So, to continue where I left off, I woke up from my nap well-rested and ready to conquer the day! I was reminded to be back sometime around 8 pm for dinner, and besides that I was as free as a speck of dust on the wind. So, stopped off for some guiding material at the Office de Tourisme and explored this cool place, camera in hand.

The first thing you should know - or you will know, whether you care to or not! - is that Ajaccio is the birthplace of the most famous short man in history, Napoleon Bonaparte! His house is now a museum, the largest street in town is named for him, and statues of this ambitious chap are scattered all over. The Ajaccians are proud- very proud! - to claim him.

Napoleon! I'm sure he would not appreciate that seagull on his head.

 

Napoleon!

La grotte de Napoleon!

After some time strolling around, getting the feel of the city, I took my wanderings outside the center of town and made my way to the photo you see above. This is the grotte de Napoleon (grotte being cave, obviously, though it was more so a precariously cool arrangement of rocks into a hole), supposedly where Lil' Napoleon sat as a child to contemplate his future greatness. Around the time I got there it started to drizzle, so I went in, hopped on the rock you see to the left, and did likewise. I don't think I'll be leading an empire any time soon, though maybe some of his coolness will rub off on me...only time will tell. I did have a nice conversation with a man walking his dog; he seemed casually amused to spot a random foreigner sitting in this little cave for no reason. We just chatted for 15 or so minutes about things I no longer remember, and his dog was happy to see me, then he wished me a happy vacation and went on his way. I was glad to have these kinds of interactions throughout the trip; kept any loneliness at bay, and I always ended up meeting the nicest folks. Corsicans are wonderful!

After I'd had enough of contemplating, I wandered around this park then eventually made my way from the Place d'Austerlitz to the Bois des Anglais - a remnant of the British colony that was once there. Pretty much self-explanatory, it's one of many massive forests in the area. But this is also the starting point for the Chemin des crêtes, which knowing that crête means "crest" in English, gives you the general idea. It's a 5-hour long trek winding through the coastal ridges just outside of Ajaccio, curling around the island until you reach the famous Iles Sanguinaires at the end. I wasn't planning on doing in initially - after all, a supposed 5 hour hike through the coastal cliffs and me not in proper hiking clothes? But then again, was I really in a hurry to do something else? Then comes the point when you realize that on a solo vacation, you do exactly whatever it is that you want to do - who else is there to ask for the go-ahead, for permission? So, fortunate enough to have a full water bottle and a couple petits pains left over from an earlier picnic lunch, away I went!

Uh, which way?

Bye bye Ajaccio...

It was really fun turning around and seeing my progress!

First look at the islands!

Let me say in advance - nothing, and I mean nothing, that I say here can possibly describe how stunning this hike was. Every so often I'd look back along the ridges I'd passed, seeing Ajaccio get smaller and smaller and eventually disappear behind as the chemin curled around one ridge, then another, then another...took a writing/rest break somewhere halfway through, and the sun was out in full force though the rest of the island appeared cloudy and overcast. There was honestly nobody else on the trail (later found out that there was an easy variant and a hard one - and I took the more difficult), and completely quiet all around save the sounds of the wind, the ocean far below, and the occasional wildlife noise and bee buzzing by. Utterly peaceful, and I didn't feel the least bit lonely despite being completely alone.

Nothing but views like this the entire way around :)

Where I stopped for snacktime!

Eventually, I continued and made it around to the Sanguinaires, but had to turn back to make it home before sunset. I took the trip back at a much faster clip, and I realized on the final descent near the end (in total, about 6 hours on the trail) just how fatiguing hiking is without even realizing it. I have good stamina and all, but when your legs start to shake attempting to balance down an incline that was so easy to ascend a few hours ago, you're reminded that your legs will tire whether you want them to or not!

Last picture of the day.

So, I made it back to the pension (and just about collapsed on my bed) in time for a shower and dinner with Mme Morelli, an elderly friend of hers, and another couple in town on business, and soaked up some good ol' Corsican wisdom over local wine, charcuterie, and an excellent soup followed by a flan that made me want to die. Then we ended it all with some stinky cheese and fruit. I was all set to flop into bed, until Mme Morelli requested (and you don't say no to Mme Morelli) that I and another lady accompany her home. This isn't to say that Ajaccio is unsafe - quite the contrary, it's an extremely friendly town, even at night! - it's just that's what you do. You walk, you chat, and eventually crawl into bed completely pooped and tune into some French game shows...which I'm starting to get quite addicted to...but that's all for today. Until next time!