I am blessed that my brilliant aerospace professor husband gets invited to amazing locales around the world to present his research. This week we’ve traveled far and wide to Corsica, a French island in the Mediterranean Sea, located west of Italy and southeast of the French mainland. We are staying in the capital, Ajaccio, which is the largest city in Corsica. The climate and scenery are magnificent. Temperatures are in the upper 60’s with perfect clear blue skies and waters.
Napoléon Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio and his birthplace is just a few short blocks from our hotel. Local signature souvenirs include Corsican knives in olive wood, beech or in oak with steel blades. The real Corsican knife is the shepherd’s knife “curnicciolu.”
It has a curved handle, smooth, with a slightly concave blade enabling you to cut with ease. Apparently the knives are a tradition to hand 
down from generation to generation as a symbol of respect.
Our first day here we explored Ajaccio by foot stopping to monge (eat) by the sea. Mussels with French fries and coffee tempted our appetite and we needed caffeine to fight the jet lag. A scrumptious looking bowl arrived with a four legged beggar who followed hoping to share. However, I gave the pooch some mussels, which he quickly rejected. The coffee or café arrived in a tiny doll sized cup, which amounted to about one swallow. So much for the grande Starbucks coffee, cappuccino is about the largest size coffee you can order in France.
Over lunch we discussed how the dollar doesn’t go very far in Europe and how expensive clothing is and other basics that we take for granted in the U.S. Often times in Europe we window shop in shock of the cost of goods that we pay so little for in the U.S. Much to our surprise, we found a lady’s boutique that offered fashionable clothes at great prices. I stocked up on European style dress pants and skirts. A great find since we are scheduled to have dinner with the Mayor of Ajaccio this week and I brought only casual attire.
Our day concluded with a conference member group dinner at an authentic French restaurant called 20123 named after the postal code for the area. The restaurant offered a family style five course meal with only two choices per course. The atmosphere was an old style cabin with wooden tables and benches ―quaint décor with friendly, fun staff. Food arrived in waves starting with traditional bean and noodle soup or plate of local meats; then quiche or pasta; progressing to main course of lamb or veal. All the food was absolutely delicious and one of the best meals I’ve had in France. Post main course included a plate of cheese and local fig jam mixed with walnuts. The figs were fabulous and the variety of cheeses included mild and tasty for the amateur pallet and to the extreme stinky cheese (thankfully it was contained in a closed jar). Even the French people at the table were shocked by the smell and taste of the stinky cheese. We all thought that the cheese and fig were the dessert but vanilla ice cream and chestnut chocolate sauce arrived for dessert. The Salsa Sexy meal plan was out the window for this dinner! We couldn’t fathom how many calories were consumed in this one seating. We calculated that we needed at least two additional hours of workout to burn it.
Such an enjoyable start to the trip! Later in the week we are considering renting scooters and exploring the island. And we’ve found a nearby restaurant with salsa dancing on Friday. Stay tuned for more adventures from Corsica this week. Liked this article? Please provide comments here and share with your friends.
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