April 13, 2025 • 59 mins
Thinking of exploring a French island that's wild, beautiful, and full of surprises? In this episode of the Join Us in France Travel Podcast, titled Corsica Revealed: Rich Culture, Cuisine, and Stunning Landscapes, host Annie Sargent chats with tour guide Jean-François Sénéchal about his favorite island—Corsica.
Jean-François lives in Tourrettes-sur-Loup, near Nice, but he has deep Corsican roots. His mother was born on the island, and his grandmother ran a hotel in Calvi. Today, he takes visitors on immersive, small-group tours around Corsica. In this episode, he shares what makes Corsica so unique, from its wild coastline and pristine beaches to its hilltop villages and proud local culture.
Want to know the best time to visit Corsica? What to eat and drink? Where to go for the most scenic drives, wine tastings, or quiet moments? This conversation has you covered. Annie and Jean-François discuss Corsican history, Corsican independence, why the locals are famously prickly, and why you absolutely need a car to enjoy the island.
They talk about stops like Calvi, Corte, Ajaccio, Bonifacio, and the Cap Corse. You'll also hear about local specialties like brocciu cheese, figatellu sausage, and cédrat liqueur.
If you're dreaming of a trip to Corsica, or just want to hear about one of France's most fascinating regions, this episode is for you.
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. Whether you're planning your first trip to France or your tenth, Join Us in France brings you expert advice, local insights, and engaging stories every week.
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(00:16):
This is Join Us in France episode541, cinq cent quarante et un.
Bonjour, I'm Annie Sargent and Join Usin France is the podcast where we take
a conversational journey through thebeauty, culture, and flavors of France.
Today, I bring you a conversationwith Jean-François Sénéchal about
the enchanting island of Corsica.
(00:38):
Discover the rich culture, breathtakinglandscapes, and hidden gems of
this Mediterranean paradise throughthe eyes of a seasoned tour guide.
From ancient history to mouthwateringcuisine, you won't want to miss the
insider stories and travel tips thatmake Corsica a must visit destination.
(00:59):
This podcast is supported by donorsand listeners who buy my tours and
services including my ItineraryConsult Service, my GPS self-guided
tours of Paris on the VoiceMap app,or take a day trip with me around the
Southwest de France in my electric car.
You can browse all of that at my
boutique, joinusfrance.com/boutique.
(01:21):
And remember, Patreon supporters get thepodcast ad-free and as soon as it's ready.
Click on the link in the shownotes to enjoy this Patreon reward
for as little as $3 a month.
For the magazine part of the podcast,after my chat with Jean-François
today, I'll discuss la Foire du Trône.
(01:41):
The Fair of the Throne you say?
Yes, I will explain.
And also, let's talk about theholidays coming up in May in
France, and also a VoiceMapreview that makes me a little sad.
(02:05):
Bonjour, Jean-François Sénéchal,and welcome to Join Us in France.
Bonjour, Annie.
Such a pleasure to be back.
Yes, welcome back.
You were on the podcast manymoons ago talking about Provence.
2015.
Wow.
Almost 10 years.
Yes.
Yes.
(02:25):
But today we're going to talkabout Corsica because even though
you live in... you live in Nice?
No, I live in Tourrettes-sur-Loup.
It's a small village near Vence.
Okay.
All right.
Between Grasse and Vence.
Okay.
One beautiful place,beautiful place, I'm sure.
(02:45):
But you are a tour guide, you havebeen a tour guide for many years.
And the first episode we recordedwas very popular because you
always have a lot to say.
So, today... ... today we're going totalk about what you do in Corsica.
And you were just telling me thatyou are originally from Corsica.
(03:06):
True.
So, the first reason why I decided todo tours in Corsica again, because I
did some long time ago, and I changedmy mind and did many other things,
is that yes, I've got Corsican blood.
Aha.
My mother was from Corsica,and my grandmother had a
(03:27):
hotel and restaurant in Calvi.
Aha.
Very beautiful Calvi,very nice town by the sea.
So my idea was to offer this tourin Corsica from, I would say,
my roots, my heart, my blood, tooffer a new region to my customers.
(03:49):
I, of course, still do Provence and theRiviera, but Corsica is so different.
It's like going to another country.
Uh-huh.
Though, the island is... Theisland is 180 kilometers from Nice.
Right.
The ferry boat takes aboutsix hours from Nice to Calvi.
(04:10):
And I noticed through my experiencethat many people, especially
Americans, have never been to Corsica.
They don't even know where
it is.
Well, some of them don't.
But I mean, it's famous in the...Because, I mean, Napoleon was born there.
He was born and raised there.
True.
(04:30):
True.
So that... it's a big deal.
Oh, yeah, it's a big deal.
Yes.
Going back and forth between France andItaly many times, just like many of these
islands in that area, when's the lasttime... when did it switch back to France?
Do you remember?
Yes.
France bought Corsica from Genoa in 1768.
(04:55):
So France was bought, andit was Louis XV back then.
So since Corsica has been French, finally.
Right.
But it was, yeah, it was Genoa Republicwas in Corsica for about four centuries.
Wow.
(05:15):
And before, the Romans were there, theEtruscs were there, the Greeks were there.
Strategic was the mainpoint of those people.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And when you think about the restof France, for example, a place like
Carcassonne in the South of France,became French in the 1200s, I think
it was 1252 or something like that.
(05:37):
So, Corsica is much sooner, you know.
I know 1750, whatever, sounds likea long time ago, but compared to the
rest of France, it's not that long.
Yes.
Oh, talking about Carcassonne, you know,my name Sénéchal, at that time, Middle
Ages, Carcassonne was ruled by a Sénéchal.
(05:58):
Aha.
Yes.
Yes.
It's a title, that's right.
It's a title.
Just like mine, aSergeant is also a title.
You... We are title people.
Ah, yes.
All right.
Okay.
So Corsica has a strong flavor of Italy.
I mean, it's really in between,I think, because the language
(06:21):
even sounds like Italian.
Yes.
Yes.
Okay.
First of all, never tella Corsican he's Italian.
Okay.
Never.
First, because Corsican people arevery proud of their culture, their
language, their foods, their islands.
But yes, you're right, in a way.
I still remember my grandmother speakingCorsican, and when she had Italian
(06:44):
clients in her hotel or restaurant,they could talk to each other.
Yeah.
And many names end with an I.
Yes.
Philipi, Rossi, Guidicelli.
So, yes, strong influence from,in fact, the Republic of Genoa.
Right.
And yet, its own thing.
(07:06):
As you know, ChristopherColumbus was born in Genoa.
Mm-hmm.
And he was in Corsica.
When I do the tour in Calvi, inthe fort, there is a monument
about Christopher Columbus.
So, yeah.
Okay, strong.
But Corsican culture is Corsican culture.
Yes.
(07:26):
So where, where does your tourtake people, and what would
you say are the highlights?
The places in Corsica thatpeople should not miss?
First of all, Corsica has everything.
Beaches, forest, river, high mountains.
So this diversity needs to be seen, Imean, we leave from the coast of France.
(07:49):
It's Nice or Toulon, take the ferry boat.
I put the van in the ferry.
We all go there.
I book everything.
And the trip I have in mind, whichis already booked in June next
year, we go from Toulon to Ajaccio.
And then we drive the coast, we drive thewestern coast, all the way up to Calvi.
(08:10):
But we stop in Piana, thefamous Calanque of Piana.
And in Porto, we take a boat for abouttwo or three hours and we visit the
cave, grotto, and all along the coast.
On the West Coast ofCorsica, the rocks are red.
The forest is green.
(08:30):
So it's pure nature.
Corsica is very wild.
Not like the Côte d'Azuror the Basque Coast.
That's true.
That's a big difference,because the Côte d'Azur is like
every millimeter is occupied.
I know, I live there.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Côte d'Azur has become a concrete jungle.
(08:51):
Mm-hmm.
You're not stopped from Monacoto Toulon, more or less.
Yes.
No, I agree.
It's striking.
When I drive from Toulouse to Nice, forexample, which I've done a few times.
It's a long drive butI've done it a few times.
The closer you get to the Riviera, themore it's like high density everything.
