D81 B to Porto
via Col de Palmarella and Col de la Croix
We are two lucky guys.
The weather is again fabulous.
The D 81 proves to be deserted, something we didn't expect. Where
do all the residents of Calvi drive to? Not along here, anyway.
The 10km stone marks the start of a long climb that veers inland. No more corniche route for a while - about 5km or so.
Clouds sweep in. They're small and float around us before drifting away, vanishing in seconds.
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Having been seduced by 60s soul in my early teens, the dance-craze hit by vocal trio Candy & The Kisses goes round in my head - "The 81".
We wonder if it'll rain up here, but it doesn't. The clouds dissipate and whiz away. The road isn't steep enough for granny gears and we keep on pedalling away in the sunshine, working up a sweat before cooling off on the drop towards the Fangu valley and the junction for Galeria.
Shall we go there? We decide not to. It's too early to stop at the cul-de-sac spot.
It's tempting to veer off on the D 351 that climbs inland, following the trickle of the Fangu river up to a remote mountain village. Another cul-de-sac route.
No, stick to the 81 we decide. Get to Porto today is our goal.
A gas station nearby the junction sells us drinks. Then it's up some more.
The white peaks reappear like magic as the road eventually remains faithful to the contours. We can see the route's horizontal trajectory ahead, miles and miles of it, a pale, dusty-looking line scratched into verdent hillsides that are covered in maquis.
The Col de Palmarella (374m) and Col de la Croix (272m) come and go and we find a surprise cafe where we pull up and sit and enjoy cool drinks.
While we're chillin' on the balcony for 20-odd minutes, only one vehicle drives past.
Soon after, the terrain becomes craggy and pinkish, with walls of stone overhanging the tarmac as we head to Porto, our destination reached as the sunshine becomes golden with the early evening hour.
We love the 81.
Cruising into one-street Porto, we stop near the top end where we get a spacious hotel room that could sleep six which costs us a reasonable 65 euros.
There's a bar a few doors away and we sit outside and order chilled bottles of Pietra to go with our dinner. After an up-and-down 80 kms, we soon demolish them and order two more.
Today's ride: 80 km (50 miles)
Total: 245 km (152 miles)
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