When we first made plans to visit the island of Corsica, I really didn't have much of an idea about what to expect. Yes, we'd watched the videos/DVDs but really, they were pretty old and by the time we arrived at our destination, a lot of travel and other travel experience had happened. As we docked in Ajaccio, Corsica, I was promptly overwhelmed by the sheer ruggedness of the island. Not Rockies type of rugged, but everywhere, as far as the eye could see (and all that the eye could see) were mountains that appeared to be rising straight out of the ocean. I'm convinced that there is not one piece of level ground on that entire island. One is either walking up or down from somewhere. If we weren't walking or driving up to see mountains, then we were walking or driving down to see the other jewel that makes Corsica ... its beaches. And we did get to enjoy several lovely beaches on the island.
While being on the island of Corsica is impressive, driving off the main highways on that island is not for the faint of heart. Let me explain. Since leaving Canada on July 31, we have driven a lot of very windy single track lanes from Shetland through to Provence. Our travels have taken us past suicidal sheep to picturesque villages perched on hillsides. But Corsica has taken the single track to new heights ...(I'm not sure if that pun was intended). In Scotland or the Cotswolds or even in Provence, there always seemed to be a little room for cars to manoeuvre around each other when they met (it did get a little close sometimes) and, in any case, what was the worst that could happen? Scratch the rental? Break off a side mirror? Not so in Corsica where outside of the main highways one must drive single track to visit anything from local villages to the popular Restonica hiking trail. To give way on these single track roads with no guard rails is to risk hurtling down to the rocky canyon below. The ride up the Restonica was hairy enough but on our way down the driver of one of the vehicles we met motioned for Bernie to move over (I should add that we were on the canyon side of things at this point). Well we did make it around that vehicle and down the mountain and I will admit to panic during the ordeal ... I can still see the drop when I close my eyes. Needless to say, days later when Bernie wanted to visit a number of mountainside villages, I begged off that exciting experience ... not enough Ativan in the world for me!
Corsica is a jewel ... a rougher one than I was expecting but it is definitely worth making a trip to see.
Starting in Giverny and ending in Provence, France has been a veritable parade of endless charm. From its windy old streets and sun-drenched buildings, to its bustling weekend markets, to the gardens of painters and the castles of kings, France has again provided our family with a million memories. If a picture is worth a thousand words ... , well, you get my drift.
Portions of our trip this fall are a repeat but our recent 'Tour du France' was a wonderful change from the cities of London and Paris. Walking through Monet's Garden in Giverny, it was easy to spot the places where the painter created many of his impressive works. The monastery at Mont St Michel was awe-inspiring in its enormity alone as it dominated an endless skyline to the sea. The chateaus and gardens in Tours were magnificent to say the least.
And Provence, what can I say about Provence? Charming towns clutching the hillside coupled with the scent of lavender made me want to stop for a very long time. (It's okay, we're coming home, we can't afford the real estate.)
I haven't reached the number of words necessary to do justice to all of our pictures of France. You'll need to come up with your own ideas when you come to visit.
It's hard not to hum 'Le Vie En Rose' when you are strolling the streets of Paris. It seems as appropriate as visiting the boulangerie or patisserie for a daily baguette. It's as special as stopping for a morning coffee at a little cafe or ending the work day with a glass of wine at a small bar. It is quintessentially Paris, and that's what Paris felt like even though it has been a few years since I was last here. I think Paris is a state of mind ... one that I quite like and could possibly get used to.
Our relatively relaxed pace in Paris allowed us to walk leisurely, sit often, and reflect quietly. (I would love to say that we breathed deeply but there was way too much cigarette smoke in the air for that! Also we didn't look at some of our surroundings too closely as one didn't always want to see what was hidden in the bushes!) But I digress ... our time in Paris was one of reacquainting ourselves with an area we love (the Marais), revisiting favourite tourist spots (too many to write about, but walking the Seine at night was one of them), and finding new places to enjoy (buying fruit, vegetables, and crepes at the local Bastille market and climbing to the top of the Arc de Triomphe).
And who can forget all those great movies set in Paris (you knew I'd get there sometime). How about Audrey Hepburn, Maurice Chevalier, and Gary Cooper in 'Love In The Afternoon'. Or Woody Allen's 'Midnight in Paris', or Alfred Hitchcock's 'Charade' or Gene Kelly in 'An American in Paris'. Like I said, it's a state of mind and I like it.
But I think what I really like about Paris is the fact that I got to share it with my two special men. It's my memory to last a lifetime.