(09:12):
There's hardly any space forcars, or gardens or... I mean,
there are some very wealthy...
Or oxygen.
Yeah, yeah.
There are some people who arevery wealthy that have very big
gardens, beautiful, whatever.
Sure.
But it's very few.
Mostly it's very densely populatedapartments, short apartments, not big
(09:34):
towers, but lots and lots of density.
Yeah, luckily we have rules.
But anyway.
Yeah.
It is not the case in Corsica.
Right.
Corsican people and the localgovernment, the Territorial,
whatever, they preserve their country.
Mm-hmm.
So for example, for the last, Idon't know, 20 or 30 years, it is
(09:55):
forbidden to build anything by the sea.
Uh-huh.
So it's wild.
For example, you have wide beaches withno one, and you can see cows on the beach.
That, I've seen many times.
The area of Saint-Florent.
So then we arrive in Calvi.
We stay two nights in Calvi.
(10:17):
And from Calvi, we explore themagnificent uphill villages of Balagne.
Uh-huh.
Balagne is above Isle Rousse.
And there, I take, okay, let'ssee, three villages with stunning
views over the mountains on yourright and the sea on your left.
(10:37):
Mm-hmm.
Because the highest peakon Corsica is 2,700 meters.
All right, so that's quite a bit.
That's high.
Yes, yes.
The idea of a village is veryimportant for Corsican people.
Each Corsican comes from a village.
Mm-hmm.
They have a family house andthey have brothers, uncles,
(10:59):
grandparents, great-grandparents.
So each Corsican belongs to a village.
It's like an identity,very important for them.
And those villages, how would I say that?
You just walk around.
People say, "Bonjour." Yousit in a restaurant, eat
local specialties with a view.
You know, we have no stress.
(11:21):
Though Corsica, I said Americans usuallydon't know Corsica, but it's very
popular with the French and Europeans.
Yeah, very.
Example, the Germans, they love Corsica.
Mm-hmm.
The French, too.
For the French, it's likegoing to the Caribbean.
It's an island.
Yeah.
The water is turquoise, so clear.
(11:43):
Sandy beaches, endless beaches.
Yeah.
Not the case on the Côte d'Azur.
So we visit those villages.
And then we carry on to Saint-Florent.
Saint-Florent is thebeginning of the Cap Corse.
Saint Florent, go to the streetmarket, and then we have wine tasting.
Yeah, they make a lot of wine.
(12:05):
Yeah.
You know me by now, I'm a gourmet,wine lover, and gastronomy.
So we go to Patrimonio.
Patrimonio
is an area very well known for wine.
They do rosé, white and reds.
So wine tasting in Patrimonio.
Then we go to Nonzza, N-O-N-Z-Z-A.
(12:28):
Nonzza is a very special village onthe top of a rock, above the cliff.
And the beach there isblack because of volcano.
That's always strangeseeing a black beach.
I mean, I've seen a few.
Yes.
It's like, "Oh, weird."
So there, I know a restaurantwith a view, top of the rock.
(12:48):
It's just... breathtaking.
You are speechless when you are there.
Uh-huh.
Then all the way up to Cap Corse, ata point where Corsica is so narrow
that you can see East and West Coast.
Wow.
Same day, same time.
You just turn left and right.
Then we go to Corte inthe middle of the island.
(13:10):
Before, Corte was the capital of Corsica.
And there is a citadel, a fort.
And Corte is well-knownbecause Pascal Paoli...
Mm-hmm
... is even, is at leastas famous as Napoleon.
Well...
Pascal Paoli was the first to thinkabout independence of Corsica...
(13:32):
Yeah
... against the French.
Right.
And, let's say, hecouldn't beat the French.
What he did, he asked the Englishto come and help him in Corsica.
So they had battles, Corsicanand the English against France.
It's amazing.
Mm-hmm.
And I think you all know TrafalgarSquare in London, there is a column,
(13:56):
and at the top, there is a man.
Mm-hmm.
It's Admiral Nelson.
Nelson was the worst enemyof Napoleon on the sea.
And Nelson lost his eye in Calvi,
Oh!
... in a battle.
Wow.
So if you look at Nelson pictures,you see he misses an eye.
So Corte is famous for this.
(14:17):
And then from Corte to Ajaccio, wetake the train through the mountains.
Corsican people are peoplefrom the mountains first.
Uh-huh.
So it's very important.
Small villages wherethey stay all their life.
So with the train, we cross themountains, beautiful landscape and
sceneries, and arrive in Ajaccio.
(14:40):
There we spend a day, so it'smainly history of Napoleon.
In Ajaccio, everything is Napoleon,square, streets, boulevard, fountain.
You can see him everywhere.
Yes.
... Okay?
So everybody knows him.
And then we go to the South to Bonifacio.
Yeah.
Bonifacio is, I think it'sprobably unique in the world.
(15:05):
Bonifacio is built on whitecliffs, top of the rock.
There we stay two days.
In front of Bonifacio, there is Sardinia.
Well, when you are inBonifacio, you can see Sardinia.
And there are boats thatcrosses the channel.
It's like 40 minutes, 45 minutes on theboat to go to Sardinia, which is Italian.
(15:26):
Bonifacio, we visit the old city.
And something new, okay, if thetour stops in Bonifacio, people
take a flight to go back wherever.
Yeah.
Paris, or Nice, or... and carry ontheir vacation, or go back home.
One, two, three, four,four airports in Corsica.
(15:48):
Something new for next year,there is an extension to Sardinia
if people want to carry on.
Mm-hmm.
But that's another thing,the topic today is Corsica.
It sounds like your tours are pretty long,like it's eight, nine days or something?
Yes.
And you move on every night,except for a couple of places
(16:09):
where you stay two nights?
True.
I know it's a... it's a lot.
I know it's a lot.
It can be longer but usually,people don't have that much time.
Right.
So I will do this next year.
I've got a group booked already.
Yeah.
I know them.
So I know they don'tmind about this rhythm.
Yes.
(16:30):
To change places everyday or every other day.
But it can be longer or shorter.
If it's shorter, we doonly one part, of course.
Right.
Right.
Because many windy roads,so it takes time to drive.
See, that's the thing.
I do something similar with thebootcamp where we spend 10 days, but
(16:52):
it's always a problem because thereare so many places we'd like to go,
but it takes too long to drive there.
And then you don't have enoughtime to... once you get there.
Like for example, I would like for theboot camp to go to Bordeaux, but you know,
if you spend five hours in thecar really to get there and back,
(17:14):
you don't have that long there.
Like you'd have to spend an overnight.
That's always a problem with when youdo tours is how often do you move on.
Like, if you want to stay put, sleepin the same place, then you end up
spending a lot of time in the car.
And if you move on...
That's what I do in Provence.
Right.
In Provence, we have a base.
(17:34):
Let's say everybodystays in Aix-en-Provence-
Yeah.
... or Avignon as a base.
And from there, we go to Pont duGard, we go to lavender fields, we
go to Luberon, we... So it's easier.
Right.
Corsica, you know, 50 kilometersdoesn't mean half hour.
It can mean an hour.
Yes.
(17:54):
Especially when two Corsican friendsmeet, they stop on the road and chat.
And you'd better shut up because, howdo you say 'susceptible' in English?
They are prickly.
Prickly?
Prickly, yeah.
You just wait, they seeyou, and then you carry on.
Yeah.
Yeah.
(18:16):
You know, they can be nervous.
Yes.
Hot blood, you know, Corsican people.
When you do these tours with, howmany people can you take in your van?
Seven.
You can take seven people in your van.
Okay.
So that's... that's the maximum.
You've never done thiswith like a big bus, right?
No, and I won't do... InCorsica, I won't do it.
(18:37):
Uh-huh.
Because a big bus... ifI have carsick people,
we have to stop somewhere.
Yeah, and you can't.
And for example, the Piana calanque,the road is so narrow, it's complicated.
Yeah.
Whereas with my minivan, I canstop and people can go out and
(18:58):
do whatever they need to do.
Which happened to me already.
I had a couple from Americaabout, wow, 10 years ago.
