On the first of our 2025 trips, Alasdair and I headed off to Corsica. Because of a closed railway line, and a world skiing championship, I took an unusual routing between Trondheim airport (TRD) and Sandefjord airport, Torp (TRF) on friday, 2025-02-28, followed by a train journey to Drammen, where I was picked up by Alasdair and driven to his house in Åros, in Asker municipality, Norway. On saturday evening 2025-03-01, we travelled by train up to Oslo airport (OSL) where we stayed at the Radisson Red hotel, so that we could take an early flight sunday morning to Amsterdam (AMS), followed by a flight to Nice (NCE).
At this point I would like to comment on the YouTube channel, The Man in Seat 64, who said that there were always seats on regional trains in the Nice area. This was incorrect information. We could not find seats on any trains from Nice to Toulon, that would give us an opportunity to visit the French naval museum. However, we did find train seats later in the day. After arriving in Toulon, we then wandered its streets.
We travelled overnight to Ajaccio on the Mega Express Four. It was built in Germany in 1995 as the Superfast II for Superfast Ferries, used in Greece. In 2003, it was purchased by the Tasmanian government and renamed the Spirit of Tasmania 3. However, demand was less than estimated, so it was sold to Corsica Sardinia Ferries in 2006 and renamed Mega Express Four. It can carry 1965 passengers, with 909 berths. It can also carry 550 standard vehicles. Its service speed is 26 knots.
The above artwork is also found on the flags of Corsica (one head on a white background) and Sardinia (four heads separated by a red cross on a white background). It was adopted by General of the Nation Pasquale Paoli (1725 – 1809) in 1755 and portrays a Moor’s head in black wearing a white bandana above his eyes on a white background. Previously, the bandana covered his eyes. Paoli wanted the bandana moved to above the eyes to symbolize the liberation of the Corsican people from the Genoese.
My personal interest in this symbol is related to clan MacLellan = Mac-a-ghille-dhiolan (Gaelic) = son of the bastard (literal translation). It also has a Moor’s head on its coat of arms. Previously, references to the clan gave its name as Mac Giolla Fhaoláin, with a more polite meaning = servant of St Fillan, with Fhaoláin referring to a diminuative form of wolf, used to signify the saint. On Uist, in the outer Hebrides, where my family lived after Morar, on the mainland of Scotland near Oban, there is an alternative spelling of the last part of the name, Fhialáin, which refers to seagulls, often Na Faolanaich = The Seagulls.
We arrived at about 9:00 in the morning at Ajaccio, spending much of the day wandering its streets. French dictator Napoleon was born in this city, and we even walked by the house where he was born.
One of the reasons for visiting Corsica, was to take its narrow gauge railways up into the mountains. The railway uses modernish trains. The combination of narrow gauge with diesel meant that they were not particularly comfortable. Noisy and wobbly, were the two terms that best describe them.
Our first stop was at Corte. If I had known then, what I knew now, I would have stayed longer in this mountain town. We stayed at Hotel du Nord. I am uncertain about the origins of the name, for Corte is more centrally located, than in the north. The owner of the hotel appears to be Loïc Colonna, who provides each room with a photo book about Corsica. There is also a display of old cameras in the hotel.
Calvi
If Corte had the most interesting town, Calvi had the most interesting railway station. I especially appreciated its sculptures
Our hotel had some modernist art, that attempted to be as inoffensive as possible.
The third town we stayed in was Bastia. It will be remembered for its pizza provider that would not accept bank cards. The only reason I can see for not accepting card payment is tax evasion. We went next door to a restaurant that did accept them.
We left Bastia on the ferry early in the morning. This travelogue will continue next week, with a visit to northern Italy, especially the canal city of Livorno, Pisa and Genoa.