You
should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before
leaving the UK, and carry your EHIC with you at all times in case of emergency. The EHIC is not a substitute for medical
and travel insurance, and only entitles you to emergency
medical treatment on the same terms as French and Italian nationals. It does not cover you for medical repatriation, on-going
medical treatment or treatment of a non-urgent nature. It is
essential therefore to have comprehensive
travel insurance.
We
found virtually no opportunities to exchange Camping
Gaz 907 cylinders in Sardinia; the one exception was in Alghero near to Camping
La Mariposa: Maxigas, a hardware shop selling all makes of gas in containers -
at corner of Via Don Minzoni and Via delle Baleari, GPS 40.57643 8.320266
Very
few
campsites on either island yet have wi-fi internet hotspots and the few that did
were very expensive. But there is
a ready availability of relatively cheap internet cafés in
every town and city; it's a good test of the local Tourist Office if they know
of internet café whereabouts
Rough Guides:
4th
edition 2006
Sunflower Walking Guides: published by Sunflower Books,
For
planning and 'big picture' general
use, the most useful overall maps are:
Both islands have a ready availability of supermarkets and there is good range
of choice for food stuffs. The intrinsic cost of living in all Italian and French
territories however is now horrendously high, not simply due to the pound~euro
exchange rate; this was the most expensive trip ever, costing us twice what
we have spent for the same period in Central Europe.
Be warned: supermarket shopping, particularly in Corsica is a
severe shock to the wallet.
Almost
every village has a mini-market and many
towns have a vegetable
market.
Sardinian
and Corsican wines: both islands have a long-established tradition of
vine-growing and wine production, with quality greatly improved over recent
years from a number of distinctive indigenous grape varieties. You should
certainly try the lusty rich Sardinian red wine from the Cannonau grape; one of
the best producers to visit for tasting and buying Cannonau wine is the
Unlikely
as it sounds, both islands have in recent years developed a range of
distinctive, quality beers; most are available in cans or bottles or on draught.
Corsican beer:
for a thirst-quenching, light and sharply hoppy draught beer try Serena, but for
something a little heavier with a toasted, nutty taste, order a Pietra which is
brewed using Corsican chestnut flour. Two other distinctive beers which are said
to embody the tang of the Corsican maquis are Torra and Colomba; they may not
suit everyone's palate but they certainly have a distinctive taste.