She was carsick, so Ihad to stop few times.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We had this problem with... when we dothe bootcamp, we put the people who have
a tendency, in the very front of the bus.
(19:20):
But we normally don'thave very many, you know.
We normally have one ortwo, and that's... Yeah.
It's okay.
Yeah.
And usually, people know themselves.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
They do.
They know.
They can tell you.
So it's like, okay, twohours drive I can do.
One week, mm, no, I won't buy this tour.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's how it works.
And I always have homeopathytablets in the van, anyway.
(19:42):
Yes.
I use Cocculine.
Uh-huh.
That's very good for carsick.
Okay.
So I always have a box.
I'll stop at the pharmacy.
How very French of you.
Very good.
Very good.
So these are the places youwould say people could go.
Obviously, I mean, we'd love for people,for listeners to buy your tour, but they
(20:03):
can also do this by themselves becausethere are... I mean, Corsica is a place
where you have a lot of visitors...
Oh, yes.
Oh, yes.
... you can book your ownhotels, your own restaurants.
And in high season, when would yousay high season is for Corsica?
June, July, August.
Okay.
September, no?
(20:24):
September, much less.
People are back to work, kids are backto school, and the weather is fantastic.
Right.
But I would recommend October.
Yeah.
Why?
Because it's less hot.
Almost no tourists.
You can still swim a little, likelate September, early October.
(20:45):
Blue sky, beginning of the fall.
Perfect.
Yeah.
Perfect.
Lac de Cote dAzur, October is great.
Yes.
But I know most people, they taketheir vacation in the summer, and
Corsica is crowded in the summer.
Yes, it's crowded in the summer.
And it's also very hot.
Yes.
Though it's an island, there is wind.
(21:06):
But oh yeah, it's hot.
Yeah.
It's hot.... and it won't getcooler with the global warming.
No, it's not.
So, Corsica is famous forits agriculture as well.
They have a lot of citrus.
They can grow citrusquite well in Corsica.
Yes, oranges, mandarins, clementine.
(21:27):
And I don't know theword in English, cedrat.
Mm, I don't know what that is either.
Cedrat.
Oh, maybe we'll have tolook on the dictionary.
Cedrat only grows in Corsica.
It's like a lemon, butthe taste is different.
It's more sugary.
And with cedrat, they makea liqueur called Cedratine.
(21:48):
Ah.
Delicious.
And pate de fruit, theyuse it for cooking as well.
So cedrat, C-E-D-R-A-T.
Yeah, it looks like alemon with bumps on it.
Uh-huh.
That's interesting.
So they use it, mainly the liqueur.
Aha.
(22:08):
Ooh, that's going to make somegood, like, limoncello type of...
Very different.
Very different, okay.
Yeah, very different.
And of course, so many specialties.
Yes.
So many.
Charcuterie, number one.
Yeah.
Oh, the charcuterie.
The most famous is the figatelli.
The figatelli is a sausage you bakein the oven for about 15 minutes.
(22:33):
It's made out of liver, pork liver.
Oh.
And now, it's the time where theymake the figatelli, in winter.
Okay.
So it's the right time to buyand eat figatelli, wintertime.
Hmm.
In summer, it's dry, it's...We say in Corsica, "Figatelli
(22:54):
in summer it's for tourists."
Yeah.
So many ham, prosciutto,people will understand that.
Yeah.
But very different from Italy.
More salty and more pepper.
So lots of charcuterie.
And the famous goat cheese called Brocciu.
(23:16):
Mm-hmm.
The Brocciu is a white cheese madewith goat or cow... no, goat or
ewe milk, female sheep, brebis.
And this is used in cooking.
Mm-hmm.
For example, stuffed, stuffedcannelloni with Brocciu and truffles.
Oh yeah, that's a killer.
Stuffed trout with Brocciu.
(23:38):
Or dessert, the famous fiadone.
A fiadone is like a cheesecake,but made with this cheese.
Aha.
It's homemade usually.
You don't have big industries in Corsica.
Okay.
So the Brocciu would come from a localfarm where they have goats and sheep.
And those animals are free,you know, in the country.
(24:01):
Wine, of course.
And the grapes they use in Corsicaare a little different from
Provence or Bordeaux or Bourgogne.
One of the most famousgrapes is vermentino.
Vermentino, used for mainly white wine.
It's an Italian grape, grows in Corsica.
We use it in France as well,but we change the name.
(24:24):
It's Rolle.
Very good wine, not too dry.
Excellent.
And fabulous rosé.
Yeah.
Fabulous rosé.
And also, chestnut flower.
Aha.
I mentioned the mountains.
When we go from Corte to Ajaccio inthe mountains, lots of chestnut trees.
(24:44):
Chestnut flower, I remember mygrandmother and mother, they used to make
chestnut-flower beignet, like pancake.
Mm.
They make a beer with chestnut as well.
They make cookies, biscuit.
So very important, chestnut, everywhere.
And also, in France, I don't know if theydo this in Corsica, but in France, you
(25:05):
take chestnuts and pork and you make abeautiful stuffing with chestnut and pork.
Yeah, like for Christmas.
Yeah.
We do this inside the turkey.
Yes, yes.
La dinde aux marrons.
Yes, Yes.
It's delicious.
Well, You live in Southwest, huh?
Yes.
(25:25):
Famous for cuisine.
We like to eat.
And I like to eat a littletoo much, as a matter of fact.
Yeah, well, it's not that light,but you know, once in a while.
Yes.
So I assume that in your tour, you takepeople to very nice restaurants all along.
Mm-hmm.
Is it all in... like, doyou... So how does it work?
Do you charge for the whole package,which includes meals and hotels?
(25:49):
How do you work that out?
Okay, it depends, but, you know, Annie,almost all my customers are American.
Yeah.
... so they don't know Corsica at all.
Yeah.
So, I send them theitinerary with everything.
The ferry, hotels, restaurants.
I book everything as well, sothey have nothing to worry about.
(26:13):
And in the package, everythingis included except meals.
Okay.
Breakfast is included, hotelroom, my service, transportation,
ferry boat, blah, blah, blah.
And lunch and dinner... So lunch,usually I share lunch with them.
Yeah.
We carry on talking about everythingand, you know, I translate the
(26:35):
menu, the dishes, I explain.
Dinner, they are on their own.
Uh-huh.
We say goodbye, bye 5:00, 6:00 PM.
I drop them at the hotel.
They do whatever they want,and we meet again next morning.
Yes.
So, yeah, everything is booked.
Everything.
That's really good.
Unless they have something particularthey want to see, so I adapt, I'm very
(27:00):
flexible, like this group in June,they wanted to go to two or three
restaurants they saw on the internet.
Yeah.
And I said, "Sure, no problem."
Yeah.
Were they any good?
Oh, yeah.
They were good?
Okay.
That's the one I mention on the...
With the view from the...
Yes.
So you can mention thosetwo restaurants, huh?
(27:20):
Scalini in Sant'Antoninoand La Salsa in Nonza.
It's not only the food, butit's the... the scenery.
You sit here and... yeah, speechless.
Yeah.
Yeah.
In general, is Corsica expensive?
More expensive than the Rivieraor is it about the same?
Same.
(27:40):
Okay.
I would... No, I'd say a bit more.
A bit more?
Okay.
I'd say a bit more.
Like, for example, gas is more expensive,food, yeah, a bit more, by let's say, 10%.
Yeah.
Cigarettes are less expensive,but I don't know why.
Yeah.
Hm.
That doesn't do me any good.
Most of your customersprobably don't smoke anyway.
(28:02):
They don't.
Right.
Right.
Yes.
So islands are typically a littlebit more expensive than mainland, but
10% more is not anything, you know.
I mean, there's some French islandswhere it's like 40-50% more, so...
Ah, yeah.
St. Barts or Tahiti or...
Yeah.
Guadeloupe even, is quite a bit moreexpensive, food is more expensive.
(28:24):
So Corsica, it's about thesame or just a little bit more,
perhaps Paris prices then.
But you have all kinds of... you know,you have all kinds of hotels, all kind
of restaurants, many, many campsites.
Uh-huh.
Well, French people love tocamp, so I'm not surprised.
