L’Ile Rousse, Corsica —

There are two types of settlements in northern Corsica: the sun bleached, hard to get to kind and the sun drenched, colorful coastal kind.

Sun bleached and hard to get to are the hilltop villages of the Balagne. From a distance they are hard to spot. They blend into their rocky surroundings with a chameleon’s skill. Once identified, they are equally elusive. A road sign to Spelonacto indicating a distance of 16 kilometers (about 10 miles) is inviting but 30 minutes later we were still not there. The hike would have been much more direct but involved about 3 hours and 1,800 feet of vertical play. After visits to various tiny villages and hundreds of hairpin corners, they have been mixed up in our minds a bit. Each is sleepy, commands a spectacular view and offers a welcome stop for coffee. There is also a small shop in each, in case you need to stock up on the area’s olive oil, cheeses, wine or pottery.

Back down on the coast, the towns exhibit a bit more variety in character. Calvi is the best known, the most “sophisticated”, the place to see and be seen. After an exploration of the narrow streets of the Citadele which frames the harbor, the Quaiside cafés beckon. Choose your seat facing away from the harbor and you can admire the dramatic skyline of the old town. Or, face the water and watch the yachtsmen compare the size of their members . . . er, I mean boats.

Our hands down favorite destination on the northern coast is L’Ile Rousse. Before dinner, we enjoyed a surprisingly solitary stroll out to the lighthouse, perched on a bright red rock from which L’Ile Rousse (The Red Island) derives its name.

Back in town, life is not concentrated at water’s edge but spreads throughout the old town. It’s difficult to pick a restaurant. They’re all equally inviting.

After dinner, we are drawn to the boisterous shouts of the boules players in the park. If you are a robust 60 something, profane and smoke, this is where you spend your summer evenings. The hefty metal balls fly and click loudly, spraying dirt towards competitors. Issue is taken, millimeters are measured and backs slapped.

It’s a fine spectacle and all bathed under the white light of a lovely full moon.