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Corsica { 43 images } Created 22 Aug 2011

Photos from Corsica, mostly taken on walking trails in June 2006.
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  • Photo taken on the 9th stage of the GR20 trail between Vizzavona and "Bergeries de Capannelle". The GR20 circuit is considered to be Europe's most difficult long distance trekking route.
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  • The picturesque sheepfold buildings of the "Bergeries d'Alzeta".
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  • A daywalk between Vizzavona and E'Capanelle surrounded by the corsican mountain scenery.
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  • Picture of a Bull shooted somewhere between E'Capanelle and "Refuge de Prati".
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  • Under the grey sky, lighting colors were cast all around us, about 1 hour's walk to the "Refuge de Prati".
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  • As we were walking upwards toward "Refuge de Prati" the weather became colder. In the month of june, snow coupled by fog became our companion on an altitude below 2000 meter.
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  • The 11th stage of the GR20 ends in "Refuge de Prati". Most of the official GR20 refuges are very, very basic! After a long day you can take an icy shower.
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  • If you don't like to sleep in a tent, then the GR20 offers you the opportunity to reconsider your opinion. The dormitories along the trail are furnished with long wooden bunks and they can occupy up to 30 people. Just imagine the conditions in such a place when few people don't take a shower. If you don't want to sleep in a tent, you have to endure stinkness and snoring.
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  • After a sleepless night and a crappy breakfast (one piece of dry bread and one cup of tea), we start a new day leaving "Refuge de Prati", heading Cozzano.
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  • On this sunny day we were not really enthousiastic to continue our long journey to the next stage, the "Refuge d'Usciolu". Unexpected weather conditions the days before, overcrowded dormitories and probably the bad breakfast experience, decided us hours later to leave our planned itinerary.
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  • The GR20 doesn't require special rock-climbing skills but you need a good fitness level if you want to achieve the whole trail with an overloaded backpack on your shoulders. On the bottom right corner you can see the typical red and white waymark used on French long-distance paths (Grande Randonée). Photo taken on the trek From "Refuge de Prati" to Cozzano.
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  • Beautiful views of the massif accompany us along the stony path to Cozzano.
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  • Amazing landscapes in the heart of Corsica.
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  • Still moving from "Refuge de Prati" to Cozzano. The GR20 can be a great experience if you have a good fitness base, the right equipment and if you can, sometimes, take the right decisions. In 2007 three hikers died of hypothermia and two years before a group of people, most of them suffering from hypothermia - some people wearing tennis shoes, - were evacuated by helicopter.<br />
During our trip there was just a small number of hikers walking along the famous high level route, and there was a reason for that. Before we started our trip, we were dissuaded to start the GR20 trekking because of many snow-capped areas making hiking very difficult and dangerous. Later, at the end of our first stage, some french hikers told us that they were blocked for many days in a refuge because of the severe weather. Unfortunately we had no climbing irons and no appropriated sleeping bags. So, before we started, we knew already, that our tent became an useless burden. <br />
That was very demotivating.
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  • Walking along beautiful granite rock formations, we saw just a few hikers on this beautiful day.<br />
At the "Col de Laparo" we realized that the GR20 cross another long-distance trail called "Mare e Mare Centre", which connects the eastern coast through the heart of Corsica to the western coast. We decided to leave the GR20 trail to join "Mare e Mare Centre".
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  • It takes about 4 hours to walk from Guitera-les-Bains to Quasquara. As we were walking on Mare e Mare Centre we realized that the trail was quite pretty. Mare e Mare Centre was not crowded and there were a lot of nice villages and sleeping accomodations along the route.
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  • Approaching the red-roofed village of Quasquara, we achieved the 5th stage of Mare a Mare Centre.
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  • "Pietra", a corsican dog breed called Cursinu, posing on Col St. Georges (between Quasquara and Porticcio). "Pietra", we named after the famous cosican beer, joined us as we were leaving the GR20 trail days ago. The cursinu <br />
went with us along Mare e Mare Centre for a couple of days and we realized later - as a lot of people were starring at us, - that these intelligent dogs are <br />
very appreciated in corsica.
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  • Photo taken between Quasquara and Porticcio.
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  • According to "Wikipedia" - Filitosa is a megalithic site in southern Corsica, France. The period of occupation spans from the end of the Neolithic era and the beginning of the Bronze Age, until around the Roman times in Corsica.
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  • As we were driving from Filitosa to Bonifacio we noticed this wonderful turquoise bay.
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  • Bonifacio is one of the most charming town of Corsica. The touristic city of Bonifacio is divided in two sections, the "vieille ville" or "ville basse" and the "haute ville".
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  • From the sea you can contemplate the fortifications which have been placed on the top of chalky limestone cliffs.
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  • Photo of a yacht approaching the lighthouse of "Madonetta".
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  • The fortress of Bonifacio was built 828 by Boniface II of Tuscany. Today Bonifatio is one of the most appreciated locations in the Mediterranean for sailing and diving.
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  • According to "Wikipedia" - The Strait of Bonifacio is the strait between Corsica and Sardinia, named after the Corsican town Bonifacio. It is about 7 miles (11 km) wide and divides the Tyrrhenian Sea from the western Mediterranean Sea. The strait is notorious among sailors for its weather, currents, shoals, and other obstacles. The most famous disaster in the Strait of Bonifacio was that of the French frigate Sémillante on Februaryy 15, 1855. The ship had left the port of Toulon the day before on its way into the Black Sea to supply the Crimean War with troops. A storm caused it to hit a reef; the ship sank and none of the 750 soldiers on board survived.
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  • Paragliding over the old fortifications of Bonifacio
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  • We saw this turtle in the "maquis" as we were walking somewhere between Porto-Vecchio and Cartalavonu.
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  • Driving from Porto-Vecchio to Corte we realized that crossing Corsica by car would be more relaxing :-).
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  • By car Corte is about 2 hours away from Porto-Vecchio. The roads were pretty empty that day.
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  • This unpaved road along our route was leading to a ruin on the top of a hill.
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  • Maquis and dry sunny places, are typical for corsican landscapes, here between Porto-Vecchio and Corte.
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  • Corte, the birthplace of Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte, is located in the heart of corsica.
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  • I took the photo of this old house - surrounded by swallows,- near the citadelle of Corte.
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  • The citadelle of Corte is the only military fortress in Corsica. The first fortifications were build in the 9th century.
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  • If you have more days left in corsica you should try the beautiful walk which starts in the forest of Poppaghia and ends near the "Lac de Nino".
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  • The altitude difference between Poppaghia and "Lac de Nino" is 667m.
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  • On the walk which takes approximately 2hours, you have to pass through a rocky and arid region.
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  • Still walking from Poppaghia to "Lac de Nino".
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  • And finally we reached the high-altitude lake "Lac de Nino" known for its beautiful setting.
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  • The very delicate lawn is called "pozzines" and you should avoid walking on it.
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  • Overview over the surrounding area of "Lac de Nino"...without "Lac de Nino".
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  • We saw those wild pigs,or domestic boars, just as we finished the walk to "Lac the Nino". As you can see, there must be some interbreeding between pigs and boars in corsica.
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