Yes.
And Germans too.
And the Germans too.
They come camping, yeah.
(28:45):
In the summer, oh, myGod, you see many campers.
From Holland, from Germany,from Belgium, from Switzerland.
Or, the Germans are well knownto ride their big motorbikes.
Uh-huh.
With a backpack, and theygo all around Corsica.
Yeah.
Now, we should say that Corsica,you cannot do without a car
(29:09):
or a vehicle of some sort.
You have to have wheels.
No way.
So you do one, one section of yourtrip on the train because I assume
the train ride is very scenic.
Yeah, but very limited.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, really, for a place like Corsica,you need a car or a motorcycle.
Bicycle, I'm not sure,it's got to be very hilly.
(29:31):
Ooh.
Yes, possible if you're fit.
Yeah, if you're very fit.
If you're very fit, if youcan slalom between tour buses,
tourists, locals, yeah, good luck.
Yeah, yeah.
Good luck.
Or maybe what I would recommendfor those who's going to listen
this podcast, you choose a base.
(29:53):
Like, I don't know, you choose Calvi.
You rent an apartment or ahotel for three, four, five
days and you go around Calvi.
There's so much to see.
My philosophy has alwaysbeen to do less, but well.
Mm-hmm.
But this trip I'mlaunching now, is not this.
We have to do a lot in a week, eight days.
(30:15):
But I'm flexible.
You know, I'm going to try thisbecause I know those people.
They were with me in June this year inProvence, and we moved almost every day.
It's their style of traveling.
Yes.
You know, they are retired.
Their hobby is to travel.
That's all they do.
Yeah, so they have plenty of time.
But it can be less, of course.
Yeah.
Yeah.
(30:35):
... Which I prefer.
I'm of two minds when it comes to travel.
You know, do you stay put for a few days?
I tend to like staying put for a few days,personally, because I sleep much better
if I go back to the same bed every night.
But you want to cover a lot ofground, then you just have to move on.
That's just how it is, you know?
And that's the point of traveling,but, you know, it depends on people.
(31:00):
Yeah
Once again, I'm so flexible, if they tellme, "Oh my God, too much driving, Jeff.
Can we do less?" And, "Yes."
Same amount of time, still abouteight days, but we do less.
Especially in the summer,if they are beach people.
"Okay, let's have a beachday, to relax, to do nothing.
(31:21):
That's part of being on holidays aswell, "Let's do nothing today, guys.
Ah, let's go to the beach, have lunch,a nice cocktail by..." and that's it.
Yeah, fine.
I bet in Corsica, you could also havelike a day when you go visit wineries.
And I assume that if people are not doingthis with you, they can go to the local
(31:44):
tourist office and find a tour guidewho will take them around to wineries.
Or just go to the winery without booking.
Oh, you can do that in Corsica?
Yeah, yeah.
High season, hmm, maybe not.
But you can easily stop in awinery and say, "We'd like to taste
something," and it's usually free.
Yeah.
(32:04):
In return, you buy some bottles.
Yes.
Right, so that's like in the Southwest.
Yes, Provence, same.
Yeah.
I mean, typically, now more and more,there are places where they say, you
know, there's a small fee because theyhave to reserve... You know, especially
if I show up with a group in a bus.
When you go to a winery for ainformal tasting, you would taste
(32:26):
one white, one rosé, one red.
For free.
That's it.
Yes.
For my customers, I book wineriesbecause it's at least... Well, usually
it's between six and nine wines.
Yeah.
So the guy there or the lady takes time.
Like, two white, tworosés, two or three red.
(32:47):
And in Corsica theymake a delicious Muscat.
Aha.
Muscat is a sweet wine.
Yeah.
Okay, so their Muscat is sweet.
So that's seven.
You know, with a snack ortapenade or cheese or charcuterie.
So for this, yeah, I always, always book.
You book it and you pay a fee.
(33:08):
And we have someone with us.
And sometimes if it's possible,we may have lunch in the winery.
Mm.
I do this in Provence, withthe same chateau for years.
Wine tasting, visit and lunch, same place.
In Corsica, I have to check.
Yeah.
Because it's great tohave lunch in a winery.
Yes, yes, if they canarrange it, it's very nice.
(33:29):
And I've tried to send people yourway for tours in Provence, and
sometimes you're booked already.
Well, this episode was popular.
Thank you, again, Annie.
I had many people contactingme, " Oh, we heard you on Annie's
podcast." And I took them.
Yeah, that's great.
I took them to the lavenderfields and great experience.
(33:52):
Yes.
Great.
Even now 10 years later.
Yes.
Well, that's the great thing abouttravel podcasts, is that it doesn't
really go... I mean, it doesn't go stale.
Like, you know, in 10 yearswe'll still have lavender fields.
Yes and no.
Oh, maybe not?
Do tell.
Yes and no.
Last summer, okay, it's not aboutCorsica, but it's interesting for
people, because of global warming,it's warmer and warmer every year.
(34:17):
So the harvest is earlier than before.
Yes.
So I was there, I forgot, 15or 16 of July, and maybe half
of the fields were cut already.
So I used to say mid-June to mid-July.
Now I say mid-June tolet's say, 10th of July.
(34:38):
If they want to see allthe fields still in bloom.
And sunflowers.
Yes.
Second reason, local agricultures,local farmers, they don't make a
good living with lavender anymore.
Ah.
So they change crops, so nowit's more wheat than before.
So, less lavender.
(34:59):
Or they let the land with nothing.
Fallow.
Ah, the word I was looking for ages.
Fallow.
Ah, en jachère.
Oh, okay.
Jachère, fallow.
Thank you.
Okay.
So we arrive and there's nothing, butI explain and they understand, huh?
The soil needs rest for about a year.
(35:22):
This is something I've explained topeople on the podcast many times.
It is agriculture, therefore thisis not like a... I mean, it's become
a tourist attraction going to thelavender fields, but it's agriculture.
The other thing that happens, when I wasthere last summer and I drove around a lot
of these places just to see for myself.
Well, what I could see is that a lotof them were not weeded very carefully
(35:47):
anymore because they don't sprayRoundup on a lot of these fields.
And so you have lavender fields withhuge weeds in the middle, and people
are like, "Oh, it's..." I'm like, "Yeah,well, if you don't spray Roundup, that's
what's going to happen." They're notgoing to hand-weed the field, you know?
The machines later cantake care of the weeds.
(36:08):
And next to this one, there is awell-manicured field, and it means they
still work and make a living on this.
Yes.
If they have weeds everywhere,it means they gave up.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So there is still lavender this yearwith weeds, maybe next year less,
and in two years, psht, nothing.
Right, because lavender willcome back year after year even
(36:29):
if you don't do much with it.
Yeah, and there is somecompetition from, I forgot which
country now produces lavender.
Anyway, but.
Right.
So no lavender in Corsica.
It's not their specialties.
Right, no.
No, but they have a lot ofcitrus, they have a lot of fruit.
Oh, yes!
They grow avocados.
On the East Coast.
(36:50):
The East Coast is flat.
Uh-huh.
... So it's great for agriculture.
Yeah.
The West Coast is rocks, windy roads,so no, you can't plant anything.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Agriculture is the East Coast,which I don't take people because
there's nothing to do there.
Right.
No, it's fields, fields, flat, nothing.
(37:13):
And an Air Force base.
That's all.
And an Air Force base.
I mentioned... I forgot to say, in Calvithere is a big Foreign Legion camp.
Ah.
Big.
One of the biggest inFrance, Foreign Legion.
Ah.
Cool.
Legionnaires are usuallyvery interesting people.
The only ones I've ever talked to werevery nice, very respectful, really trying
(37:36):
to be good representatives of their...
I agree.
Yeah.
I agree.
You know, as I said before, theyare very proud people, so they're
happy to show their culture, theirfood, their wine, their manners,
and a great sense of hospitality.
Even if at the first sight,ugh, it may look like ice.
(37:58):
Yeah.
Go further, in French we saythey would give you their shirt.
Yes.
But you have to talk to them.
You have to talk to them.
And this is true in all of France.
Just talk to people and be nice, be kind.
