Day 17 I Penti to Moriani Plage

Guide says 2hrs 45 mins, 9k, 40m ascent, 655m descent.

A nice clear morning for our final walk. After leaving our gite/ local bar/ community centre and boules park, we headed down the valley. This is hazel nut territory. Nice fat moist ones just waiting for us. The nuts along with figs and blackberries supplemented our rather meager breakfast.

The valley was lush and green and slightly slippery. We passed through a pig farm, forded the stream several times and finally left it behind up a steep incline to arrive at Tribullu and a view down over the coastal plain to Moriani Plage and the sea.

After a snack, including hazelnuts we set off downhill. Relatively easy walking thru countryside and villages. All the villages have old photos up somewhere in them, usually showing the same building or some of the begone residents. This one offered the opportunity for a selfie.

Lower down we missed a turning. It turned out to be fortuitous as our route back to the trail brought us right through a herbal essence farm that Colin had heard about but who’s location could not be identified. Anyway Colin spent a happy time looking at all the plants and then an anguishing time trying to decide which soaps and oils to purchase.

Then it was on down to the sea, though of course the route did take us up a bit of a hill for a nice walk through the back lanes of town. Then a brief lunch and celebratory sundae before completing the walk by walking into the sea.

We then got the bus to Bastia where we will spend a day before returning to the uk. On the way the heavens opened again and when we arrived the town was dripping wet. Again glad we weren’t in the mountains in the downpour.