Paris-basedSwedishphotographerAntonRenborg travelled toCorsicaeach summer for four years from
2006-9 takingphotos. “I enjoyedgetting lost,not lookingat themap,”hesaysofhisdrivesaround the
island. “It’sagoodway todiscoverCorsica.”Renborgstarted takinghisCorsicaphotosonanalogue,
portraitfilm, though laterhe replicated the lookdigitally. Thesewomen (
below
)werephotographedon
thebeach inCalvi, to thenorth-westof the island
W
hat startedasacrushhas
matured intoa life-long
loveaffair.Throughmy
teenageyearsof the late
1960sandearly ’70s, I spent
onemontheachsummercamping in the
southofCorsicanearPorto-Vecchio, a rural
communitysteeped in traditionand
bathed inmysticism.
I teamedupwithaGermanand
aFrench ladof similar ageandmost
eveningswewouldwalk thecoupleof
miles toa local discoand return to the
campat dawn togooctopusfishingout
near a rock in thebay.Wewouldgive
our catch to thecampchef,who, in
return,wouldcookusdinner for free.
Octopus, thoughanacquired taste for
some in thosedays,wasnot considered
as adventurous asother local delicacies
like
mèrula
–blackbird–or
ghialaticciu
–
stuffedpig’s stomach.
Thecampsitewasownedand runbyan
oldheroof theResistancewho fell outwith
oneofhiscomradeswhen themaneloped
withhisdaughter.Even though theman
hadcommittedacardinal sin,hecouldnot
resist sailing into thebayeverynowand
then tocockasnookathis former friendby
tooting thehooterofhisboat.
Onenight–anight I rememberbecause
theheat in the tentbecame sounbearable
I stoledown to thebeachanddugmyself a
shallowgrave inwhich to sleep– theman
was luredashoreat thenorthernendof
thebeach. Thecampsiteowner,withhis
henchmen, occupied the southernend
andafirefight eruptedbetween the two.
»
n
/089
