Getting from Cinque Terre to Corsica requires some careful planning and a bit of luck! Having spent a week in Cinque Terre, we know the regional trains in particular mostly run between ten minutes and half an hour late and often a change of platform is announced just before the train appears. This causes some considerable panic for those unfortunate enough to be travelling with luggage. There are no lifts - only stairs! So, in Italy, to make a connection, we must plan to catch the train before the one we need!! We need to catch the 8:14am from Corniglia to La Spezia to connect with the 10:06am to Livorno to catch the 2:15pm ferry to Bastia in Corsica. The 8:14 is reliably running 15 minutes late but thankfully there is no last minute change of platform. We arrive at La Spezia with an hour to spare. Sitting daydreaming on the platform, I am woken out of my trance by two African women walking along the platform towards the stairs. It is the woman in the colourful red and yellow dress that I stare at. Perfectly balanced on her head is a large cloth-covered wicker basket! As she begins to step down, a man runs across from the opposite platform and leans over the stairs to watch her. Her basket disappears from my view one step at a time! We leave La Spezia on time but arrive at Livorno twenty minutes late. Never mind. We have allowed plenty of time. It is nearly 4 kilometres to the ferry port from the station so we take a taxi. "The ferry to Corsica" my husband says to the driver. "Si" is his reply. We arrive at the port and the driver points out a nice restaurant where we can have some lunch. It is just on noon and we have until 1:45pm to board. There is a large Costa cruise ship tied up and we expect our ferry to arrive about one. We enjoy a very nice lunch and head over to the port. It is deserted. There is only one man in sight. We ask about our ferry. "No, no", he says and says something in Italian that I don't understand. But he is waving his arm and pointing and that I DO understand. Our ferry is some considerable distance away. With that we run!! It is now 1:30. We only have 15 minutes. Can we make it? We must get to the main road, cross over a bridge and another road and a large carpark! Will we make it? We have steps to negotiate, pedestrian crossings that Italian drivers don't really want to stop at and roadworks to get around. It is 1:45 and we can see cars driving on to the ferry. We can't see a gang plank so ask the man directing the cars. He just waves us through with the cars and trucks!! We stagger up four flights of stairs to Reception carrying our luggage. Another level higher and we collapse in the lounge and laugh!! We had allowed ourselves so much extra time and then almost missed the boat. The four hour ferry trip is very smooth and we arrive in Bastia, Corsica right on time. Car and bus drivers and passengers are now all in place ready to drive off. Foot passengers are told to wait for "an important announcement" before being allowed off the ship. We are all standing in front of Reception, about fifty of us. One lady has her two large dogs on leashes, a middle-aged Italian man is having a very loud and heated argument with his elderly mother. HE wants to get off NOW, she wants to wait! He tries to drag her...."Momma, momma!" She digs her heels in and grins at me. We wait and wait. Finally, after ONE hour foot passengers are allowed to walk off the car deck after all the vehicles have driven off. "Sorry, madame. We have no gangplank on this ferry"......... We stayed at Hotel Central in Bastia www.centralhotel.fr The biggest and most modern bathroom we have had. Comfy bed, very clean, airconditioned. Breakfast is typical continental European. A large plate of pastries and bread with honey and jams, natural yoghurt, orange juice or sparkling water and a large jug of freshly made coffee (or tea). Plenty of fresh fruit available. Tip: Ask for a room on the lowest floor possible as there is no lift. The hotel only had one room left when we booked, located on the 5th floor! Room 502. Approximately 80 steps up and 80 steps down!