We approached the southern tip of Corsica in the predawn light. As we drew closer and the glow on the horizon slowly grew brighter, we could make out a wall of limestone cliffs not far ahead. It was a dramatic vista, but could this be our destination? We expected a port where we could dock the ship for our visit, but this appeared to be nothing but a forbidding barrier of rock. A few twinkling lights revealed the presence of a small town at the top of the cliff, perched hundreds of feet above the sea but it seemed impossible that we might land there. Nonetheless, the Captain brought the National Geographic Orion closer and closer, until, quite suddenly, we were able see a steep-sided gap in the cliff, not much wider than the length of the ship. In we went, slowly and carefully.
We were arriving in Bonifacio, one of the most remarkable cities anywhere in the Mediterranean region. On our approach we had seen the old town, which is built right to the edge of the precipitous drop over the sea. Just behind it, clustered around the sides of the narrow inlet and invisible on approach are the newer buildings of the port where we came alongside for the day.
Part of France but fiercely independent, Corsica is a unique island, both gentle and severe. It is rugged and mountainous yet warm and welcoming, raw and refined. The steep, winding streets of Bonifacio lead up to expansive cliff top views over the Mediterranean, backed by a maze of narrow alleys where gourmet restaurants and cafes, serving the most chic and modern versions of the island’s traditional cuisine, can be found in the vaulted cellars of Thirteenth Century palaces.
We spent our day saturating ourselves in these marvelous juxtapositions and beautiful contradictions. We toured the old city, stopping for a taste of local wines and charcuterie. We shopped for elegant jewelry and ate bright blue gelato. We hiked along the cliffs to a lighthouse, then down to the water’s edge where we jumped into the sparkling water, chilly even under the warm sun, then concluded our visit with a delightful evening in a small restaurant, stuffing ourselves with delicious tapas and savoring local wines while listening to a group of traditional polyphonic singers.
Corsica was our first stop in France, our third country in three days, but it didn’t really seem like France at all. The people, the scenery, the food, the music and the bright sunshine all seemed to be a perfect distillation of the Mediterranean itself.
