The European Chronicles 2023.3 - Ferry Day and Cap Corse

May 27, 2023

The European Chronicles 2023.3 - Ferry Day and Cap Corse

It's Ferry Day!

The weather goddesses are smiling on me and I've got a somewhat boring route from Leysin to Savona to catch the overnight ferry.

I head down from the hotel and there are vineyards...this one is, I kid you not, directly behind an Agip petrol station. 😂

Some beautiful Swiss roads to the St Bernard tunnel, the pass is still closed.

The tunnel takes you to Italia, and there's a red/white/green flag painted on the roadway in the tunnel. No photo. 😂. You come into the Aosta Valley, also stunning.

Then some boring Italia Autostrada to the Mediterranean and I'm at the Corsica Ferry terminal in Savona.

Relive 'Leysin to Savona'

I'm here early because I don't want to ride at night and because I have no idea what to expect. Hang out, have some oh-so-mediocre carbonara and eventually get in line.

We all move a couple of times at randomly timed instructions.

Backing her in...

The loading is TIGHT, very tight. Everyone struggles to get their stuff off the bikes; can't even open the side cases without help from your neighbor. NOTE TO SELF: next time, repack everything you need for the night into the tank bag BEFORE you arrive. That way, a couple of clicks and Bob's Yer Uncle. You don't know what you don't know.

But now I know.

Room is, well, a shrunken Motel 6, but clean and the shower is hot. The bar was better and I can now say The European Chronicles 2023 have officially begun!

Head off to bed...discover that my phone will not set an alarm without access to a signal. No porthole, so no idea when the sun comes up. Hmmmm...

At 7 am, a voice comes over a squawk box in the room announcing that we're arriving in about an hour. Ok, shower and head down to the main deck...I'm early in the line of bikes and I'm thinking that the bikes will come off first and I don't want to be blocking anyone. None of the elevators to the cargo decks are operational...yet. Apparently, they spring to life when they are deemed necessary. Throngs of people are waiting for 2 elevators that hold about 5 people each...less when you count luggage.

I finally get to the deck where I "think" Mia is, not really sure because in the rush to get the bikes stowed, I don't remember exactly if it is deck 3a or 3b, and section e or g; my best guess in 3a, section g. I'm not alone, most folks have no idea.

I'm chatting with 2 other riders as we wait for the doors to open who also don't remember...guy from Belgium, woman from France on her scooter and me. She mentions that there are "tickets" you're supposed to take that are nearby where you stow your bike...she has one, but none of us can figure out how you can actually get to her particular area. Nor can I get to mine, closest I can get is 3a, section e or f.

It turns out they take the cars off first. Eventually, the decks open up, and there's Mia, all alone, right where I left her. I have no clue how anyone got to that section before the cars were taken off. The good news is loading's a breeze with nothing in the way. 😎

As Tom Petty says, "Most things I worry 'bout never happen anyway." Ain't that the truth.

I ride out into sunshine.