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Sardinia-Corsica, the first tour of the year, from 18th-25th April !

lundi 28 février 2011, par Barry

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There are still a few places available for this superb tour. Here are all the details ; the roadbook will be sent out to participants as soon as booking is closed.

As you know, the tour of Corsica and Sardinia is the first of 2011. Without a doubt it will not be the least interesting.
We will be taking you through the two most beautiful islands in the entire Mediterranean.
Corsica is, of course, an island beloved of the French, with names of towns and villages that sing in our memories with the accent of Tino Rossi, but Corsica is also 757 km of coast roads, mountain passes at more than 4,900 ft, an absolutely incredible native vegetation, and in spring, wildlife and plant life that cannot be found elsewhere. Strolling through snow in Vizzavona before going to have a dip in the sea at Campomoro is just one way of spending three hours of a lovely April day. A land of contrasts and discoveries, Corsica will be emerging from winter when we arrive, and we guarantee that the riot of colour bursting forth in the maquis will be an unforgettable sight.

Sardinia is somewhat different. It differs geographically, because whilst Corsica is a huge rock sticking out of the sea, Sardinia consists of two mountain ranges separated by a large plain, which means a big difference as far as the climate and temperature variations are concerned. To get to our base camp at Arbatax, we will have to cross a large part of the northern half of the island, and then go down along the most beautiful coastline in Sardinia, with a whistle-stop visit to some friends of ours in Cala Gonone, a small corner of paradise just below Olbia.
The main day of touring through the island will take us to the most tortuous and the wildest part of Sardinia : the Gennargentu. From Lanusei to Aritzo, and from Fonni to Orgosolo, you will discover magical villages, some of which have been abandoned by their inhabitants in favour of a greener hillside. You will be able to see the famous murals that adorn the Sardinian villages, and which have often inspired Italian filmmakers. We’ll ignore the main roads that run along the foot of the mountains to instead ride the old routes, which are now mainly used by local agricultural traffic, but which are also a hot-spot for the local wildlife : we’ll have to ride carefully ! However, we will also be able to ride on the famous Sardinian mountain roads, with tarmac that’s as smooth as a race circuit, and which are considered to be the most beautiful motorcycling roads in Europe.

A word about accommodation : in Arbatax, we will be staying (in principle) in a complex that we enjoyed on the two occasions that we have stayed in the Hotel Saraceno. The beach is thirty metres away, there’s a large car park, good traditional cooking and accommodation in small bungalows in the midst of a huge garden. We will keep you updated on this. We have another proposal, but this will depend largely upon the roadbook !
As far as Corsica goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it ??? : our family at the Belvédère, in Coti-Chiavari, with that wonderful view and marvellous cuisine will be there to welcome us. It will be our base camp for three days and three typical dinners, which will allow us to discover landscapes that are very different to those that we usually visit ! But that’s a surprise !

The ferry crossings with our partners from La Méridionale will also be outstanding.
We will be sailing from Marseille on Monday 18th, and will dine and spend the night on board, arriving in Propriano at around 7:30 am. There will be a one-hour stopover, and then we will sail on towards Porto Torres, where we will arrive at 11 am. On the way we will be able to see the cliffs of Bonifacio.
The sailing from Porto Torres to Propriano will be new for us, since we will be setting off in the late afternoon. Unlike the short ferry trip between Santa Teresa and Bonifacio that we have done until now, the mini-cruise proposed to us by La Méridionale will be much more original. We will arrive in Propriano after having sailed up the entire southern coast of Corsica. We will be one hour’s ride away from the Belvédère, which will limit the distance we have to cover with luggage.
To return to Marseille, we will be obliged to ride up to Bastia ; nevertheless it shouldn’t be too much of a drag, because the route that we will be taking is really wonderful !

Here’s some more detail about this out-of-the-ordinary tour. Get ready to discover fabulous landscapes and incredible wildlife and plant life, a historical heritage that is unlike any other in the entire Mediterranean basin and the impression that you are sometimes riding “alone in the world ???!

There are still six places available for this “Sardinia-Corsica ??? tour, so don’t hesitate to book now !

Programme :

Departure from Marseille on Monday 18th April at 6:30 pm.

Arrival in Porto Torres on the 19th towards 11 am. Ride down to Arbatax on the sightseeing route and establishing base camp at the hotel.

20th April : Tour of the inland villages (Lanusei, Fonni, Orgosolo), then return to the hotel.

21st April : Returning to Porto Torres via the coast road, setting sail at 4 pm to Propriano (Corsica). Arrival at 6:30 pm and then we ride to the Hotel Belvédère. First night.

22nd April : Visiting the Taravo (Southern Corsica), and second night at the Belvédère.

23rd April : to be defined : there are two possibilities, Bonifacio or Porto. Third night at the Belvédère.

24th April : Riding to Bastia via a sightseeing route (either the Castaniccia or the “Route des Artisans ???). Boarding the boat in Bastia (northern Corsica). Night on board.

25th April : Arrival in Marseille (end of the tour).

We remind you that this tour is limited to a maximum of 15 persons.

Photographs, the booking form and the full MEB 2011 programme are in the portfolio

Portfolio