Mediterranean islands Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily are the stepping stones between Europe and
Africa. Ian Wright begins his journey on the French island
of Corsica, throwing himself into  every water sport imaginable
before heading for the cooler climes of the mountains. Mountains
cover a third of Corsica and hikers flock to the peaks and
gorges in the Valley of Restonica.
From the mountains Ian heads south to Ajaccio.
It is the birthplace of the famous French ruler, Napoleon,
a fact which you can't escape in this small town where every
shop, cafe, restaurant plays on the 'Napoleon theme'.
The Italian island of Sardinia is Ian's next port of call,
but he has his work cut out to get there: he finds a yacht
at the Corsican port of Bonifacio and Ian
pays his way to Sardinia as a deck hand/assistant chef.
 The mountain village of Sedilo is where
the S'Ardia takes place, a two day festival
in honour of Saint Constantine. Sardinians have a long tradition
of fine horsemanship and a high-speed race through the narrow
streets is the main feature of the festival.
The best way to see Sardinia is by car,
so Ian rents an old Fiat Topolino and drives east to Orgosolo.
Orgosolo is a former bandit town and is now famous for its
powerful political murals. Nearby Ian witnesses the Mammutones perform a folk dance, where black-masked men wearing goat
bells representing Moorish prisoners are rounded up by dancers
dressed as Sardinian soldiers.
Ian leaves the frenetic mountain lifestyle behind him and
heads south to the beaches of Costa Verde,
also known as 'The Silent  Coast'. Continuing his island hopping, Ian catches a ferry to Sicily and journeys to the capital, Palermo.
Here he cooks up a storm with a local pasta chef and then
tears around town on his rented scooter. The highlight of
his trip to Palermo is the Festival of Santa Rosalia,
complete with operatic music, flying angels and fireworks.
The volcanic island of Stromboli is Ian's
final destination. After a three hour climb, Ian ends his
journey on top of the smoking and lava spitting volcano. |
