, here I am, 73 already and biking around Corsica just for the fun 
Some folks prefer sitting on a couch watching TV. That's fine with me as long as it's other people

 It's a glorious 13Km ride from my hotel to pretty much
the end of the road. Google shows nothing
But there's a small town there and a bloody Porsche 
rally all weekend with a full pits set up there

 Without my saddlebags,
I'm a lot lighter

 Ancient watchtower as mentioned by
Bob Dylan
Jimi Hendrix et al 

 I've done most of the
island.
Time to head back,
then home 

Next morning, it's an easy, and totally glorious 24 Km ride back to Bastia 

 I check into my hotel in Bastia. Amazing, the reception speak English.
Very unusual
I deposit my bike in the lock up, showered, head out into town.
I choose my bakery, buy my baked goods and head to 
the best coffee shop. in the square. I watch the ferries come and go
Finding a place to piss in French towns is always a break neck problem 

 Ancient Bastia's

defensive wall 

 There's a lot of defensive structures here
Napoleon needed them I guess 

 Finally, in Bastia,
a decent meal

 And I'm on board, heading back, via
Marseilles to Gaillac 

 Marseille, early morning
Sleeping on board was not very effective
I'm knackered
 It's an easy bike ride from
the docks to the station. but I get totally lost

A friendly bike rack that
I need to
shoehorn my bike into 

 Eventually, after a few missed connections.
Heading back through the local vineyards 

 Safe, sound and maybe a bit fitter even? 
A lot smellier definately

 I reflect that I will
probably never
bike around Corsica again
Oh well, most people
haven't done
it the first time

 Ugh! Indeed 
Newt gave me full approval to toss this old
rucksack which served me exceptionally well

 A small matter of a
laundry
machine?

 Wasn't that such a pile of fun! 

 Looks familiar?
What great legs you have grandad!

 Hmmmmm.

Thanks, but I'm washing my

hair tonight 

 The big picture, from the recently Jim mowed, paddock 

 I have booked my return to YYZ.
No wonder they look happy

 Alex finds inspiration in a grain
 of sand
Or less!

 

 The summer accoutrement are
wrestled
from there recently allotted 
storage spaces 
There is sun. There is Shade
god is in Her heaven,
and all's well with the world
again

 All under the watchful eye of management,
Quality Control and engagements 

 Alex and I celebrate our mutually
conceptualised and outrageously
over engineered Oak Door improvements

I bid a very fond Adieu, until we next meet

And I'm back. Now read on in next blog. If you dare

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