Don't be demanding.
Demanding never works in France.
Exactly.
When you go to a shop, say,"Bonjour," even if you don't speak
(38:19):
the language, at least, "Bonjour.
Merci.
Au revoir."
That's all.
Yeah.
And people like this.
Yes.
They need tourism, of course, but-
Yeah, that was one question that I wantedto ask you, is what's the... I mean,
is tourism a major industry in Corsica,or are there other major industries?
(38:40):
Oh, yes.
Definitely.
I would say number one, likethe Cote d'Azur and Provence.
Uh-huh
... or France, anyway.
As you know, France is still thefirst visited country in the world.
Yes.
Corsica, yeah, I would say thatCorsica, tourism first, then fruits.
Yeah, and agriculture.
Like now, in our supermarkets now,we get the Corsican clementine.
(39:04):
Yes.
With the green leaves.
That's the time, winter.
Yes.
And I bought some yesterdayand they are delicious.
So I have a mandarin tree andI just harvested it today,
and it gave me tiny little...
Ah, lucky you.
It's just a year old.
They're very tiny littlemandarins, but they are delicious.
Delicious.
(39:24):
Yes, so tasty.
Yes.
But they're not big.
Next year, I will fertilize it better.
I mean, this year, I didn't want tofertilize it because this is something
that people don't know necessarily, butit... when you plant a fruit tree, it's
better not to fertilize it the first year.
It has to establish itself by itself.
Yes.
And then you can helpit the years after that.
(39:44):
But just that first, leave it be.
Just, if it doesn't like the ground,it's not going to do well anyway.
So you might as well,you know-... let it be.
Growing is based on patience.
Yes, it is.
And right by my mandarin tree, Ihave a pomegranate tree that gave me
one fruit this year after 10 years.
(40:06):
It's been in the soil 10 years.
I bought it, it was like a foot talland now it's bigger, but it's still-
Pomegranate, yeah.
Yeah.
it's a slow-growing tree andso you have to give it time.
It takes years.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It takes years.
We have one at, as well.
And I wanted to before maybewe stop, I wanted to mention
(40:26):
the rich history of Corsica.
Yes.
Not today, and if people join us forthis trip, I will tell them, just one
thing because since the Greek, you know?
So how many weeks have you got, Annie,for this- ... for our Corsican history?
I think many people knowthe French connection.
Started in Marsaille.
(40:47):
With the Greeks.
Yes.
Okay.
Gangsters.
Yeah.
Drugs.
Oh, the French connection.
That French connection.
Yes.
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
It's not that glamorous, butthe French connection started in
Marseille with two Corsican brothers.
The mafia is pretty big or was pretty big.
Let's say was.
(41:07):
The mafia was pretty big inCorsica so those two brothers
went to Marsaille, they were poorand they started the whole thing.
And then it becomes huge, internationaltraffic, blah, blah, blah.
But it was
two guys, two guys from Corsica.
Yeah.
The protection industry,let's put it that way.
Oh, yes.
(41:28):
I'll protect you for a cut.
Exactly.
That's a good summary.
That's how it works.
Anyway, Corsica is a beautiful country.
It's a beautiful place.
Well, it's France, so obviouslyit's not its own country.
So do you think, just in closing, doyou think they will ever be independent?
(41:48):
Do they really want that?
Of course not.
Okay.
You know, when we were kids, we used tospend all summers at my grandmother's.
Uh-huh.
And already in the '70s, itwas them already bombing villas
or bombing non-Corsican peoplevillas, blah, blah, blah.
Yeah.
But like in the Basque Country,for example, there has always been
(42:11):
this spirit of being independent.
You know, since the 17thcentury or even before.
But what would they do without France?
Yeah.
Forget it.
Some mandarins, and lemons,and charcuterie and what?
Plus the EU.
You know, the EU, the agriculturepolicy sends lots of subsidies,
(42:31):
money to Corsican farmers, as well.
And, you know those guys whobombed whatever, gendarmerie
or villas or there were what?
200 or 300 or 400 people?
Yeah.
But, now it's gone.
Now it's gone.
It's like Ireland or Basque Country and...
Oh, I forgot to mentionthe Corsican songs.
(42:54):
Aha.
They sing.
It's only men.
They sing a cappella with no music.
That's very famous.
Yes.
So it's like Basque singing kind of.
Exactement.
Yeah.
It sounds a bit like that.
It's a lot of men and it's very
loud.
It is.
It is.
So yeah, well, it's very well known.
(43:17):
And they sing in Corsican language.
Lots to discover.
Yeah.
Lots to discover in Corsica.
They love their language as well.
Very good.
All right, well, Jeff,it's been a pleasure.
For me too.
I hope that you have a wonderful timetaking people around Corsica, going
forward and also around Provencebecause that's where you're based
(43:38):
and that's where you do most of yourbusiness, I assume you spend most
of your time in Provence anyway.
Always a pleasure to welcomeanyone and share, you know, share
my heart and my passion and myroots in Provence and Corsica.
Wonderful.
Merci beaucoup, Jean-François.
Merci, Annie.
Take care.
Au revoir.
(44:03):
Again, I want to thank my patrons forgiving back and supporting the show.
Patrons get several exclusiverewards for doing that, you can
see them at patreon.com/joinus.
And special shout out this week tomy new Join Us in France champions,
Mary Ulrich, Pat Smith, Mary Jane,and Michael and Nancy Armstrong.
(44:30):
And thank you, Christine Cunningham,for editing your pledge up.
Would you join them too?
You can do it for as little as threebucks a month, as I said, and if
you can afford it, I would love you,to have you pledge more so you can
have access to more of the rewards.
And to support Elyse, goto patreon.com/elysart.
(44:53):
This week I had my Zoommeetings with patrons.
It's always wonderful chatting witheveryone, and thank you for joining me.
Somebody left this reviewof my tour this week.
So the first one is very nice, "I'vedone four of Annie's tours, I'm now
also a big fan, especially enjoyingher stories, The Man Who Walked
Through Walls, for example. Fabulous."
(45:16):
So here's a person who enjoysmy stories, and here's a
person who apparently does not.
So Anonymous says, "If you don't careabout actual history, and just want to
hear entertaining stories, it's a greattour, and Annie is a fantastic tour guide.
Annie gives directions, tellsyou how to find each point, and
shares pictures so you can be sureyou're looking at the right thing.
(45:39):
The quality of the soundis excellent as well.
The portion about Notre-Dame coversthe three doorways and discusses, in
some detail, a few of the carvings.
If you care about differentcarvings or statues, make sure
to Google before visiting."
Now, I have to say that this is thepart that hurts a little bit because I
do care about history very, very much.
(46:03):
I suppose maybe this personwould have liked it better if I
had started the tour like this.
"Notre-Dame de Paris is a Gothiccathedral located on the eastern half
of the Île de la Cité in Paris, France.
Construction began in 1163 underthe direction of Bishop Maurice de
Sully and continued for nearly twocenturies, with final modifications
(46:24):
completed in the mid-14th century.
The cathedral was built on the siteof an earlier Christian church, which
themselves replaced a Gallo-Romantemple dedicated to Jupiter."
Yes, I could have done that, but I decidedto go another route and, tell you the tale
of Pierre the stonemason at Notre-Dame.
(46:47):
The tale is based on very realhistorical facts, but that
was just lost on the reviewer.
Look, when you buy one of my tours, you'renot signing up for a college course.
You are signing up to enjoy a moment inParis with me, and I think that sharing
facts about a place only goes so far.
(47:10):
We remember stories.
That's what I think anyway.
That's my approach.
And yes, I give you the context,but I also help you connect with the
place emotionally, not with facts.
And then the reviewer goes on, "Theportion about Sainte-Chapelle gets
very Catholic, and you need to getout your Google." Again, the Google.
There is very close focus in just a coupleof panels." Actually, it's three of them.
(47:35):
"If you care about differentstained glass panels, make sure
to Google before visiting."
Okay.
Look, I don't talk about every stainedglass panel because there's 618 square
meters of glass surface, that's more than6,600 square feet at the Sainte-Chapelle.
They illustrate 1,100 biblical scenes.
