October 28 - Ajaccio, Corsica

Corsica is the Mediterranean's fourth-largest island and has a long history with the sea.  It is located between the coastlines of France and Italy.

The Romans first set sail for Corsica in the 3rd century.  By the 15th century the island was controlled by the Genoese with the port of Ajaccio being established in 1492.  Although Corsica is a part of France today, the native dialect, called "Corsu" has strong Italian roots from the Genoese days.

Ajaccio, Corsica (internet photo)

In 1768 the island was sold to France and a year later the most famous son of Corsica, Napoleon Bonaparte, was born to a middle class family in Ajaccio.

We had nothing planned for today other than to walk around the area of town by the port.  The ship docks right by the main square of the town.

It was hard to find a lot of tourist information about Ajaccio but did learn that the sites mainly involve Napoleon.   Once off the ship, we took a 55-minute double-decker bus ride through the town and along the coast.  There was a recorded commentary on the bus, but it was very hard to hear at times.  So as we passed points of interest, it was hard to understand the significance of what we were looking at.

We drive by a large cemetery.  The audio commentary on the bus tour said that 47,000 people were buried here.  It seems like each family had their own little house for burials.

We drove along the coastline for several miles and turned around where we have a view of the Sanguinary Islands.

We drive back along the coast on the same route.  There are many beautiful homes and hotels along the coast as this is an area where the French like to vacation.

Once back into town, we drive by the Citadel, the fortress that has protected the town.

Back at the square by the port, we walk through a market selling cheeses, breads, etc. with samples for us to try.

And wander up the boulevard a couple blocks to check out the statues of Napoleon.

Napoleon and his 4 brothers (one brother on each corner)

The Cathedral of the Assumption is where Napoleon was christened.

Cathedral of the Assumption

The double-decker bus for siteseeing.

And we end our day in Ajaccio with an attempt at a "selfie" in front of the Napoleon statue.

Then it was back on the ship for a quiet afternoon.  We had time for our exercise--a run on the Promenade Deck--that was wonderfully void of people.  It was a nice, relaxing day after several full days of being on the go with siteseeing.

Next port....Naples