AJACCIO

Ajaccio is the capital of Corsica.

 The sail from Cargese allowed us to experience some of the most beautiful coastline of Corsica. Winds were fairly light and as usual they came from the south most of the time. Only as we turned into the Bay near Ajaccio did we experience winds slightly on our beam. Still We looked forward to being in the large capital city.

 The high rise apartments are somewhat of a confrontation after the rustic villages we had already visited.  As we approached we could see what looked like a perfectly preserved ancient village, but as we came closer it became obvious that it was in fact a cemetery full of family crypts.  These continued all along the coast to Ajaccio

The crypts by the sea as we approached Ajaccio

The boats in the marina dwarfed by a huge cruise ship

 We moored in the marina in the shade of an ancient citadel and soon got into a daily routine of wandering down the nearby streets full of shops selling everything the tourist would want.  We were surprised by the range and quality of the art work in the Fesch Art Gallery, especially the lively and well composed paintings by Corsican artists.

 Once more the huge cruise ships dominated the harbour;  they certainly were amazing to watch as they ‘steamed’ off their moorings out into the bay.

the harbour

net repairing

Surprisingly, there is still a lot of fishing activity at the harbour. Fresh fish is then sold at the fish market at fairly reasonable prices.

Bouganvillia everywhere

The city is well developed and appears to be in a renovation phase. Many buildings have been recently decorated with friezes that stretch around the eves, while massed plantings of bougainvilla are scatted around public buildings and private homes.

We walked a lot, taking in the sights and smells of Ajaccio. Once again we were amazed to see orange trees fully loaded with fruit untouched in the streets.

Ajaccio's favourite son, Napoleon Bonaparte is celebrated everywhere in the city. Without knowing the itinerary, we visited his memorial as part of our "petite train' tour (my legs had given up and appreciated a rest). Apparently he was born in the town and this has now become Ajaccio's claim to fame. Napoleon did not have the same fondness as he visited the town only once after he found fame.



 
The crowds of visiting French tourists were obviously very impressed buying souveneirs and trinkets from the many 'Napoleon' stores around the streets.

Napoleon

The little train passed so many small fruit and veg shops, all selling produce at excellent prices.

My last indulgence - a chocolate crepe , with, chantilly of course!
The weight is starting to go on as it's so tempting to regularly snack on patisseries and coffee.