vacation post b

back again for a second dose of vacation

Monday … I think we read and bought stuff for the ferry all day and then left at 4pm to get to the ferry dock and catch our ferry to MARSEILLE!!!

Here is PV at night as we are getting ready to leave – bye PV!!! Ciao ciao grosses bissous!



And…the dark storm cloud that rolled in as we were leaving…



We left PV successfully at 6pm as we were meant to but about 5 mins from the port stopped (unfortunately) to hear the announcement that a) due to bad weather we would go on a detour and would arrive between 12 and 3pm (note normal arrival time below) (if you know your Mediterranean geography… we would have left PV and went gone through the straits between Boni and Sardinia and west from there to Marseille docking in Marseille at 8am making the trip an even 14 hours – pas pire…) our detour took us up towards Bastia (at the top of Corsica) and then straight from there all the way along the coast of the continent.). and then b) that they had to disembark someone because they didn’t want to stay on the ferry in bad weather (yeah… that’s calming). So the ferry was fine until we woke in the middle of the night to a sway ship like nothing I’ve ever experienced. That continued all night to the point that the glasses people had forgotten on the tables in the bar were FLYING off the tables and SMASHING on the ground (not to make anyone nervous who might want to take a ferry someday… the return was a million times better). Also comforting.

Here is a photo of the swaying bar where we slept.



We arrived in Marseille at 1.30pm (making our ferry trip a good 19 hours long!) our bellies full of free lunch thanks to SNCM ferries and a bit wobbly from the rough night. Fortunately we had decided to book a late train and so we didn’t miss our train and instead of having six hours to explore Marseille we had none. (well maybe one but it was taken up mostly with ticket getting and then tea drinking). So then we got on our TGV to Lyon – the Lyon train station is a nightmare and we managed to find a spot together on the train but were scared everytime the announcer said the next stop and jumped a little in our seats making the man across from us laugh… he thought we were pretty hilarious. Also French trains are SO QUIET - someone talk already!

Photos:
Cliffs coming into Marseille





Marseille!! We were pretty happy to see solid land and so much of it!



and then we left... bye Marseille it was nice being with you for approximately 2 hours thanks for your hospitality!



So we arrived in Macon around 5pmish I think I can’t remember now… Tuesday evening. We made a big journey since Monday night! Nearly 24 hours of travel.

But thankfully one of our amazing hostesses was at the train waiting for us – Alice. She took us out of Macon told us a bit about where we were which we could of course not see since it was dark out. And (so maybe we arrived later than 5pm… I can’t remember!) anyway took us to her home where we met Cathie had wine and Pasta Punteeschacha something like that Thom told me that it has a name (Pasta with tomatoe sauce with capers and olives yum!!) and it was delicious and Cathie and Alice were so kind to us! And we also met Ross – their Border Collie who is 12 years old. Then they took us to our ‘home’, which we fully discovered in the sunlight of Wednesday morning!

Voila!!!!

My room:





kitchen





bathroom



outside





with Alice and Cathie’s house in the background

8790

little terrace we ate our lunch on and wrote in our journals on many many times



Daphne’s room



And you may have noticed a slight book theme going on. This house was FULLLLL of books everywhere every kind of every type, shape, smell, colour. I was a happy little bug for my stay there!

This is the beautiful living room which I just couldn’t get enough of but I did like sitting in the kitchen best and made myself a nice little nook with tea a chair, roses, books and sunshine. But for now the living room





then Cathie came along with Ross and we went for a walk up the Combe (which the area of their town they live in… by the way the town is called Buffières) where we saw the 30 year old horse!!



Ross apparently doesn’t like this horse – check it out!



Des paysages



Then me and daphne having lunch: tea (some kind of weird herbal tea), organic bread they bought for us, maquis honey we apported with us and FOUR TYPES OF FRESH LOCAL GOAT CHEESE.



Holy yum!!!!



It was cool but fresh – here I am making a weird expression (I love this stuff and I’m talking chewing at the same time… or something)



Ross looking noble and beautiful!!!



Then we met this little fella (it’s a she) puppy Australian shepherd (?) I can’t remember beautiful.



From La Combe we went to visit Villa Nova – the other guest house which is stunning. Daphne and I had a great time exploring it.