(47:56):
You could study this forever.
I picked three because my goal is to helpyou notice what matters most, as I see
it, and walk away understanding why itmatters, not be overwhelmed with detail,
it's about experiencing the place, andyou have time to be quiet and look around.
And is it too Catholic?
Well, yeah.
(48:17):
King Louis IX of Francewas a hyper Catholic.
That was his whole motivationfor building the Sainte-Chapelle.
There's no escaping that.
I want you to understand hismindset and the context of his
work because I think it matters.
And then moving on to the nextportion of this sad review.
" The portion covering the Conciergerieis my least favorite because it
(48:38):
almost fully focuses on the Revolutionand basically ignores the ancient
history of this royal palace or whyit was repurposed so many times.
This is a good audio tour, butit's well-made and orients you
for these three major attractions.
I suggest listening to it at home as astarting point to figuring out why you
(48:59):
plan to visit these locations and whatyou hope to get out of that visit."
Have a good trip," blah, blah, blah.
Okay, I wrote another whole VoiceMap tourcalled Ile de la Cité that goes exactly
into the history of the palace, andwhy it changed attributions over time.
I probably should'vesaid that in the tour.
(49:19):
I probably should've said, "Oh, and ifyou're missing the bit about the history
of the palace per se, get my other tour."
You know, I can't possiblysay everything in those tours.
They are long enough as it is.
When I write my audio tours, I haveto decide what to concentrate on.
They're not comprehensive, nor do Iwant to give you a history lecture.
(49:42):
Now, if I had said things that wereinaccurate or misleading, the charge
that my tours are not for people whocare about history would be correct.
But I didn't say anything that wasinaccurate or misleading in my tour.
He just doesn't like the factthat I didn't concentrate on
the things that he was after.
Well, you have the Google, okay?
(50:02):
So here's where I need you, becausethe only way to counteract a negative
review, especially when it's thefirst one, is to add more reviews.
So if you've taken my latest tour,Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, and
the Conciergerie, please take aminute to leave your own review.
If you're not going to Parisfor a while, but you've bought
(50:23):
the tour, listen to it at home.
Even this reviewer says thatit's a good way to prepare your
trip to listen to this tour.
"It didn't say the things he wanted meto say, but it's good preparation." And
when you get to the end of the tour, it'llask you if you want to leave a review.
Doesn't have to be long or fancy.
Just say what you liked, what youlearned, how it helps you enjoy the visit.
(50:45):
Each review helps future travelers knowwhat to expect, and gives a much more
accurate picture of the experience.
And you'll be helping me out alot, too, so thank you in advance.
And if you don't have this new touryet, let me remind you that podcast
listeners get a big discount forbuying these tours from my website.
It's best for me as well, because I getto keep more of what you pay instead
(51:09):
of giving it to Apple or Google.
But if you buy directly from my boutique,it's a manual process, so don't expect
it to be instant like it would be ifyou are buying directly from the app.
But most of you listening to meright now plan their trips at least
a few days in advance, some of you,it's more like a few months, right?
So you're probably not in such a big rush.
(51:30):
Once you've bought the codes from me, touse them, open VoiceMap, on the bottom
right, it says, "Tour codes." Tap onit, enter the code, download the tour.
And this is a digitalproduct that you own forever.
Even if you change phones, for example,log into your VoiceMap account,
and you can download all of thetours that you own again, forever.
(51:53):
Say, if I update a tour becauseI decide it's a good idea to talk
about my Île de la Cité tour atthe end of the Notre-Dame tour.
Okay.
I might just add one sentence,but you could get that
updated whenever you're ready.
And best of all, those of you who can'tgo to Paris as often as you'd like,
you can listen in virtual playbackfrom anywhere in the world, and
(52:16):
you can see the map and the photos.
I would like you to think about thesetours like walking around Paris with
your French friend, a friend wholoves history, despite what this guy
says, also architecture and art, andcannot wait to share it with you.
You can take me in yourpocket with my VoiceMap tours.
The other thing you can do isplan an itinerary with my help.
(52:37):
It's a busy time for me with theseconsults, so book your spot soon by
going to joinusinfrance.com/boutique.
And there's two levels of itineraryplanning, either one could work for you,
you know, right now, it's very, very busy.
So there you go.
Foire du Trône.
Okay, so from April 4th to June 9th in2025, the Foire du Trône is back in Paris
(53:04):
on the Pelouse de Reuilly, and it's a fun,festive tradition that you won't want to
miss if you're in the city this spring.
This is actually one of theoldest fun fairs in France.
It dates back to the 12th century whenit started as a religious gathering
near the Abbey of Saint-Antoine.
The name Foire du Trône comes froma statue of Christ on a throne.
(53:28):
Trône in French, means throne.
And that statue was displayed nearby.
Over time, the religious aspectfaded and the event evolved into the
full-blown fun fair that we know today.
It's now held in the 12th Arrondissement.
The fair features nearly350 rides and attractions.
(53:50):
Entry is free, and you onlypay for the rides or games
that you should choose to try.
So whether you like high-speedthrills or looking for something
family-friendly, it's all there.
Plus, the usual carnival food, ofcourse, the lights, the music that
make the atmosphere so lively.
It's usually a very fun, local experience,and history, and energy, and a great
(54:15):
way to see another side of Paris.
Let's talk about the May holidays inFrance, because if you're planning
to visit, you'll want to know aboutthe bank holidays, or Jours Fériés,
that pop up throughout the month.
May is kind of famous in France forhaving lots of days off, and when you
have days off, usually you add one beforeor after and that makes a bridge, un
(54:39):
pont, and we have three of them in May.
It can definitely impact yourtravel plans, but are we sorry
that we take so many days off?
No, not one bit.
We are very much attachedto the tradition.
Here are the key days for 2025.
So Thursday, May 1st isLabor Day, Fete du Travail.
(55:02):
This is a big one.
Almost everything shuts down,museums, shops, government
offices, even some restaurants.
It's one of the only days whenpublic transportation may run
on a reduced or Sunday schedule.
In most of France, there is zeropublic transportation on May 1st.
(55:24):
In Paris, they just runon a reduced schedule.
So this is the day that you haveto decide what you're going to
do without public transportationand near where you are staying.
Thursday, May 8th is Victory in EuropeDay, so La Victoire de 1945, commemorating
(55:45):
the end of World War II in Europe.
There are some closures,but it's more hit or miss.
Many museums and attractions are open.
We also have Thursday, May 29th,that's Ascension Day, L'Ascension,
it's a religious holiday.
A lot of places close andmany French people take a long
(56:05):
weekend by adding the Friday off.
But did you notice, all of them areon Thursdays, so most people they're
going to have Thursday off and they'regoing to take Friday off, and then it
gives them a four-day weekend, a pont.
And don't forget Pentecost Monday, that'son June 9th, so that's next month, but
it's also a holiday in some regionsand professions, but not everywhere.
(56:29):
So what does that meanfor you as a visitor?
So you'll find restaurants open in touristareas, but expect many small shops, banks,
pharmacies, and offices to be closed.
Museums vary.
Double check on their website.
And if you're renting a car or usingpublic transportation, plan ahead,
(56:49):
services might be reduced or fully booked.
Long story short, May is a beautiful timeto be in France, but a little planning
will save you a lot of headaches,and expect crowds everywhere, okay?
Because everybody isout for those holidays.
Many thanks to podcast editors Anneand Christian Cotovan who produced
the audio and the transcripts.
(57:11):
Next week on the podcast, an episodeabout a scenic journey from Montpellier
to Toulouse with Craig Anderson.
Thank you so much for listening andI hope you join me next time so we
can look around France together.
Au revoir!
The Join Us in France travelpodcast is written, hosted, and
produced by Annie Sargent, andCopyright 2025 by AddictedToFrance.
(57:35):
It is released under a CreativeCommons attribution, non-commercial,
no derivatives license.
This is Join Us in France episode541, cinq cent quarante et un.
Bonjour, I'm Annie Sargent and Join Usin France is the podcast where we take
a conversational journey through thebeauty, culture, and flavors of France.
