New holiday accommodation offer in Corsica
Kalliste Holidays has been established by Anne and
Paul Gibbs, after returning to live here - she's a
Corsican-speaking native (from Ile Rousse) and
he's English. That's
their special plus: they have an intimate
relationship with Corsica and understand the unique
needs of overseas visitors.
Kalliste has some very special properties -
concentrated in the Balagne - flats, villas and B&Bs.
You will get a really personalised service from
Anne. Since she is from the Balagne herself, she'll
be able to give you insights that may not be
available from tour operators based outside Corsica.
Anne is very willing to help you plan your holiday, to
ensure your stay is a complete pleasure and, after
your return home, to respond to any questions. Paul
is on hand to help too - with any practical issues.
You could put together a tailored vacation by using
Anne's services and the guide - Strada di i sensi di
Balagna, coupled with direct flights from London
Gatwick to Bastia by British Airways (Sundays and
Thursdays to Bastia from £129 incl. taxes return) and
Corsica Isula Car Hire. The best of all worlds: a
personalised packge.
Book with Kalliste Holidays
Quick Links...
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Dear William,
Here is the new issue of Corsica Isula
Newsletter. It is prepared with you in mind, so if
there are subjects you'd like to see covered, be
sure to let me know. Have a good summer & regards
from Will.
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Recipes from Corsica
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Rolli Lucarotti's wonderful book would inspire even
those who have not been to Corsica. She bases her
recipes on tradition and adapts them for those
without access to Corsican ingredients. Her kitchen
is a bit more recent than the one portrayed in the
evocative photograph by Marie-Antoinette Guerini.
If you don't believe me about how great this book
is, know that "Recipes from Corsica" won The
Gourmand Cookbook Award for
the Best Mediterranean Cookbook - UK 2004. The book
was published last year by Tom Jaine at Prospect
Books (ISBN 1903018277).
Rolli has lived in Ajaccio for 35 years and used to
have a restaurant there, so, she's not just a
cookery writer but has hands-on experience. Her
husband, John, was a TV writer, best known for
series such as 'The Avengers' and 'Dr Who'.
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New Trail of True Senses
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Strada di i sensi di Balagna.
The Balagne is a beautiful mountain and coastal
region in the NW of Corsica, with many kinds of
beach (with restaurants; secret; sandy; rocky;
accessible; remote), ancient perched villages and
breathtaking (!) path walking.
You can drive this trail and visit up to 70 charter
members that include crafts people, traditional food
producers, farm restaurants, B&Bs...This could be a
wonderful way to plan a holiday.
Bernard Villanova (see hyperlink left), a
wine-producer, hotelier, gîte
provider - and neighbour of mine - is the
president of the association that runs this
'Strada', one of several in Corsica (for details,
follow the link to the Strada di Sensi, left).
A new development featured in the brochure that
describes the trail is Isabelle Demoustier's botanic
park at Saleccia* (next to Casa Fiurita Garden
Centre) just north
of Ile Rousse. Opened on June 8 the park is in
17 acres devoted to showing the plant
heritage of Corsica; among others, there's a
collection of more than 100 mature olive tree
varieties from 15 countries. The setting is a marvel
in itself in a
small coastal valley. You can have guided tours if
you like, there's a café, picnic places - it's a
great way to discover one of Corsica's special
attributes.
Pick up a brochure on the Strada di i Sensi at any of
the local Corsican tourist
information offices (for a list, click the link to
the left) or direct via the hyperlink on the
brochure illustration above.
*There will be an article on the Parc de Saleccia in
the next Corsica Isula Newsletter and in the
meantime, if you want to contact Isabelle or the
Parc, call 04 9536 88 83 or write an email via the
link on the left.
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EU aids Corsican mouflon
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Drawing by Jeane Montano-Meunier, Inventaire de la
faune de France, Nathan-MNHN, Paris, 1992.
A muvra, the Corsican mouflon, is ovis ammon musimon
var. corsicana, a wild and reticent mountain sheep,
whose origins lie in the Middle East and has been in
Corsica since the Stone Age when they were
domesticated, about 7000 BC.
The mouflon is often seen as an emblem of Corsica,
even though many who live here have never actually
seen one. Places and businesses have the mouflon or
muvra in their name. The animal is proud and
reticent and many would say of the country's people.
Corsica's 1000 beasts are under threat from poaching -
males for their horns and kids for meat; genetic
impoverishment of the two separated herds; fire;
wild boar hunting (the dogs/noise); extreme sports;
catarrhal fever.
Help is at hand with support from the EU Life Nature
programme. The Parcu di Corsica is running a scheme
to conserve (better surveillance; threat reduction;
offer of alternative food sources to the bearded
vulture; public information) and to increase the
population of Corsican mouflons (involving capture,
breeding and then re-introducing specimens: 10-20
per year from 2006/7).
The Parcu di Corsica has four protected species of
fauna: the mouflon, the eagle, the deer and the
nuthatch.
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My Duck Valentinu - a Corsican short story
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He is beautiful, and all who see him would agree,
I'm sure. He even knows it himself.
He looks as though he knows it, too, except when he
slips on the mossy rocks into the pool. Perhaps the
trout is sceptical, but everyone else is embarrassed
when this happens to him. His green shiny velveteen
head and neck with the white collar round the
Adam's apple give no sign, and once on the water his
composure is regained instantly. Maybe just a quick
wiggle of the little tightly curled white tail tip
gives me the sign and we both look away.
I live alone in the old olive mill. I worry about
the fox that I used to love, pre-Valentinu. He
comes often at night and I hear him paddle and drink
at the pond. Is he foxy enough to know that
Valentinu is my friend, too? Probably not. I know
that the pine marten, who lives in the bank, would
gladly steal the eggs if Valentinu still had a mate.
Valentinu has made it clear that he wants to stay
with me. I assume that it is because he feels safe
in the enclosed little valley where the mill lies
and has correctly guessed that I have no gun.
Our men neighbours round about would shoot at
anything and frequently do, normally before either
of us is up and busy, but the new pallet gate that I
have made at the end of the oak tree enclosed lane
makes it clear that our land is not abandoned. The
fruit trees are pruned, the land is cleaned, the
terrace walls are being rebuilt, but the oasis in
the middle of derelict vines, groves and orchards
could otherwise be easily penetrated by a hunter
intent on quarry.
Valentinu got his name naturally enough when he
first arrived a few weeks back. His impeccable
appearance, the lacquered look and the sharp roving
eyes looking out sideways from the swagger were the
image of his namesake. The 'u' at the end in the
place of the 'o' accords with the Corsican ending.
He is local and would not wish to be thought either
Italian or French. No first name? He surely has,
but I still feel such an intimacy would be
presumptuous. He'll let me know by some sign or
other. It is not indicative of lack of warmth or
friendship. Just Corsican reserve, since we have no
family connection...
This story is from a collection of 28 short stories,
called Mountain in the Sea, set in Corsica, written
as a kind of alternative guidebook to the spirit of
the island.
The wild mallard is called 'u frisgione' in Corsican.
Image:RSPB.
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The best in Corsican car hire
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Corsica Isula Car Hire gets very good user reports
(for car rental in Corsica and throughout the world).
In association with Auto Europe, it seeks the best
deals in each vehicle category from all the leading
car hire operators. This way you are relieved of a
search. Make your trip easier - at least in one regard!
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