So the aforementioned Google Maps fail…well it went something like this:

Galeria to Pozzi by bike? No problem, just follow this blue line. Should take no more than a couple hours. Great! See you there!

There’s a hitch, which we thankfully (?) discovered on our trek from Ota to Evisa a few days back. That is; Google Maps thinks goat tracks are bike paths. Meaning, our quick zip from Galeria to Lozzi was actually going to be a mountaineering expedition, undertaken only by a few goat herders and an excitable Italian mountaineer who spoke effusively of the joys of his 11-hour climb to Corsica’s highest peak on his blog. In short, it wasn’t going to happen. Instead we were going to have to ride from Galeria, back to Porto, back to Evisa and then on to Lozzi. This would be a huge ride, up some fairly significant inclines. No way it was going to happen. Even our Plan B of riding to Evisa, staying there for one night and then riding to Pozzi the next day was a pretty daunting prospect. Then along came Santa Salvatore. “Stay here at Galeria,” he said, “and I will drive you to Evisa.” While it was the perfect plan, it seemed absolutely absurdly generous to the point of being unreasonable. After many sideways glances and quizzical looks trying to determine what on earth was being proposed, we were convinced that he was being genuine and had no choice but to take him up on his offer.

Fast forward to Saturday, and Salvatore drives us to Evisa. A man of his word. A man who wouldn’t take our cash for fuel. A very, very kind man. Thank you Salvatore!

The ride from Evisa to the peak leading into the valley where Calacuccia and Pozzi lay was pretty steep, but was (again) a beautiful revelation. More forested, and a little cooler than previous rides, we took plenty of stops for water and taking in the scenery. See requisite ‘bikes in beautiful locations’ photos!

Naturally, therefore, a long ride downhill followed. More forest-y countryside gave way to a drier and hotter Corsican interior. We stopped for a funny lunch at Albatrecca, the town before the turn-off to Lozzi, and then gathered our wits and energy for the final climb into Lozzi. It was hot, and the climb into Lozzi was, while on only 2 kilometres, steep. JM may have complained a little, but once we arrived, we’d arrived.

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