CORSICA – THE WILD WEST OF EUROPE!
With the summer long gone, I’ll bet you are already planning for next season’s rides. Perhaps I can help. There’s a part of Europe that you can be completely enthralled by. It’s an area that will challenge and inform, and will trash a few preconceived ideas. It’s a ride that will fit within the least experienced motorcyclist’s boundaries, but can stretch and inspire everyone.
I’m talking about a quirky island off the coast of France and Italy; Corsica. An Island where the scenery is so drop-dead gorgeous it’ll make you stop as if human magnets have just been applied! The island gifts you the chance to explore old political intrigue, the passionate nature of the islanders, the foods, languages, buildings and beaches, and all within a relatively short space of time.
Corsica is 200 miles south from the coast of France, and its neighbour Sardinia is 116 miles from the coast of Italy. It’s roughly that from the coast of North Africa too! I’m mentioning this because Corsica may well impress you so much that you decide to extend your trip and hop onto the ferry to the equally quirky Sardinia. These islands, though so close to each other are complete contrasts. Corsica is French speaking and Sardinia Italian. The customs and cultures, architecture, foods etc. are dramatically different as a result of those connections, and they’ve been frequently torn by wars not of their own making. The Mafia has played (and still plays) significant games with one of them, and pride-led bandit clans the other.
GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT
A visit to Corsica can be as rough and