Today, I bring you a conversationwith Jean-François Sénéchal about
the enchanting island of Corsica.
(00:38):
Discover the rich culture, breathtakinglandscapes, and hidden gems of
this Mediterranean paradise throughthe eyes of a seasoned tour guide.
From ancient history to mouthwateringcuisine, you won't want to miss the
insider stories and travel tips thatmake Corsica a must visit destination.
(00:59):
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(01:21):
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For the magazine part of the podcast,after my chat with Jean-François
today, I'll discuss la Foire du Trône.
(01:41):
The Fair of the Throne you say?
Yes, I will explain.
And also, let's talk about theholidays coming up in May in
France, and also a VoiceMapreview that makes me a little sad.
(02:05):
Bonjour, Jean-François Sénéchal,and welcome to Join Us in France.
Bonjour, Annie.
Such a pleasure to be back.
Yes, welcome back.
You were on the podcast manymoons ago talking about Provence.
2015.
Wow.
Almost 10 years.
Yes.
Yes.
(02:25):
But today we're going to talkabout Corsica because even though
you live in... you live in Nice?
No, I live in Tourrettes-sur-Loup.
It's a small village near Vence.
Okay.
All right.
Between Grasse and Vence.
Okay.
One beautiful place,beautiful place, I'm sure.
(02:45):
But you are a tour guide, you havebeen a tour guide for many years.
And the first episode we recordedwas very popular because you
always have a lot to say.
So, today... ... today we're going totalk about what you do in Corsica.
And you were just telling me thatyou are originally from Corsica.
(03:06):
True.
So, the first reason why I decided todo tours in Corsica again, because I
did some long time ago, and I changedmy mind and did many other things,
is that yes, I've got Corsican blood.
Aha.
My mother was from Corsica,and my grandmother had a
(03:27):
hotel and restaurant in Calvi.
Aha.
Very beautiful Calvi,very nice town by the sea.
So my idea was to offer this tourin Corsica from, I would say,
my roots, my heart, my blood, tooffer a new region to my customers.
(03:49):
I, of course, still do Provence and theRiviera, but Corsica is so different.
It's like going to another country.
Uh-huh.
Though, the island is... Theisland is 180 kilometers from Nice.
Right.
The ferry boat takes aboutsix hours from Nice to Calvi.
(04:10):
And I noticed through my experiencethat many people, especially
Americans, have never been to Corsica.
They don't even know where
it is.
Well, some of them don't.
But I mean, it's famous in the...Because, I mean, Napoleon was born there.
He was born and raised there.
True.
(04:30):
True.
So that... it's a big deal.
Oh, yeah, it's a big deal.
Yes.
Going back and forth between France andItaly many times, just like many of these
islands in that area, when's the lasttime... when did it switch back to France?
Do you remember?
Yes.
France bought Corsica from Genoa in 1768.
(04:55):
So France was bought, andit was Louis XV back then.
So since Corsica has been French, finally.
Right.
But it was, yeah, it was Genoa Republicwas in Corsica for about four centuries.
Wow.
(05:15):
And before, the Romans were there, theEtruscs were there, the Greeks were there.
Strategic was the mainpoint of those people.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And when you think about the restof France, for example, a place like
Carcassonne in the South of France,became French in the 1200s, I think
it was 1252 or something like that.
(05:37):
So, Corsica is much sooner, you know.
I know 1750, whatever, sounds likea long time ago, but compared to the
rest of France, it's not that long.
Yes.
Oh, talking about Carcassonne, you know,my name Sénéchal, at that time, Middle
Ages, Carcassonne was ruled by a Sénéchal.
(05:58):
Aha.
Yes.
Yes.
It's a title, that's right.
It's a title.
Just like mine, aSergeant is also a title.
You... We are title people.
Ah, yes.
All right.
Okay.
So Corsica has a strong flavor of Italy.
I mean, it's really in between,I think, because the language
(06:21):
even sounds like Italian.
Yes.
Yes.
Okay.
First of all, never tella Corsican he's Italian.
Okay.
Never.
First, because Corsican people arevery proud of their culture, their
language, their foods, their islands.
But yes, you're right, in a way.
I still remember my grandmother speakingCorsican, and when she had Italian
(06:44):
clients in her hotel or restaurant,they could talk to each other.
Yeah.
And many names end with an I.
Yes.
Philipi, Rossi, Guidicelli.
So, yes, strong influence from,in fact, the Republic of Genoa.
Right.
And yet, its own thing.
(07:06):
As you know, ChristopherColumbus was born in Genoa.
Mm-hmm.
And he was in Corsica.
When I do the tour in Calvi, inthe fort, there is a monument
about Christopher Columbus.
So, yeah.
Okay, strong.
But Corsican culture is Corsican culture.
Yes.
(07:26):
So where, where does your tourtake people, and what would
you say are the highlights?
The places in Corsica thatpeople should not miss?
First of all, Corsica has everything.
Beaches, forest, river, high mountains.
So this diversity needs to be seen, Imean, we leave from the coast of France.
(07:49):
It's Nice or Toulon, take the ferry boat.
I put the van in the ferry.
We all go there.
I book everything.
And the trip I have in mind, whichis already booked in June next
year, we go from Toulon to Ajaccio.
And then we drive the coast, we drive thewestern coast, all the way up to Calvi.
(08:10):
But we stop in Piana, thefamous Calanque of Piana.
And in Porto, we take a boat for abouttwo or three hours and we visit the
cave, grotto, and all along the coast.
On the West Coast ofCorsica, the rocks are red.
The forest is green.
(08:30):
So it's pure nature.
Corsica is very wild.
Not like the Côte d'Azuror the Basque Coast.
That's true.
That's a big difference,because the Côte d'Azur is like
every millimeter is occupied.
I know, I live there.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Côte d'Azur has become a concrete jungle.
(08:51):
Mm-hmm.
You're not stopped from Monacoto Toulon, more or less.
Yes.
No, I agree.
It's striking.
When I drive from Toulouse to Nice, forexample, which I've done a few times.
It's a long drive butI've done it a few times.
The closer you get to the Riviera, themore it's like high density everything.
(09:12):
There's hardly any space forcars, or gardens or... I mean,
there are some very wealthy...
Or oxygen.
Yeah, yeah.
There are some people who arevery wealthy that have very big
gardens, beautiful, whatever.
Sure.
But it's very few.
Mostly it's very densely populatedapartments, short apartments, not big
(09:34):
towers, but lots and lots of density.
Yeah, luckily we have rules.
But anyway.
Yeah.
It is not the case in Corsica.
Right.
Corsican people and the localgovernment, the Territorial,
whatever, they preserve their country.
Mm-hmm.
So for example, for the last, Idon't know, 20 or 30 years, it is
(09:55):
forbidden to build anything by the sea.
Uh-huh.
So it's wild.
For example, you have wide beaches withno one, and you can see cows on the beach.
That, I've seen many times.
The area of Saint-Florent.
So then we arrive in Calvi.
We stay two nights in Calvi.
(10:17):
And from Calvi, we explore themagnificent uphill villages of Balagne.
Uh-huh.
Balagne is above Isle Rousse.
And there, I take, okay, let'ssee, three villages with stunning
views over the mountains on yourright and the sea on your left.
(10:37):
Mm-hmm.
Because the highest peakon Corsica is 2,700 meters.
All right, so that's quite a bit.
That's high.
Yes, yes.
The idea of a village is veryimportant for Corsican people.
Each Corsican comes from a village.
Mm-hmm.
They have a family house andthey have brothers, uncles,
(10:59):
grandparents, great-grandparents.
So each Corsican belongs to a village.
It's like an identity,very important for them.
And those villages, how would I say that?
You just walk around.
People say, "Bonjour." Yousit in a restaurant, eat
local specialties with a view.
You know, we have no stress.
(11:21):
Though Corsica, I said Americans usuallydon't know Corsica, but it's very
popular with the French and Europeans.
Yeah, very.
Example, the Germans, they love Corsica.
Mm-hmm.
The French, too.
For the French, it's likegoing to the Caribbean.
It's an island.
Yeah.
The water is turquoise, so clear.
(11:43):
Sandy beaches, endless beaches.
