Corsica

Corsica is renowned for the famous GR20 route taking in the North and South ridges of the island and labelled as one of the toughest long distance footpaths within Europe. I'll be leading the GR20 in August 2013 so will be able to give a good insight afterwards.  However the island has a lot more to offer to the leisurely trekker.  I was fortunate enough to be part of the leader team for a weeks trekking on some of the more secluded trails on the island.  
Our trip took part on what was the first week of the 'season' and some of the trails still required some 'gardening' to open them up.  This was due to the late unexpected heavy snows that came down through Europe. What you'll find about Corsica is each area, and its trails, are looked after by the locals.  So as the week progressed more people appeared with equipment, and, bushcutters could be heard deep into the lush green forests and up onto the mountain sides. Along with this most villages were receiving some 'spit and polish' as Corsica is the starting point for the 2013 Tour de France, later this month.
One of my particular favourite walks was from the train station at Poggio into the central town of Corte, once the capital of Corte.  Now Corte has two parts, an old town with the Citadel, and a new town comprising of the University district.  It is a popular stop for those completing the GR20 and has a nice town square with some bars and cafe terraces.  This walk takes approximately 6hrs with stops included.

On the walk into Corte

The trains can be quite surprising as the stations are in typical Corsican style then the unexpected modern SNCF train arrives.  Don't expect trains every two minutes across the island, if using trains check the timetables as it can take some planning to arrange your drop off or return trains.
I really enjoyed my time on the island and as mentioned previously I am returning mid August for a month.  This time I will be leading clients on the GR20 and experiencing the high mountains of Corsica, something I am really lucking forward to.

Although you can't beat a bit of this:-

A relaxing coffee at the end of the day