11-07-2015     Calenzana → Ota (Porto)   89 km       for route click here

Departure a little earlier than yesterday, but even so today we are not the latest to leave. Same road till Galéria, under almost the same circumstances: clear blue sky, not too hot yet, t-shirts off when climbing the Col de Marsolinu. However, with all our luggage we have to go at a slightly lower pace of course. It's not a punishment to do this stretch again; on the contrary! Other difference: during the easy descent we don't bother putting on our helmets − along the trip we will become sloppier and sloppier regarding this safety measure . . .  

	Going again with all our stuff		Nice view up to Col de Marselinu
	Relatively fresh ride up, again		Bridge over the Fango
	Colourful Galéria		Good pastry in Galéria (again!)

Coffee and pie again in Galéria; the quality of the pastry makes it worth the detour. We don't stretch our break as long as yesterday, but still it has become really hot when we mount our Kogas again. We follow the Fango till Le Fango, where 'the' climb of today starts: the Col de Palmarella, for which we will go up from 40 m till 405 m in 11 km. From the onset we have a clear view up to the location of the pass. Which is nice! Under these thermal conditions it is important to take a really easy pace, and get as much shade as possible (which makes us ride on the left side of the road from time to time). The more bends we pass, the deeper down the views get, which also helps. Lovely ride!! At the pass we are rewarded with a great view over the Golfe de Girolata; in fact, great views from many different angles during the next 11 km.

			Colourful start
	Great landscape		It's pretty clear where we are going
	View back		And there we are!

One of those moments . . . .

	Beautiful		west coast
	Blond beauty   . . . .		. . . .   in beautiful surroundings
	Impressive road		And then down to Porto

From the Col de la Croix, which we sort of pass while descending, again amazing views. We go inland for a while, and it is again really, really hot. After two minutes of shelter under a tree the thermometer (in the sun, during this short pause) indicates 47°C! We pass a few small villages, and in one of them, probably Partinello, to our luck and surprise (it's around 14:30) spot an open épicerie. Time for an icecream (again!) and a sandwich. Another AMAZING 12 km, partly along a huge cliff, bring us to Porto.

	The bliss remains . . . .		. . . .

Porto

It's just hot, hot, hot. In this busy tourist village we sponsor the local Spar, and supplement our amount of cash (ATM's are not so densely spread in Corsica). Unfortunately we cannot supplement our energy, so the last 5 km to Ota, with an elevation gain of some 250 m (and a temperature still well above 30°!) are quite strenuous. As for the environment, until the last km the road up Ota is not very special, but Ota and its surroundings is/are wonderful. There are actually two gîtes in Ota: Chez Marie and Chez Félix. We have to be at Félix' and have a six-bedded dorm to ourselves, but first a beer to celebrate this wonderful day (and to quench our thirst).

	At the end   . . . .		. . . .   it gets nice again
	Nice indeed!		Room with a VIEW

Dinner is in a restaurant 100 m down the down-going road, and our first dinner 'out' (as will be most dinners to come) is delicious. If all vegetarian meals will be as good as this Corsica will be wonderful in even more respects. To add to the fun we have nice contact with three Parisians with Corsican roots. Tonight the restaurant is crowded, possibly because there are two musicians performing Corsican ballads. We are not especially happy with that, but later on from our beds, as a background sound they are not too bad.