Yesterday we had a holiday day that will not be forgotten for a long time. We visited the Manganello, the pools of water found in the mountains of Corsica in the Tolle river.
Heading from Ghisonaccia we took the hairpin route over the mountains which provided us with stunning views of the area. With my fear of edges it also provided a few hairy moments as well as two nauseous children in the back of the car, but none the less it was worth it. We drove under beautiful hanging rock formations and through stunning pine forests as well as gorgeous small towns.
Last year we spent 4 weeks trekking through the beautiful west coast of America. It made me realise that you don’t have to go that far to experience stunning nature. Corsica is a little California. At least I think so.
Our destination was Canaglia. We found it without problems. A small village in the middle of nowhere with a couple of houses and one inn. We parked outside the inn and ate lunch.
The lunch was proved interesting. There is no menu, just a platter of meats cheese and fruit, and it is served by an old lady who was adement that we may not sit in the sun and told the children that they have to refill our water bottle at the spa across the road. The kids described her as scary, especially when she laughed when we only had enough cash for two portions between five people. I described her as authentic and fascinating. It was for me the best lunch in Corsica so far.
After lunch we parked the car near to the first bridge. This meant a 15 minute walk back to the inn to join the path to the river. We joined the orange marked path and spent 30 minutes on a very easy shaded walk slightly downhill. I had read that the best pools could be found at the Tolle Bridge, so when the path turned into rocks we kept going. But we did not go far. We quickly found a beautiful rock pool and there was nobody in sight. Our very own swimming pool for the afternoon. Amazing. The sun and clear cold water was a small paradise.
After a few amazing hours we left and took the lesser bendy route back to Ghisonaccia, stopping for an ice cream and cappuccino in Venaco. With this experience I will return to Corsica and spend some time in the mountains. Then we can go to the pools every day.
