Ajaccio was the last cruise stop for us, between Barcelona and returning to Rome, it was a short, but sweet trip to the isle of Corsica.
The first time I ever really paid attention to Corsica was when I met a Corsican French teacher who was a massive advocate for Corsican independence. She told me that many Corsicans were against French rule, and I jokingly asked if there was a Corsican version of the IRA. There is, the FLNC. She then showed me photos of road signs where the French was painted over, only to show the Corsican language directions, and I immediately thought of Corsica as a Mediterranen Ireland. I was intrigued to visit Corsica after our conversation.
We disembarked from the cruise and landed pretty much smack bang in the middle of Ajaccio’s centre. In the August heat, our first port of call was a bar to (de)hydrate.
As I always try to do, I sampled the local beer, the charming, Corsican, Pietra (4/5).
Myself, my fiancée Amy, and my sister Aine then went about exploring Ajaccio. And for Napoleon’s notoriety, it’s interesting to see an island take such pride in him. For a man that was often decried as “the worst person ever” before Hitler dethroned him (hello Genghis Khan, Oliver Cromwell, Christopher Columbus etc). Nonetheless Napoleon is a source of pride for Ajaccio.
The city itself is beautiful, the blue Mediterranean Sea just cradling the beach below the city harbour, though given time constraints, my time there was merely a snapshot of the city.
First up was Place de Charles De Gaulle, featuring a statue of horseback Napoleon. Here we embraced some shelter and grabbed a quick to eat, as the sun was scorching us.
And after this, the trip to Ajaccio was essentially a photo taking exercise of Napoleon‘s likeness, with the most impressive part being the memorial of Napoleon at Place D‘Austerlitz. See photographs below.
I’ll have to revisit this charming isle, and the nearby Sardinia.