We left Bonifacio this morning stopping first at the Filitosa archaeological site where we marveled at what archaeologists can ascertain from tiny bits of this and that.
From Filitosa we drove on to Ajaccio. In Ajaccio we dropped off the Citroen then caught a ferry, the Pascal Lota, back to the mainland. It is an overnight ferry so we took a cabin. We leave at 8pm and arrive in Toulon at 7am tomorrow.
The over night ferry was quite comfortable. We reserved an outside cabin which had big windows, comfortable beds, and a small but functional bathroom, all you need for a good nights sleep.
Our ferry arrived in Toulon at 7am. Soon after we were walking to the Gare de Toulon to catch the 11am TGV to Lyon. Lonely Planet has little to recommend about Toulon, Rick Steves doesn't even mention it, but I credit Toulon for a delicious breakfast. We were walking up a market street, the farmers and other vendors were setting up for the day, when we stepped into a patisserie and I had a delicious tart made of nuts and raisins with an almond filling. Mmmmm. Their cafe au lait was good too. The French, with their pastries, quiches, and espressos, serve my favorite breakfasts.
This patisserie was also notable to me by its customer-payment process, something I've only seen in Europe. It's all done by machine. People handle the food but not their money. Customers feed bills and coins into a machine that then dispenses change. Clever.
Nothing particularly notable about the TGV. It was fast and quiet but a bit cramped.
