What a start to the day, we visit Napoleon’s principle residence in Portoferraio, Elba an island off the Italian coast. This is the place that Napoleon was exiled to first time, after he conceded defeat in 1814, he would later be exiled to St Helena after he conceded defeat the second time.
Here he was made ruler of the island, with an entourage, army, wealth and status and he built two relatively modest houses from which to oversee his affairs. He kept quiet here for almost a year, before returning to France, and starting war again.
Once we’d done the house walked around he town and harbour for a while we headed out and upwards into the hillside on our walk. Hubby, unlike me with three courses already under my belt, hadn’t had enough for breakfast, so we found a lovely patisserie and bought pre-elevens to consume right away. The road changed form being a crazy mad road to a lovely, windy one which followed the coastline as planned all the way to Acquaviva, a beach and village some distance below the road, where people parked randomly all over the roads to visit, we did’t bother. However we did head on to Vitticio, seriously cute, where the path literally was on the water's edge, stopping for post-elevenses en route down the hill-side, until we were once again at the water’s edge, before climbing back up the coastal patch clinging to the side of the rugged cliffs.
We entered the local national park and then we were finally away from everyone else. Following rout 49 we climbed steeply before descending equally steeply into Scaglieri, which was quite beautiful before again ascending past Biodola and back up onto the local main road. This was rather busy so it would have been nice if we could get off the road, rather than suffer lorries, coaches and mad-men in cars (did you know they get double points if you're on a pedestrian crossing?)
So I tried to be a smart-arse and follow the map I'd photographed earlier - well, it was an official Italian tourist map, so it seemed like a good idea. TomTom thought not, and neither did Google Maps, but of course I knew my idea was better!I As I'm writing this you already know the outcome - it wasn't. We tried four different routes down different lanes, all of which ended in failure, by virtue of the river-bed that couldn't be crossed, or the trees and thickets that created the same obstacle. Close inspection after the fact on Google Earth confirms the route is impossible, but clearly no-one has told the Tourist Office!
Despite the issues, we continued on to another side-road much later, and made our way the Napoleon's Summer residence, an equally impressive little number that, without much by way of explanation was a little confusing, but we get the gist - incredible warrior, academic, lover, schemer. No idea which of this is true!
Finally, we walk the remaining four miles back into the delightful port of Portoferraio and return home for a dip before dinner.
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