IMMORTAL OIL IN AJACCIO, CORSICA!

Saturday, November 25, 2023

Port of Ajaccio, Corsica, France0,

Aboard the Enchanted Princess

Room Aloha 212

Sunny, 60F—another gorgeous day!

 

View outside our balcony this morning in Ajaccio

Our fifth port in a row, but no tours today!!  It was a leisurely Saturday morning in Ajaccio, but the market was bustling with all kinds of fresh fish, fresh meat, and colorful vegetables, similar to every town we have visited. It is always an experience to stroll by the stalls, one’s sense of smell and sight alive with the smells and colors.  Breads, cheeses, olives, pastries, were all in abundance.

 

Ajaccio is the capital of Corsica, a French island. Even with a population of 70,000, the streets were quiet and traffic was minimal. The island itself is home to about 300,000 people.  TK and I walked about the old town and found the birth home of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (1769).

 

Not far away from Napoleon’s childhood home was the Citadel, built in the 16^th century, used for military headquarters during WWI and WWII, and turned over to the city just recently. Free entrance and interesting grounds.

List of WWI and WWII battles the 173rd French regiment served in

 

Just beyond the Citadel was a beach area reminiscent of the Promenade d’Anglais in Nice.

 

 

Last year before our 2022 visit, I read that Corsica was also called the French “Island of Beauty,” because a plant called “immortelle” grows there. Its flower never fades, even after it’s picked. Its oil is extracted and made into anti-aging skin care products. Of course, I was on the hunt but could not find a single skin care product last year in Corsica.  Today TK spotted a sign for a small shop, and I made a bee-line into it while he rested!

NatureElement, Corse

 Voila! The proprietor, Brigitte, did not speak English but I understood her perfectly and she understood my French! I asked her if she could tell I lived in France and she said yes! So be prepared, Friends, my skin will be young and flawless soon. In a few months who knows what will happen when I run out of the oil?

Our leisurely walk took us around the old town, looking for a coffee/pastry shop, scarcer in France than Italy. After a croissant and coffee, we continued our walk—

Galeani, where we had our coffee and croissants. 

Do  you see the thick post in the middle of the street (far right)?

 A driver drove right up to it, got out of his car

and said something to the "machine" (middle)

and the post disappeared into the ground.

He got back in his car and away he went--we thought we 

were going to see some drama. What an idea! 

A post like that is better than a stop sign!

Brookies in the coffee/pastry shop!!

St. John the Baptist church

There has to be a church somewhere in the blog!

 

Enough of that, we were ready to return to the ship with over 10,000 steps by noon!

TK's Takes: He saw only one place for coffee and pastry. He says he is surprised there aren't more wrecks the way the people drive in the countries we have visited. This morning was the coolest weather so far, but it warmed up in the afternoon.

 

[Side Note: A few days ago we received a letter from the captain that told us we will not be stopping in the Azores because of a strike situation with maritme pilots the day we would be in port. Ships cannot enter ports without a pilot.  As an alternative we will be stopping at two different ports in the Canary Islands]

 

12,000 steps by 7 p.m.