Walking in Corsica. Gillian Price

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      Most villages have drinking fountains

      Vegetarians will have a little trouble, as the majority of Corsican dishes are meat-based. However, try asking ‘Est-ce qu’il ya quelque chose sans viande?’ (‘is there anything without meat?’) or tell them ‘Je suis végétarien’ (végétarienne if female). Crudités will get you a plate of fresh vegetables; otherwise omelettes are regular fare. Corsican soupe is another good bet, invariably a hearty garlic-laden bean and vegetable number.

      Sweet-toothers will enjoy the delicate dry canistrelli biscuits with aniseed. Many desserts incorporate châtaignes or chestnuts, the flour used effectively in concocting luscious crèmes. One unusual speciality is confiture d’arbousier, jam made from the fruit of the strawberry tree, which grows abundantly in the island’s maquis.

      Tap water all over the island can be drunk safely (potable), unless you feel the urge to fork out for eau minérale. Some great beer is brewed on Corsica these days, otherwise there is no shortage of French brands. Wine on the other hand is either imported from the mainland or hails from the modest but interesting coastal vineyards. Wine growing was launched in the 1960s with the arrival of skilled labourers from Algeria, which had just won its independence from France. ‘Appellation Contrôlée’ is a guarantee of quality.

      Food supply points for walkers on the long-distance routes are listed in the appropriate place in the route descriptions and shown on the summaries at the end of the book. Sometimes the gîte d’étape sells basics, however it’s always a good idea to have durable reserves say of crackers, cheese and sweet biscuits to carry you over in case the awaited shops are closed. Many out-of-the-way villages without grocery stores are served by enterprising travelling bakers and greengrocers who announce their arrival in the main square with plenty of horn blowing. While they are unpredictable, they do mean a great opportunity to stock up on fresh fruit and bread, not to mention unfailingly luscious pastries.

Contacts

      The Tourist Offices (Office de Tourisme or Syndicat d’Initiative) in the principal towns are:

      Ajaccio 04 95515303

      Bastia 04 95559696

      Bonifacio 04 95731188

      Calvi 04 95651667

      Corte 04 95462670

      Porto 04 95261055

      Porto-Vecchio 04 95700958

      Propriano 04 95760149.

      Other useful offices are listed under individual walks, distinguished by the symbol .

      The international dialling code for France is 33, and is needed for calls from overseas.

      The Parc Naturel Régional de Corse can be contacted at

      2, Rue Casalonga

      20000 Ajaccio

      Corse

      France

       04 95517910

      e-mail: [email protected]

      Its information-packed French-language web site is www.parc-naturel-corse.com.

Plant Life

      Habitats on Corsica range from wind- and wave-lashed rocky coasts through to sun-baked plains, dense woodland and up to inhospitable snowbound mountain ranges, all home to well-adapted Mediterranean vegetation with everything from salt-resistant poppies to high-altitude crocus. But the majority of visitors to the island are struck by two things in particular: the pungent maquis and the noble Corsican pines.

      Clump of broom in rock cranny

      The ever-present scrub cover (maquis) spells subtle background scents that blend rosemary with endemic thyme, fennel, myrtle and much else besides. It leaves a lasting impression on all visitors, literary and non-literary figures alike. For Paul Theroux (1995) ‘It smells like a barrel of potpourri, it is like holding a bar of expensive soap to your nose, it is Corsica’s own Vap-o-Rub. The Corsican maquis is strong enough to clear your lungs and cure your cold.’ Guy de Maupassant (1881) noted that it made the air heavy, while for Dorothy Carrington, steaming towards the island for the very first time, ‘This is the scent of all Corsica: bitter-sweet, akin to incense, heady, almost, as an anaesthetic after rain… it is a perpetual and potent enchantment’.

      The hardy, woody maquis shrubs that thrive on sun-baked earth have hidden generations of bandits, and there is even a historical record of Roman soldiers hopelessly losing their way. Predominant is the cistus or rock rose, a straggly bush with small leathery leaves and surprising papery blooms in pastel colours of mauve, pink and white. A curious parasite plant, Cytinus hypocistis, often grows at its base, its attractive yellow–red sheath resembling a mushroom. Another maquis standard is the strawberry tree, a type of arbutus. This evergreen is easily identified by its ball-like fruit reminiscent of strawberries in appearance, though not exactly in taste, and glossy leaves that resemble laurel. A member of the heather family, it is known in Corsica as a symbol of loyalty: according to legend the shrub hid Christ when fleeing from his enemies. However, the traitorous heather did not hesitate to give him away and he was captured. The charitable strawberry tree was blessed with fruit, while the heather was condemned to flower without ever producing fruit. Its woody stem, however, is prized for pipe-making.

      Other notables are the widespread shady evergreen holm oak, with tiny glossy leaves and small acorns, as well as the dark-green-leaved lentisc with clusters of red berries. The bright myrtle shrub has delicate blooms like hawthorn, and its wood is still used for basketmaking.

      Pretty rock roses

      Cytinus hypocistis, parasite on rock rose shrub

      At a similar low–medium altitude vegetation band are native Mediterranean cork oaks. Still important to the island’s economy, they are a common sight half stripped of their bark, leaving the bare trunk blushing bright red in its exposed state. The tough covering is non-flammable, СКАЧАТЬ