The island is almost completely covered with mountains, and has been inhabited for thousands of years. The first invaders were from Pisa and Genoa, and they continued to control the island even when Napoleon was born. However, when he went off to school in France, he embraced everything French and was embarrassed about his Corsican heritage. So, when he was off conquering the world, Corsica was one of his first conquests, and it has remained French ever since. One of the waiters on the Disney Magic was from Lyon, France. He said that you never see a French flag flying in Corsica, and if someone tries to fly one, it is torn down. I wonder if they take aid from France?
Enough history. One other tidbit. Tourism is the only real industry on Corsica, but the natives don't like tourists, and very few speak English. None of the signage is in English, but is in both Corsican and French. The natives prefer being isolated, and many who live in the remote mountain villages may never even see the sea during their lifetimes!
We left the ship at 8 am for an all-day tour to see Les Calanches, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This nature reserve is part of the Regional Natural Park of Corsica, and includes the Scandola peninsula, an area filled with huge, tooth-like granite rocks rising from the sea. (Corsica is nicknamed the Granite Island). The drive through the mountains was really spectacular, and I hope an engineering award went to whoever built the mountain road that clings to the cliffside. The ride was quite scary (no guardrails), but the views were as gorgeous as any coastline drive I've ever been on. The drive is certainly not for those who get carsick or who are terrified of steep drop offs. The granite rocks are pink, gray, black, and all other colors, and they are really jagged. We had another sunny day, and the ocean and the sky were almost the same shade of brilliant blue.
After an hour or so we stopped for 30 minutes in the small village of Carthese, which had been settled by Greeks. The guide took the "strong" walkers down a steep hill to see two adjacent churches, one Greek Orthodox and the other Latin Catholic. Those who didn't do the walk passed the time enjoying the view of the brilliant blue Mediterranean Sea far below.
Driving onward for another hour, we finally reached the San Bastino Pass in the park. The narrow road was packed with buses, cars, and camper vans, both on the roadway and crammed into small "parking" spots. It was a huge traffic jam, and we did what other bus passengers did--got off the bus and walked along the road for about 20 minutes (mostly downhill) to the only pit stop/cafe/souvenir shop in the park. Even stopping to take photos, we could walk faster than the bus could move since the road was mostly one lane along the area. By walking, we could linger over some amazing rock formations, and with the backdrop of the Mediterranean, I could see the importance of preserving the area. Knowing that the first pit stop in about three hours was at the end of our walk kept us all moving along.
We reboarded the bus and continued our ride to Porto, a small village on the seaside. Three buses from the Disney Magic (about 50 on each bus) did this tour, and each bus load ate at a different restaurant. Ours was very cute, in a hotel, and featured a typical Corsican meal that was one of the best "tour" lunches I've had in a long time. We started with a hot puff pastry filled with the local Corsican goat cheese flavored with herbs and covered with a fresh tomato sauce. The main course was veal cooked with mushrooms, onions, and potatoes. It was tender (like a crockpot meal) and reminded me of mom's pot roast she cooks with potatoes and carrots. A light red table wine accompanied the meal and was excellent. Dessert was a mousse-like concoction with a chestnut flour crust. (Chestnut flour is very popular in Corsica and is a good substitute for those who need a gluten-free diet).Leaving Porto, we started back the same way we came, which gave our side of the bus the good views of the sea. We stopped twice on the three-hour ride back to the ship--once at a touristy shop and the second time at a cafe with a bathroom. We also saw some Corsican donkeys and several Corsican goats, which have long hair and huge horns. The bus got back to the ship exactly at 4:45 -- final boarding time. I was sorry we didn't have time to see Napoleon's birthplace or see some of the rest of the island.
The 6:30 pm show was one of my favorites--"Disney Dreams"--and featured many Disney characters ranging from Peter Pan to Aladdin to the Beast and Tinkerbell. Very cute and the music didn't drown out the singers as it seemed to in one of the other shows. Mom and I had dinner at Pano's again, and it was excellent (again).
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