Today, with sad hearts we left our excellent campsite at Bastia, the Sable Rouges, and wandered south. Quite possibly the best road on the island this is a two lane route with many roundabouts, reasonably paved, but with rough side shoulders filled with potholes and tyre-wrecking dips that we must avoid. Our longest stop is in Aleria. In very early times this was used by the Greeks as one of their Mediterranean trading posts, but then the Romans moved in and built their city atop this little hill with a boggy marsh below, an ocean to one side and high impenetrable mountains on the other. For centuries this was the capital of Corsica. For centuries, it was a bustling place that boasted what its settlers were interested in, the coastland, not the hinterland.
Such lovely ruins still lie here: the Capitol overlooking glorious views; the Praetorium, where the Roman Governor lived; the townhouses for regular folk and their warm bath houses, steam rooms, cold bath houses, and central temple flanked on either side by elegant porticoes. Small but perfectly formed these Romans knew more than a thing or two about compact town planning and design. I am always so amazed at how much they can amass in such a small space.
Attached to this site is an archeological museum exhibiting finds excavated from around the site and its surrounding tombs since the early days. Amazing finds. We have rarely enjoyed a museum more. Along with early Etruscan artefacts are concentrated discoveries of earthenware pots, glassware, bronze, bone toiletry implements and characteristic Corsican ware. Two of our favourite items are the rhytons or wine carriers, painted china holders for carrying wine -- one in the shape of a mule. The other a dog head.
Below, between the sea and the hill town was once all watery marsh. The Romans found ways through these on their horses and chariots, up to their hill towns. Mosquitos bred in the marshes and until they were eradicated about seventy years ago caused havoc, transmitting rampant malaria. Today these coastal marches are slowly being turned into eco-etangs: ponds filled with birds and grasses and seeds that encourage bird and pond life. Malaria has been wiped out.
Going south from Aleria we came across field after field of vineyards and harvested cork trees. Just about everywhere we can see that cork has recently been knifed from these trees. But for how much longer will this happen? The cork wine stopper industry is in decline these days given the widespread use of screw caps or plastic stoppers which the industry prefers. There is a move in Corsica to boycott anything but cork stoppers but I wonder how effective that can be and for how long it can last? Further south, we see cork being sold in solid lumps as it is cut in chunks from the trees. It feels amazingly durable but, evenso, I fear for the industry. I think screw top wines are here to stay.
We arrive late in the afternoon on a hill overlooking Bonifacio: with rocky granite cliffs rising all around us, and high on the spinal mountains we see snow. We must have this to thank for the delightful evening temperatures. Days are warm now, but the evenings are gorgeous. Such a lovely climate in the evenings at this time of the year.
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