Day 3 - Ste Lucie de Tallano

Distance walked: perhaps 5km, Alcohol consumed: none,
Gelati: 2 scoops (Chocolate and blood orange)

I spent the morning puttering around Ajaccio some more as the bus to here didn't leave until 2:30pm.  There is only one per day.

As I was packing, there was a protest march down the street outside the hotel.  All young men with the headband that seems to be the symbol of the Corsician independence movement.  The banners were in Corsican, but read phonetically they were (or were close to) the Italian for "Justice or Violence".  Who or what they wanted justice for I have no idea.  The locals didn't seem to be paying a lot of attention.  There were a half dozen rather bored looking policemen blocking the road so the march could take place but the only other people looking were tourists taking photos.  I don't think they are going to get the "justice" they are after.

I arranged to leave my suitcase at the hotel until the afternoon in my very best French.  I'm getting better at it, although I still keep being impressed by all the clever people who can speak fluent French, before remembering that is because they are native French speakers.

I first headed off to find the gelateria that was rated as the best in Ajaccio.  Sadly it was shut so I settled for the one I'd been to yesterday (rated #4) as it was the only one I'd found.  After buying my gelati there I wandered down a street I hadn't visited before and found three more
gelateria!  I was still too full from last night to have some more.  I will sample them when I get back to Ajaccio after the hike.

There was a market in the main square.  Mostly cheese, charcuterie but some vegetables.  There was also a stall with tourist souvenirs, which  included the IGN hiking maps for the region.  I bought the ones that cover the area I'll be walking through.  Can never have too many maps.

I settled on a place called Chez Paulo as it had a very interestingsounding set menu of three courses of traditional dishes.  However, when it came to ordering I couldn't face all that food.  Also, the trip notes had mentioned that if you are prone to motion sickness, it would be a good idea to take something for it before catching the bus.  It didn't sound like a good idea to take that trip on a very full stomach. In the end I just had a salad Consigliere, which had tomatoes, bacon lardons, a poached egg and something that I translated as toasts with hot goat.  From the photo you can see my translation wasn't far off.

After lunch I picked up my suitcase and headed off to the bus station.  On the way, I helped myself to a few of the free plastic bags they provide for  picking up after your dog, just in case the bus trip made me queasy. I got there 45 minutes early in the end as I wanted to be sure I'd have time to get a ticket and find the place to catch the bus.  I didn't want to miss the only one of the day.  I wasn't the only worrier.  There was a man waiting when I arrived and a woman came soon after. 

At first we three were the only passengers but more people were picked up and dropped off along the way.  It was a very windy route through the  mountains.  In the end it took 2 1/2 hours to arrive at Ste Lucie.  We even passed through one of the villages I'll be stopping at on the way.  It was perched on the side of a mountain, which was a bit ominous.  On the plus side there was a clearly labelled sign post showing the route in (out?) of the village that I'll need to take.  Have I mentioned how hilly this
country is yet today?

Once I arrived in Ste Lucie my instructions were to call my host for the evening, as the B&B is a little way outside of the village.  This is the point where I was heartily glad I had a mobile phone and had spent time with Duolingo.  I had been told I could get someone from "the office of the bus" to call on my behalf but it was tightly closed, so I had to call myself. However, there was no answer so I left a voicemail message trying, in my best French, to explain who I was and where I was.

After about 20 minutes a woman called me back.  Her English was worse than my French but eventually I understood someone would be coming to get me.  I wasn't at all sure I was expected, but the man (her brother I think) who fetched me seemed to know what was going on.  It could have been a very awkward start to the holiday if he hadn't.

I'm not actually staying in the main house but instead in a separate two bedroom house on the property.  There seem to be other guests wandering around the property so I though I might not be the only person for dinner. However, I wasn't taken up the main house for dinner as I had thought
was going to happen.  Instead, dinner was brought to me, course by course, while I dined in solitary splendor.  First off was a zucchini soup which was surprisingly tasty.  Next was canneloni stuffed with spinach and the local cheese - brocciu, which is made from a mix of sheep and goat's milk.
Dessert was vanilla ice cream with Corsican cake pieces and caramel.  The cake was real cake this time, made with chestnut flour I suspect.

I was then asked if coffee and toast would be OK for breakfast tomorrow. I said yes, only to be brought a tray with a mug of coffee - already made - plus three pieces of bread, some butter and jam.  Apparently the brother is leaving early tomorrow (6am) and won't be able to supply me with
breakfast.  I asked how my suitcase was to be taken to the next location. This caused some consternation and a phone call (to the Altipiani office perhaps?).  In the end it was decided I would put my suitcase out on the door step before I got to bed tonight.  Not very convenient but can't be
helped.  I wonder if these people are new to being hosts for Altipiani.