Day 8 Ota to Evisa

Book says 3.5 hrs, 570m ascent, 200m descent

Another leisurely start as it is a short day. A stop at the grocery for water, bread, cheese and a last smoothie, then off down hill into the valley

We end up on top of the ridge on the right in the far distance.

40 minutes brings us down to the river at the site of a retired genovese bridge.

Where we stop for a swim in a nice pool under the bridge.

Then we continue along the river bank following the stream upstream. Then, just before a road bridge things go ape shit. There is, incongruously a fenced soccer pitch between the river and the canyon walls. I passed it and decide to wait until the shade of a shuttered pavilion for Colin. I see him appear at the end of the soccer pitch, lose attention, then he is gone! I go back to where I last saw him, no he has not fallen down the bank. Mystery. I ask people coming up he trail if they have seen him, thinking he may have suddenly discovered he left something behind where we swam, it has happened, but no they had not seen him. Only conclusion is that he must be ahead of me. I call him but no response. Ok maybe he will have sense to wait at the place we had decided to have lunch and a second swim. I get there 40 minutes or so later, no sign of him. I wait by the bridge there. Suddenly there is a text from him, he is 500ft above me on the path, having his lunch. He has just decided to check his phone! Anyway we are soon reunited.

That final climb out of the valley is 2000ft, but the trail is way better than average on account of all the tourist traffic coming to see the gorge and the bridges and to swim in the river.

View back into the gorge rom where I finally found Colin

Well two hours later we were at the top and having a well deserved reward

Then on into the village and our gite. After shower etc we went back into the village and had a snack, this was around 4 and dinner want until 8. No way I could survive that long without something.