The Ferry

5-29-10                            

 Last night I spent in the Camping Les Orangers outside Bastia, thinking I should be close to the ferry terminal.  Oh well. I forgot the departure was 1:15 instead of noon. I could have been anywhere, almost. There was a free concert in the plaza at Bastia, but I couldn’t go because they lock the gates early at the campground.  So, this morning, when I realized I had several hours to play, I headed for the Cap Corse. I did a couple of bits I hadn’t ridden before, and then beat it back to the ferry. There, I met one of the German guys I partied with in Porto. His Harley had broken down and he was putting around on one cylinder. Poor guy.  I hope I don’t get in the same boat. I need 2 new tires, bad. I’ll probably spend an extra day somewhere soon, getting them replaced.

The ferry trip was nothing special, except it’s amazing how many vehicles they can carry. Besides what seemed like a couple of hundred cars, there were also at least a hundred motorcycles. And every ferry to Corsica (several/day) carries that many bikes.  When I rolled off, I didn’t bother stopping in Livorno, but headed straight for the highway north. To avoid central Pisa, I got on the autostrada. That’s a bit different from the twisties of Corsica. Zipping along…mountains so high (~2000m), next to the sea. Cararra, of marble fame - that mountain has a _big_ bite out of it. A bunch of big stone-cutting factories.

I get to La Spezia and check into the Hotel Albergo Birrilo, as recommended by Lonely Planet. The clerk shows me his bike, “the mother of your bike.” It’s a 1981 R80GS, in excellent condition. Cool. Dinner at Die Pescatori (recommended by the hotel clerk.) It’s a takeout fish place by the docks. 50 people (well-dressed Italians) standing in line, it took ½ hour to get in the door. Excellent gnocchi w/crab & a shrimp salad that was delish. Walking back to the hotel, I heard live music. Tracking it down in a tiny piazetta(really just a wide spot in an alley,) I found a jazz quintet playing cool jazz. Good stuff. Looking up, I saw the usual balconies, with laundry hanging out to dry, including a bunch of nice lingerie. When the band stopped playing, I wandered off, only to find another stage with live music, this time with young musicians playing contemporary pop.  I don’t know if La Spezia is special, or big cities all are so hip in Italy. The people sure look stylish, and the walking streets were crowded with people, young and old.  I saw at least 20 or more places I’d like to dine at. I’d have spent more time cruising, but the hotel closes at midnight. That's 2 nights in a row that a curfew has curtailed my social life. Bummer.