Thursday, June 21, 2012

Nature and Nourishment in Corsica



We decided to go on an extended weekend in Corsica.  It's not far, only about an hour and a half plane ride from Paris, it has mountains, and 1,000km of coastline (around 620 miles).  Hello... Hiking and beaches = paradise for this 'Parisian'!

It's been occupied since before time    -really- since BCE and hence has changed hands umpteen times. Normally, you would expect fish on every restaurant menu on an island in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, but since the locals wanted nothing to do with these changes in allegiance, they took to the hills and learned how to live off the land not the sea.  Fortunately for all of us, they stayed there, and to this day make fantastic cheeses and charcuterie.


Vince's charcuterie and cheese plate.
Lunch at the Kissing Pigs Restaurant.
















We decided to spend some time in Bonifacio, the southernmost city in Corsica, it boasts a citadel poised precariously on the edge of a cliff.  We were charmed by its limestone cliffs and deep turquoise blue waters, but even more excited to find some great hikes. We (under)filled a few water bottles in the morning, stopped by the grocery store for some fresh sliced charcuterie, a chunk of cheese and a baguette, and started walking.  We found a few gloriously deserted beaches along the way to cool off in, had a great lunch, then walked back.  The cheeses there are all ambiguous.  They're called 'Tome' which apparently is a cheese from the mountain that exists in many varieties or 'brebis fermier' brebis is sheep and fermier basically means made by the guy who raises the sheep.  Unclassified awesomeness that will never be found elsewhere!  Vince got some coppa, rosette, and saucisson -respectively, salted cured cow, pork, and pork, and we were happy as clams.
Deserted beach with a rusted out car.  Only accessible via boat or a one hour hike.

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