CHRIS: Loaded the bike, then got coffee and a coronette at a cafe next to the market. Nice ride out of La Spezia and down the coast, then turned up into Parco Naturale Regionale delle Alpi Apuane.
Superb ride, I’m really glad I took the detour. Great views and some interesting, working marble quarries. Several trucks full of marble going down the mountain on the narrow road with empty trucks speeding up the mountain. The drivers are amazing.
Got to the ferry office at noon, told my plight, €90 to change the ticket. The ticket woman was very nice about helping me with buying a return from Olbia €95 including a cabin! Went and got in line for boarding.
Boarding began at about 1:45 and finished at 2:50 then we set sail. On the ferry I alternated between a comfortable seat on a couch in the bar where it was too warm, outside on the sunny side where it was crowded and windy, and the other side which was in shade and cool and windy. The views during the trip were varied as we passed Scalo di Gorgona and Capraia Isola then Corsica came into view. The north end was very pretty, but the southern part I could see around Corte was in rain. Debording took a long time as I was parked in the very bottom and had to wait for 3 levels above to empty, then for cars to back out of our garage 2E.
Met Dieter Fritsch, an orthodontist who sold his dental prosthesis business 2 years ago. Exchanged contact info and hope to meet up with him someday. Seems like a guy with similar level of riding enthusiasm.
Went to dinner at Restaurant Le Conti Bastia right across the street from the ferry dock. Really good food! Nice conversation with the waiter, then ran off to get to the hotel before it got too dark. Was getting pretty dark when I got there around 8:45. Really nice hotel! Excellent internet, got my pics uploaded and talked with Kathi until late.
KATHI:
Kathi Italy tour: Florence
Chris to Piombino (3.5 hrs) then ferry to Corsica 2pm--7pm €74 traghetti lines
Livorna to Corsica by scooter and ferry
| Time | Minutes | km | kph avg | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:10am | packed and heading out | |||
| 8:17am | 0.2 | track log recorder started on my way out | ||
| 8:18am | 76.1 | 43 km | 34 | |
| 9:34am | 0.4 | map | ||
| 9:34am | 11.2 | 7 km | 35 | |
| 9:45am | 1.9 | map | ||
| 9:47am | 7.0 | 3 km | 27 | |
| 9:54am | 0.0 | map | ||
| 9:54am | 2.6 | 1 km | 18 | |
| 9:57am | 0.3 | map | ||
| 9:57am | 74.1 | 61 km | 50 | |
| 11:11am | 7.1 | map | ||
| 11:18am | 17.9 | 15 km | 51 | |
| 11:36am | 3.6 | map | ||
| 11:40am | 18.8 | 12 km | 37 | |
| 11:59am | 29.1 | map | ||
| 12:28pm | 2.3 | 0 km | 11 | |
| 12:30pm | 0.4 | map | ||
| 12:31pm | 2.2 | 0 km | 3 | |
| 12:33pm | 55.1 | map | ||
| 1:28pm | 0.9 | 0 km | 12 | |
| 1:34pm | 0.0 | map | ||
| 1:34pm | 1.5 | 0 km | 4 | |
| 1:36pm | 5.2 | map | ||
| 1:41pm | 1.1 | 0 km | 9 | |
| 1:46pm | 31.9 | map | ||
| 2:18pm | 2.6 | 0 km | 8 | |
| 2:20pm | 24.0 | map | ||
| 2:44pm | 0.6 | map | ||
| 2:45pm | 311.1 | 126 km | 24 | 5hr ferry ride Livorno to Bastia |
| 7:56pm | 1.9 | map | ||
| 7:58pm | 1.1 | 0 km | 7 | |
| 7:59pm | 45.5 | dinner at Le Conti | ||
| 8:44pm | 28.4 | 10 km | 21 | getting dark ride up the hill to Hôtel Restaurant la Corniche |
| 9:13pm | 2.4 | checked in and bike in the garage | ||
| 12h59m | 9h28m moving | 282 km | 29.8 kph | 73% moving, 211 minutes of breaks |
I accidentally purchased my ferry ticket for the wrong day. I arrived early at the ticket window hoping I could make a change, and for €90 I did. I also bought my return overnight ticket from Olbia for €95.
We were almost first to board, but that means we are way in the back on the lower deck, i.e. we will be last to disembark.
This hotel has a spectacular view towards Italy beyond the horizon. In the morning, I could just barely make out Capraia Isola and Isola d'Elba. They have a garage for parking motorcycles and a wonderful terrace restaurant with breakfast included. One of the nicest placed I stayed on this trip.