Le Cosi

Our last meal in Corsica was at Le Cosi, near the Vieux Port. It looked out over the sea and into the hills.

View of the Citadel in the hills. 

We had the Menu de Mer--€19.50 for 3 courses. Salade de poulpes was one of the options for the first course.

Soupe de Poissons was one of the options for the 2nd course.

Panna Cotta aux Fruits Rouges was one of the options for the 3rd course.

Basically, I had all my favorite dishes on my last night--what a great way to end the trip!

2017 09 29

Bastia

Bastia is the 2nd largest city in Corsica and had a population of 43,000 in 2010. It is a busy transportation hub with a major international airport and ferries to Italy & France.

In the center of town, Place St. Nicolas is a sprawling asphalt-covered square with many statues. This one is Monument to the Dead--a mother giving her son to the country.

At one end of the Place is a statue of Napoleon as a Roman Emperor.

Stop by the Maison LN Mattei, which specializes in an aperitif unique to Corsica. It tastes like a light Jagermeister.

Oratory of the Confraternity of the of the Immaculate Conception was finished in 1609. Inside, the walls are hung with silk damask and the pilasters are covered with velvet. The covering with textiles is a Genoese tradition.

Eglise St. Jean Baptiste is just a short walk away in the Vieux Port. It is the largest church in Corsica. It was built in the mid 1600s but the facade wasn't completed until 1864. 

The pulpit is inlaid with stone from Sicily, Sienna yellow and Polcevera green.

Nearby is the Place du Marche, which comes alive on the weekends with a marketplace.

Statue in the Place du Marche

The Vieux Port in Bastia where the pleasure boats dock.

2017 09 29

Le Majestic

Near the hotel was Le Majestic, a restaurant that was still serving lunch at 2 pm.

We had the Plat du Jour, a squid risotto for €12.90. It was more like squid with rice--not the most tasty but we didn't have much choice eating late.

2017 09 29

Hotel Riviera

We finished our tour of the island and dropped the car off at the airport. From the airport, we took the shuttle into Bastia--€9/person, 35 minutes.

Our hotel for the night was the Hotel Riviera, just a short walk from the bus stop at Bastia Perfecture.

It was not fancy but clean.

2017 09 29

Cap Corse

From Patrimonio, we drove up into the thumb of Corsica and toured Cap Corse. The Cap Corse peninsula is only 40 km long but there are 120 km of switchback curves.

Along the western edge, we passed rocky cliffs and cute villages.

We stopped in Nonza, 30 minutes north of Patrimonio.

The Eglise Sainte Julie is in the tiny village square.

The altar is polychrome and was created in Florence in 1693.

From the village square, wind your way up between the rocks to the Tour de Nonza--a Genoese watchtower. It is one of the best preserved in Corsica.

From the tower, look down at the roofs made of schist.

From the watchtower, you'll also see the coast

and the black beach--a legacy of the asbestos mines that operated here until 1965.

The asbestos doesn't scare people from creating art in the sand

A view of the switchbacks winding up the coast.

An hour further north, we came upon Centuri, a small harbor town known for its spiny lobsters.

It's a windy area--perfect for windmills.

2017 09 29

U Scontru

We drove into Patrimonio and found dinner at U Scontru, located at Lieu-dit Campo d'elge.

They had a 3 course menu for €19. Beignets au Fromage for the starter.

One of the options for the main was Veau aux Olives (veal with olives).

Pastitzu for dessert.

Tripettes (Tripe Soup)--€16. 

Fiadone--€7. The Corsican version of cheesecake is made with brocciu, a sheep and goat milk cheese.

2017 09 28

Auberge u Lusticone

We drove all the way to the north of the island and spent the night at Auberge u Lusticone, in Patrimonio.

We were there in late September, the end of the season, and we were the only ones there.

Our continental breakfast in the morning.

2017 09 28

Col de Bavella

Leaving Porto Vecchio, we drove through Col de Bavella.

It's a mountain pass through the Alta Rocca Mountains.

There are plenty of places to pull off but it may not be so easy to find parking.

Notre Dame des Neiges (Our Lady of the Snow) stands at the pass.

It's easy to pull off the road to view the statue, which sits on a pile of boulders.

2017 09 28

Restaurant a Tanna

We had lunch at Restaurant a Tanna, located at 25 Rue U Borgo.

They had a nice outdoor area with a view of the marina.

They offered a 3-course menu for €21. One of the options for the first course was Octopus Salad. Delicious.

Dorade a la Plancha was one of the options for the first course.

Panna Cotta for dessert

Soupe de Poisson--€13. You can't find a bad fish soup anywhere in Corsica.

2017 09 28

Porto Vecchio

Porto Vecchio is another port town, located 30 minutes north of Bonifacio, on the eastern side of the island. It's been dubbed the St. Tropez of Corsica

Porte Genoise is one of the remains of the citadel that used to guard Porto Vecchio.

Walk through the gate to see a beautiful view of the marina.

Eglise de Saint Jean Baptiste was consecrated in 1868 even though the facade was not completed. What's interesting about this church is that it was inverted when it was built. The entrance is traditionally in the east but this one is in the west.

The interior has stained glass from 1960 and an organ from 1990.

It's fun to just wander around the old town.

Corsica is known for fine cutlery and we found some beautiful knives at Du Bastion. We ordered some goat-horn handled knives and had it shipped home.

There are many places to eat in town. The paella weren't quite ready when we toured in the morning.

2017 09 28