Corsica Notes #3

Of histories, nationalisms, museums and organized crimes.

Landing in Ajaccio, at Napoleon Bonaparte airport, the first thing you encounter is a large bust of the emperor himself, it is a good ice breaker for you are going to encounter him, his brothers and sisters, and of course ‘Madame Mère’, Letezia, (mothers are important here), again and again. Where I’m staying is about a 40-minute walk from Ajaccio, a series of apartments up the side of a hill (a mountain really) and the daily walk is, shall we say, a good workout, up and down the steep winding road, especially if you’re carrying groceries.

Downtown Ajaccio is in off-season, many (most?) shops are closed or only open on weekends, the streets are mostly just locals. Not many tourists which is what I had hoped for. I fall asleep to the sound of Mediterranean waves breaking against the rocks and shoreline far below. It is a great 24/7 ambient soundtrack to work by.