Paysages!!! So pretty




Then everyone left and me and Daphne walked back to Buffières (about 40 mins) through the beautiful countryside





GOATS!!!



the things they have around their heads have a name and it’s not a cruel thing it’s to make sure they don’t escape

it was just really stunning the scenery, the lush and fall colours



i have to leave you now cause ... i haen't even put all the photos up and my computer battery is dying in 4 minutes ahhhh!!! xx

post vacation post no. 1

My first vacation started Saturday 27 oct at 4pm when I caught the last bus heading across the island to Porto Vecchio! The ride was pretty intense – but it seems, in France, moving vehicles of any sort are pretty intense. Anyway the buses in Corsica are crazy because the drivers and roads are crazy. And the scenery is stunning of course. We passed through lots of cute little one road towns and also Sartene and Propriano which are bigger places (though ‘bigger’ places in Corsica doesn’t mean much). After we left Sartene we passed the most stunning sight – which my camera failed to capture. The sun setting on the horizon with a beautiful calm golf in the foreground and a Genoese tower. The sun was a huge red ball it was so beautiful! And this is what I have to show you:



Anyway arrived safely in Porto Vecchio at 8pm met by my lovely friend Daphne at the bus stop and from there went to the Lycée where Daphne lives. Daphne by the way is also an English assistant who is from Pennsylvania – we met in a doctor’s office in Ajaccio.

The next day we went to the market! It was really nice and bought lots of goodies for a PIQUE-NIQUE at PLAGE PALOMBAGGIA!! Now if you are living in Corsica and done your reading (like me for example) you would know that palombaggia is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island so exciting!!! We bought Corsican goat’s cheese, fresh Corsican bread, Corsican wine, dates and miel du maquis which is a flower that grows in Corsica and Napoleon claimed he could smell home from his exile in Elba (he could smell the maquis!) It was also used by bandits to hide in. anyway…

Mmm honey!



Here are some cute shots of P.V as we like to call Porto Vecchio (by the way this is pronounced Porto Vecc).









PV is built on a hill and is accessible by three big hill paths so you get some good walking in going up there. It is really cute. Dapnhe lives down below the old town in what you will see later is somewhat of an unfortunate suburban sprawl helped on by the ‘hyper U’ which we quite enjoy!

Anyway then we took off on our adventure to the beach. Me on Daphne’s sweet bike (who doesn’t have a name?? POURQUOI!!!) and Daphne on foot. We decided that we can get anywhere if we got a bike and Daphne’s running shoes! Anyway here are some shots of the way there. Oh and it takes an hour to run/bike to the beach – it’s usually only accessible by car.



This is for gaby <3



Now the key in this adventure was at the big fork to go left… but maeve went right by accident… so after we both arrived at different beaches we spent the whole time being upset and worried about where the other one was that we spent our whole afternoon looking for each other. And stressing out. But eventually Daphne found a nice waitress who let her use her cellphone and called her own cellphone which was in my bag and we found each other and (I was at the wrong beach) walked to the right beach.

Here is the view of the beach I thought was the right beach!



And here are some beautiful wrong beach photos





Then here is the real plage palombaggia





And yes we went swimming. And yes it was OCTOBER 28!!!! and it was fresh and splendid and salty and wonderful.

Daphne’s cool bike



Me and daphne after our swim



Then we called one of the other English teachers who came and got us and took us home because the time had changed and so it now gets dark at 5.30 to 6pm. Then we had our pique nique in Daphne’s room because we didn’t get a chance at the beach and watched the borne identity which is really good!

The next day was exploring PV again. And finding out if we had been paid or not… I thought I had but now I’m not sure anymore.

Here is a GIANT dog in a shop (there is quite a collection of dog photos… and bikes).



Hyper U suburban sprawl



An olive tree with olives on it! And Daphne tried to eat one… which was not a good plan



Honey and other Corsican amazing goods



Then we got the bus to …. BONIFACIO!!!! Cool! The bus was at 12 noon leaving PV and coming back at 2pm (ergo we had LOADS of time to explore…)

The Boni port (we like to call Bonifacio just Boni in affection!)



A LA LA LA boni



One of the specialities you want to have in Boni is PAIN DES MORTS made with chestnut flour (!!) and nuts and raisins and if you eat a whole one it makes you want to MORT hence the name. we were pretty excited about getting our hands on the pain dues morts! We actually bought two so we could have one the next day too!!!



The steep ascent into town/the amazing white cliffs. (steep ascent = d’habi-freaking-tude here). (there’s some good franglais for you).



And what Boni is most famous for – these white cliffs. This is all real. Plus that big big rock out there.. is called the grain de sable… (grain of sand… Daphne pointed out the humorous irony in the name).



And yes the town is perched nicely above these slowly slipping away cliffs.



Sardinia looking moody as ever – apparently the storm clouds hover and never leave Sardinia!



Me and Daphne being real North American tourists







Sailboat for mom



Here are some shots of Boni village – it’s pretty cute too. Everything is freaking cute here!!









Boni port from above



I tried to convince Daphne we could get to Marseille in this… but she didn’t go for that idea.



AJACCIO BOAT!



Then we went to a café in PV had some tea woo hoo and read the corse matin being cultured. They actually have a page every once and awhile written in Corsican! But in order to figure that out I better start auditing the Corsican classes for the 8 year olds!