Up at 5am this morning and a quick drive from Rapallo to Genoa to catch the ferry to Bastia in Corsica. After going through the normal anxieties and confusion about getting on the right big boat we finally said goodbye to Liane, Morgan & Lorenz and settled into our cabin for the 5 hour journey. The plan was to meet up with an old friend of mine Mark White and his family, who were holidaying in Corte for several weeks. He has been living in Denmark for the last 20 years. I hadn’t seen him for 10 years and was looking forward to meeting his new family – his partner Nina and two young sons, Kasper and Thomas. Mark kindly met us at Bastia and drove us up to Corte. Corte is in the middle of the Island of Corsica and we were in France now. It was great meeting everyone and catching up again. The old town of Corte has a forte overlooking it from a jagged rocky prominence. It is set against these amazing high rocky mountain peaks.
Historically known for being the birthplace of Napolean Bonaparte, Corsica has nevertheless had an uneasy relationship with its French coloniser’s. For many years it was known for its piracy and guerrilla type rebellions. French noble families were often getting kidnapped by bandits who hid up in the mountainous terrane. It is not hard to imagine how easy it would be to hide in this rugged countryside. This history of banditry is now symbolised by the use of a pirate head as the official emblem for Corsican products. The streams around Corte are magnificent with crystal clear mountain water running over granite boulders. An afternoon swim was a great way for the kids to get acquainted while Mark and I cooked up some dinner.
Fred
No comments:
Post a Comment