Excerpts from Malta to Nice
(7/2/05) Our arrival in Bonifacio, Corsica (the
southernmost city in France) was delayed due to
the
weather, but the winds had dropped to 20 knots during the night. The entrance
to the harbor was spectacular – about a mile long and very narrow, with imposing
cliffs on each side. Corsica also has endured a long and colorful history dating
from the
7th century BC. The Greeks, then the Romans, followed by the
Italians and finally the French (1768) have possessed this island. Bonifacio,
named for Boniface (the count of Tuscany who established a stronghold here in
830 AD) resisted the French takeover, and many still consider themselves to be
Italian – hundreds of years later! (The large island of Sardinia can be seen
from here.) The Corsican language taught in the schools is a mixture of French
and Italian.
We left the ship ~ 11:30, wandered
through the lower town, and had lunch ashore along the marina. The
location was lovely, but the food was
“just OK” and very expensive (moules, soupe de poisson, salade de chevre chaud).
At 2:00 we had a tour of the old city (Haute Ville) – a charming walled town
above the harbor. We were taken up to the ramparts by “petit train,” then
leisurely walked through the narrow streets while
enjoying
some more delicious gelato. We decided to stay on board for the “Lobster
Barbeque” (disappointing) – then enjoyed Le Ponant’s version of “Casino Night” –
with a “human one-armed bandit”, blackjack and roulette. Betting chips were
provided by the ship and the winners received prizes from the ship’s boutique.
Michel entertained with more music and we stayed up very late talking with
friends.
