Chapter 7: Ajaccio, Corsica, France
22.09.2023 - 22.09.2023 65 °F
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"Ajaccio"
Friday, September 22, 2023
Corsica is a "rugged" Mediterranean island, birthplace of Napoleon and site of significant importance in French imperial history. Today, for us, it is picturesque with narrow streets winding from one historic spot to another inviting cafe. Everything we need is near to our port so we won't exhaust ourselves walking miles over cobblestone streets. We dock in the City of Ajaccio, pronounced uh·jak·see·oh. But there is one problem: pluie, pluie légère puis forte pluie (rain, light rain and then heavy rain).
When we awoke this morning at 8:00, I pulled back the curtains to find this scene below our deck-seven starboard-side balcony.
The remarkable portion of this image is that in December, 2019, yours truly spent a week aboard the the blue hulled Hebridean Sky moored at the adjacent pier. I was far from here at Mikkelsen Harbour in the Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica. It was twelve million penguins, new friends Lauren and Dianne and a few other hearty souls primed to snowshoe and hike and zodiac our way among bergs on a visit to the least visited continent on this planet.
Should you be of a mind to, you can read about that week here: https://russellantarctic.travellerspoint.com
But, I digress.
Forbes reported recently that "Corsica hit the headlines at the tail-end of the pandemic as travelers began to head back onto its golden beaches to be met by herds of cows who had gotten used to the lack of human nuisance and proved difficult to budge. Some of Corsica's 15,000-strong cow population took offense at returning humans with one tourist gored in the neck by a cow on Lotu beach while other tourists were chased down the street in Sainte-Lucie-de-Tallano."
I got my walk ashore in early with nary a cow in sight, only slightly dampened by sprinkles and one rain shower. I passed many sea-view bars one of which opted for a very non-Corsican name: Texas Café. There are museums and cathedrals, the Bonaparte ancestral home (he was born here in 1769), a monument to his achievements including the civil code, a university, the Bank of France, the Legion of Honor, a court of accounts and the council of state. No mention here of his atrocities.
There are beaches, mountains and, of course, crystal-clear stunningly blue water. Please refer to the locals as 'Corsicans,' not French or Italian. It looks like a city built on different levels with the old city near the water and the newer, larger, post-1950, city higher up. Today, the higher up was frequently obscured by a low cloud cover.
Four miles later, as I get back on board, there is one significant thunderstorm featuring nearby lightning strikes ahead of loud booms of thunder echoing over the surface of the water, bookended between sprinkles or moderate rainfall. Later on, the wind blew with enough force at one point that the ship's side thrusters were deployed so as to reduce the stain on our mooring lines. I was quite happy to be on board and not ashore.
Then it cleared up. Then it rained again. And again. And, well, you get the picture.
During World War II, this was the first French town liberated from German domination when residents rebelled against Nazi occupiers. That event, almost 80 years ago to the day, prompted a visit from General Charles de Gaulle saying, "We owe it to the field of battle the lesson of the page of history that was written in French Corsica. Corsica to her fortune and honour is the first morsel of France to be liberated."
The war in Europe ended almost exactly two years later. It is recorded that "no Jew was executed of deported from Corsica through the protection afforded by its people and its government." I feel I should comment here but i am at a loss for what to say. Given the history of the war this is pretty incredible. I'm thankful for those that protected the Jews and others that the Nazi regime were rounding up.
One more interesting tidbit. Just prior to COVID, a new mammal was identified here: the cat-fox. The creature is "longer than an average cat, has larger ears, lengthy canine teeth and a tail garnished with a black tuft." We did not see this one nor did we engage with anyone here who seemed to know about nor care about this "legendary"--among the locals at least--creature.
There is more interest here about the absence of many of the 3-million French and Italian tourists who arrive annually. That number has declined, says Forbes, to the lowest in 25 years due to inflation at this "incredibly expensive" destination. The 6 to 12 hour car ferry (from Marseille, Toulon or Nice) is "often reported as being incredibly expensive from mainland Europe." If you don't want to bring your car and upon arrival you intend to hire a car instead, that price is "up." We shall do none of that.
At lunch time we were torn between the desire to go into town--where I had earlier walked my four miles while B4 labored over her laptop--for lunch or to remain on board and, thereby, ensure we would not be caught in a downpour. We opted for the latter and went to our table at the Queen's Grille and, as a result, have a 6:15 appointment for pre-dinner cocktails with Elizabeth and James in the Queen's Lounge. You know Paul, he has never met a stranger. I on the other hand, well.....am the introvert of this duo. We actually first met Elizabeth and James in the elevator lobby the other day. She too i believe, has never met a stranger. She was enthralled with my jewelry (and i have very little with me) and our story. So that is a prelude to our drink conversation.
Getting caught in the rain is not high on my list. Given the weather, we had a pretty lazy day of a lovely lunch, reading our books, sitting on our balcony watching the activity in the harbor, and just being together - an yes, my email for which i am regularly repremnded. Other than missing the eye glass store that Paul spotted on his walk, i have no regrets about the day. It was quite nice in my book. For tonight, we have marked more things of interest to go to than we will be able to do. A far cry from home where we are in bed at 10pm and watching Seinfeld. There is no lack of fun things to do on a ship, even for an introvert.
The evening was one of social interaction. From St. Louis, Liz and Jim before dinner. Him, a pediatric anesthesiologist and she a hospital psychotherapist, both nearing retirement. At dinner to one side, Mike and Lisa of Pittsburgh. Him, a pharma industry person and she a petroleum industry auditor just off a year's hazardous duty in Angola. To the other side, adopted sisters/widows Jo, a retired event planner from Nebraska and Mary, a retired hotel industry executive from Boston.
The entertainment for the evening fell down a notch or two. The very funny comedian was back but he was running short of material. The Sondheim singer was backed by a full orchestra but, frankly, misses enough notes that even the unsophisticated took notice. But even with all of that it was well after midnight before the lights went out in 7105.
For those who may be confused, all these things named "Queen's" do not necessarily refer directly to B4 herself; they are the names of the venues involved. Any similarity to individuals on my arm is purely coincidental.
