Notre Dame de la Serra, Calvi

I have fond memories of Notre Dame de la Serra, and some not so fond which involve hiking up to the top and then skidding most of the way down again on my bum, sustaining quite a few injuries along the way! Arriving by car was only slightly less perilous given the amount of potholes, but it’s well worth all the effort.



One of the great things though is the feeling of peace and tranquillity, even when there are other visitors like today. The Church sits high about Calvi and there are panoramic views right round the bay to the mountains behind which were still snow capped despite the clear blue skies and warm sunshine.



I have often wandered why a church was built up here so far from the town. True, the old cemetery is here too and in Corsica they do like to reserve the best views for the dead, but it seems unnecessarily hard for the congregation of yester-year with only their donkeys to negotiate the windy narrow road.



Once I’d finished snapping away, I sat for a while on one of the little stone seats carved into the wall. It was the perfect place to reflect on life the universe and everything, and I have to admit that when I made my way down the shallow stone steps to the car, I had a spring in my step and a smile on my face that had been lacking after a long and busy week!