Category Archives: France

A Day in the Life

At last I’m all settled in the apartment.  I’m living in the 15th arrondissement (Paris is divided into 20 large districts), which is to the southwest of the city, on the rive gauche of the Seine.  The neighborhood is left … Continue reading

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La vie est belle

The first few days here in Paris have been somwhat of a whirlwind, and I’m finally settled now.  Two friends from Princeton came up from Bordeaux (where they’re taking an archeology course) for the weekend, so instead of spending the … Continue reading

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Paris

First night in Paris: The view from the apartment balcony.  If it weren’t for that construction, you could see the Eiffel Tower even better.  It sparkles for the first ten minutes for every hour.

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Île de la Beauté

Goodbye Corsica. I must say I wasn’t all that sad to leave…I had to take a bus from Ajaccio to Bonifacio and for 2 of the 3 hours in transit I was clutching the seat trying desperately not to vomit. … Continue reading

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Ajaccio: chez Napoleon

Ajaccio, my final stop in Corsica, was a big change from my calm night in the country.  It’s Corsica’s capital and biggest city, and with a port and white sand beaches, it feels a lot more like a typical resort … Continue reading

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Adventures in Cheese, Part 1

I like cheese a lot. I like trying new cheeses. I like most of the Corsican cheeses (all made from goat or sheep milk…they don’t seem to really do the cow thing here) that I’ve tried. But tonight at dinner … Continue reading

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Vizzavona

And so I make my first detour. My original plan had been to leave Corte and spend two nights in Ajaccio, the modern capital of Corsica. Unfortunately, I didn’t take the warnings in my guidebook to reserve rooms early very … Continue reading

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Corte

Corsica had a modern constitution before the US or France did. In the mid 1700’s, Corsica was it’s own nation, with Pascale Paoli as its leader. Sadly for the young Corsican nation, it didn’t last, and the island has been … Continue reading

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U Tianu

I’ve learned to swear by the Let’s Go guides while traveling: they are usually well written, concise but thorough, and serve my purposes perfectly (ie getting the most out of a place without breaking the bank). I’m still trying to … Continue reading

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Nice and Bastia

I didn’t have many hours in Nice before I had to leave for Corsica, but I did get to walk around the vielle ville and port area some.  Josh: I saw some awesome yachts that I took photos of!  Nice … Continue reading

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