19-07-2015     Ghisoni → Ghisoni   63 km       for route click here

Breakfast at 7, in the not too special bar, on not too comfortable chairs, but with okay coffee and fresh baguette. And, the boss got up early for his only two guests. Today a short étape, light luggage, two 'interesting' climbs, and hardly any busy roads. Expected arrival time: 3 p.m. the latest. It wasn't difficult to lure Enya into a jour de repos with some cycling. Départ around 8:30 − where did we 'lose' half an hour? We start with the terrific road we enjoyed so much yesterday afternoon.

	Colourful start		The day starts with a descent
	A glorious		descent
	Just one moment and then we're		back at the 'upper' lake
	A glorious		descent
	Entering the Défilé de l'Inzecca		again
	A most impressive		défilé

On this quiet, cool (but not as cool as at Haut-Asco) Sunday morning it pleases us even more than yesterday, and of course now we need hardly any push. The environment is wonderful: two défilés, the 'upper' lake in between, the rocks, the trees, the mountains, no cars, it's all just perfect. After 12 km, alas, we leave this beautiful road and turn left in the direction of Vezzani, some 600 m up in 16 km, so that shouldn't be too hard. As indeed it isn't.

In the woods again   . . . .

. . . .   up to Vezzani

At first the scenery is quite open and rather dry, later on there's more vegetation and welcome shade. In Vezzani we hope to find a pâtisserie, but we don't. There's only a small épicerie where we buy some other eatable stuff (chocolate chip cookies and my favorite yaourt à la stracciatella), most of which we consume immediately on a small wall along the road. In the meantime we watch with amazement two or three small boys on stunt bikes and a dog completely integrated in their play.

Last part of the climb

surrounded by high pines

We keep the break short, to be able to get to Vivario well before closing time, without having to hurry (it's Sunday, so we don't expect to find any shops still open in Ghisoni). From Vezzani it's only 100-150 m up till de Col d'Erbajo (925 m). The road around this pass is surrounded by incredibly tall fir trees, which give it a special atmosphere: at first look you only see very tall trunks. After a second pass (Col de Morello, 825 m) the scenery opens up to spectacular panoramas: Vivario, Venaco, maybe even Corte, the mountains around Mount Rotondo, the Pont du Vecchio (an artistic railway viaduct designed by Gustave Eiffel).

	Between the cols		Start of great descent
	Nothing gives more fun than riding a bike		does it?
	Fantastic panorama		Pont(s) du Vecchio

Wonderful descent, warm, till Muracciole, a small village close to Vivario, from where another two km up (so hot!) to Vivario. In Vivario, we have a second break on the pavement along the N193, which cuts Vivario in two. Here the N193 is just a curvy mountain road, somewhat busier than e.g. the road from the coast to Ghisoni, but not at all like the terrible section around Ponte-Leccia. There are a few terraces where people start having lunch in more comfortable positions. We do some shopping for dinner, fill our bottles at the fontaine, Enya wets her t-shirt, and off we go. The first 2 km along the N193 are rather steep, and we are relieved when we can leave this road for the D69.

		In French: Risque d'incendies
	Far away (high up!): today's challenge,		Far away, close by

This is how it looks on paper

	On our way to the Col de Sorba		The road descending to Vivario
	The same roads in one picture		Getting closer to the hairpins
	Still on the easier part		Close to the first hairpin bend
	At the first hairpin bend		Quite a bit behind us yet
	Rewards for		a bit of work
	Enya going strong		And still able to smile

The D69 is a route de crête, which continues as far as Sartène, 115 km further south. During several stages we will ride all, apart from the last 5.5 km. It looks very attractive on the map, and afterwards we may well consider it the backbone of our tour. We get onto it at the Col de Serra (807 m), and the challenge on our way back to our gîte, the Col de Sorba, comes into view almost immediately and quite impressively: from a distance we can clearly make out the last few hairpin bends below the pass. "Do we really have to go that high?", Enya wonders anxiously. "Yes, we do, and we will!" From the junction with the N193 it's 500 m up in 7 km. We make lots of photos, first from the views up, then from the motivating views down. The slope is quite regular, but increases slightly from 6.5% in the first half till 8% during the last four km. With some short stops during these last four km we finally reach the highest point of the day, 1311 m. The descent is fun too, rather easy going, at some spots a view as far as to the sea in the east, smooth tarmac, hardly any hairpins, easy slopes.

	There she goes again		down to Ghisoni
	View back/up		Beautiful Ghisoni

It's a pity when Ghisoni appears − namely, it means the end of quite some fun − with the characteristic 'Dolomite' behind it. Shortly before three o'clock we are back at our terrace. Again we will have the dormitory to ourselves (and our bikes). It's a pity we have to go down a few km first to get to a place in the river where we could swim. It's too hot to find coolness there. Enya takes it easy (does some math?), I go into town in search of a bar with television (for some Tour coverage), for a beer and some shelter from the heat. Walking in this heat is quite unbearable; it's much preferable to be on a bike. I keep close to the buildings for some shade, don't find what I want in the neighborhood of where I supposed the centre is situated (and Ghisoni is not even that large), and then find everything I need in the Café des Sports located only 100 m from the gîte. Greipel wins the stage. At 'home' we have a very basic dinner, with the rest of the couscous (from Macinaggio), which we finish off with a delicious dessert in pizzeria "A Stazzona", where we are served by a friendly, interested owner.

Lovely desserts

Brownie in front of brown arms

All in all again a very good day!