Forwhat seemed likeaneternity, I laystock
still inmydugoutandwatched thebullets
whizzabovemyhead.
In themorning,when the
gendarmes
arrivedandscratched theirheads in
dismay, theageing
roué
whohadeloped
withourhost’sdaughterwas founddead
among thepinesbehind thebeach. In
keepingwith theCorsicanbanditsofold,
thecampsiteownerfled to themountains
andwasonlymuch laterpersuadedback
byhis family.Many thought the judgewas
unduly lenient inhissentencingofour
host tonothing longer thana fewmonths
inprison.
Itwasat theendofmy last summer
there thatanold ladypresentedmewith
abookofproverbsand localhistoy. Itwas
how Ifirst learnedof the
mazzeri
, the
Corsican fortune tellers, or foretellersof
death,mostlywomenwhowouldhunt
animalsatnightandsee in theirdeadeyes
the faceof thenextperson in thevillage to
die.Thesefiguresof folklore formed the
basisofmynovel setonCorsica.
Andsince those teenageyears, I’ve
beendrawnback to the islandmany times
–she isstill asbeautiful as theCorsica
ofmyyouth, and thebeaches thankfully
quieter.ThebeachatCampomoro,near
Propriano in thesouth-west, stretches
awayoverakilometreand thebeachat
Ile-Rousse, in thenorth-west, boastsfine,
goldensandandplayshost toa rangeof
water sports.Themost famous, though,
isatPalombaggia in thesouth-east; the
combinationofwhitesand, red rocks,
turquoisewatersand theshade from the
pines thatback thebeach isunbeatable.
For somewhere tostay, the 17th-
centuryboutiquehotelUPalazzuSerenu
(upalazzuserenu.com) ishalf anhour from
thebusyport townofBastia, overlooking
theGulfofSt-Florent.AnishKapoor
etchingshangon thewallshere, and the
swordfishandcharcuterieare todie for.
NearAjaccio, thecolonial facadeof the
HotelLesMouettes (hotellesmouettes.
fr)backsbothasandybeachfrontand
anelegant, terracedpool.There isno
restaurant,but thehotel is less thana
15-minutestroll from the thrivingcity,
where, atANepita (+33495267568)on the
rueSanLazaro,youwillfindmodernand
creative takeson
foiegraspoêléaux lentilles
and
filetsderougets
.
InBonifacio,on thesouthern tipof
the island,youcanstrollup to thecitadel
andglory in theviewacross thestrait
toSardinia.Forme, thereare fewmore
welcominghotels than theHotelColomba
(hotel-bonifacio-corse.fr), tuckedaway in
thesteepcobbledalley that is therueSimon
Varsi in theHauteVille.DinneratL’auberge
Corse (+33495108655), just round the
corner, isa feastofCorsicandelights.Be
sure to try the
PiattuSpuntinu
ofBonifacio
aubergines,
beignetsauxcourgetteset
poireaux
, andparticularly, the
cannellonis
aubrocciu
– tubesofpastafilledwith local
ewe’smilkcheese.Butaskyourhost to
recommend thewine:heknowshisstuff.
»
“Theageing
rouéwho
elopedwithour
host’sdaughter
wasfound
deadbehind
thebeach”
090\
n