Yeah.
Not the case on the Côte d'Azur.
So we visit those villages.
And then we carry on to Saint-Florent.
Saint-Florent is thebeginning of the Cap Corse.
Saint Florent, go to the streetmarket, and then we have wine tasting.
Yeah, they make a lot of wine.
(12:05):
Yeah.
You know me by now, I'm a gourmet,wine lover, and gastronomy.
So we go to Patrimonio.
Patrimonio
is an area very well known for wine.
They do rosé, white and reds.
So wine tasting in Patrimonio.
Then we go to Nonzza, N-O-N-Z-Z-A.
(12:28):
Nonzza is a very special village onthe top of a rock, above the cliff.
And the beach there isblack because of volcano.
That's always strangeseeing a black beach.
I mean, I've seen a few.
Yes.
It's like, "Oh, weird."
So there, I know a restaurantwith a view, top of the rock.
(12:48):
It's just... breathtaking.
You are speechless when you are there.
Uh-huh.
Then all the way up to Cap Corse, ata point where Corsica is so narrow
that you can see East and West Coast.
Wow.
Same day, same time.
You just turn left and right.
Then we go to Corte inthe middle of the island.
(13:10):
Before, Corte was the capital of Corsica.
And there is a citadel, a fort.
And Corte is well-knownbecause Pascal Paoli...
Mm-hmm
... is even, is at leastas famous as Napoleon.
Well...
Pascal Paoli was the first to thinkabout independence of Corsica...
(13:32):
Yeah
... against the French.
Right.
And, let's say, hecouldn't beat the French.
What he did, he asked the Englishto come and help him in Corsica.
So they had battles, Corsicanand the English against France.
It's amazing.
Mm-hmm.
And I think you all know TrafalgarSquare in London, there is a column,
(13:56):
and at the top, there is a man.
Mm-hmm.
It's Admiral Nelson.
Nelson was the worst enemyof Napoleon on the sea.
And Nelson lost his eye in Calvi,
Oh!
... in a battle.
Wow.
So if you look at Nelson pictures,you see he misses an eye.
So Corte is famous for this.
(14:17):
And then from Corte to Ajaccio, wetake the train through the mountains.
Corsican people are peoplefrom the mountains first.
Uh-huh.
So it's very important.
Small villages wherethey stay all their life.
So with the train, we cross themountains, beautiful landscape and
sceneries, and arrive in Ajaccio.
(14:40):
There we spend a day, so it'smainly history of Napoleon.
In Ajaccio, everything is Napoleon,square, streets, boulevard, fountain.
You can see him everywhere.
Yes.
... Okay?
So everybody knows him.
And then we go to the South to Bonifacio.
Yeah.
Bonifacio is, I think it'sprobably unique in the world.
(15:05):
Bonifacio is built on whitecliffs, top of the rock.
There we stay two days.
In front of Bonifacio, there is Sardinia.
Well, when you are inBonifacio, you can see Sardinia.
And there are boats thatcrosses the channel.
It's like 40 minutes, 45 minutes on theboat to go to Sardinia, which is Italian.
(15:26):
Bonifacio, we visit the old city.
And something new, okay, if thetour stops in Bonifacio, people
take a flight to go back wherever.
Yeah.
Paris, or Nice, or... and carry ontheir vacation, or go back home.
One, two, three, four,four airports in Corsica.
(15:48):
Something new for next year,there is an extension to Sardinia
if people want to carry on.
Mm-hmm.
But that's another thing,the topic today is Corsica.
It sounds like your tours are pretty long,like it's eight, nine days or something?
Yes.
And you move on every night,except for a couple of places
(16:09):
where you stay two nights?
True.
I know it's a... it's a lot.
I know it's a lot.
It can be longer but usually,people don't have that much time.
Right.
So I will do this next year.
I've got a group booked already.
Yeah.
I know them.
So I know they don'tmind about this rhythm.
Yes.
(16:30):
To change places everyday or every other day.
But it can be longer or shorter.
If it's shorter, we doonly one part, of course.
Right.
Right.
Because many windy roads,so it takes time to drive.
See, that's the thing.
I do something similar with thebootcamp where we spend 10 days, but
(16:52):
it's always a problem because thereare so many places we'd like to go,
but it takes too long to drive there.
And then you don't have enoughtime to... once you get there.
Like for example, I would like for theboot camp to go to Bordeaux, but you know,
if you spend five hours in thecar really to get there and back,
(17:14):
you don't have that long there.
Like you'd have to spend an overnight.
That's always a problem with when youdo tours is how often do you move on.
Like, if you want to stay put, sleepin the same place, then you end up
spending a lot of time in the car.
And if you move on...
That's what I do in Provence.
Right.
In Provence, we have a base.
(17:34):
Let's say everybodystays in Aix-en-Provence-
Yeah.
... or Avignon as a base.
And from there, we go to Pont duGard, we go to lavender fields, we
go to Luberon, we... So it's easier.
Right.
Corsica, you know, 50 kilometersdoesn't mean half hour.
It can mean an hour.
Yes.
(17:54):
Especially when two Corsican friendsmeet, they stop on the road and chat.
And you'd better shut up because, howdo you say 'susceptible' in English?
They are prickly.
Prickly?
Prickly, yeah.
You just wait, they seeyou, and then you carry on.
Yeah.
Yeah.
(18:16):
You know, they can be nervous.
Yes.
Hot blood, you know, Corsican people.
When you do these tours with, howmany people can you take in your van?
Seven.
You can take seven people in your van.
Okay.
So that's... that's the maximum.
You've never done thiswith like a big bus, right?
No, and I won't do... InCorsica, I won't do it.
(18:37):
Uh-huh.
Because a big bus... ifI have carsick people,
we have to stop somewhere.
Yeah, and you can't.
And for example, the Piana calanque,the road is so narrow, it's complicated.
Yeah.
Whereas with my minivan, I canstop and people can go out and
(18:58):
do whatever they need to do.
Which happened to me already.
I had a couple from Americaabout, wow, 10 years ago.
She was carsick, so Ihad to stop few times.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We had this problem with... when we dothe bootcamp, we put the people who have
a tendency, in the very front of the bus.
(19:20):
But we normally don'thave very many, you know.
We normally have one ortwo, and that's... Yeah.
It's okay.
Yeah.
And usually, people know themselves.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
They do.
They know.
They can tell you.
So it's like, okay, twohours drive I can do.
One week, mm, no, I won't buy this tour.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's how it works.
And I always have homeopathytablets in the van, anyway.
(19:42):
Yes.
I use Cocculine.
Uh-huh.
That's very good for carsick.
Okay.
So I always have a box.
I'll stop at the pharmacy.
How very French of you.
Very good.
Very good.
So these are the places youwould say people could go.
Obviously, I mean, we'd love for people,for listeners to buy your tour, but they
(20:03):
can also do this by themselves becausethere are... I mean, Corsica is a place
where you have a lot of visitors...
Oh, yes.
Oh, yes.
... you can book your ownhotels, your own restaurants.
And in high season, when would yousay high season is for Corsica?
June, July, August.
Okay.
September, no?
(20:24):
September, much less.
People are back to work, kids are backto school, and the weather is fantastic.
Right.
But I would recommend October.
Yeah.
Why?
Because it's less hot.
Almost no tourists.
You can still swim a little, likelate September, early October.
(20:45):
Blue sky, beginning of the fall.
Perfect.
Yeah.
Perfect.
Lac de Cote dAzur, October is great.
Yes.
But I know most people, they taketheir vacation in the summer, and
Corsica is crowded in the summer.
Yes, it's crowded in the summer.
And it's also very hot.
Yes.
Though it's an island, there is wind.
(21:06):
But oh yeah, it's hot.
Yeah.
It's hot.... and it won't getcooler with the global warming.
No, it's not.
So, Corsica is famous forits agriculture as well.
They have a lot of citrus.
They can grow citrusquite well in Corsica.
Yes, oranges, mandarins, clementine.
(21:27):
And I don't know theword in English, cedrat.
Mm, I don't know what that is either.
Cedrat.
Oh, maybe we'll have tolook on the dictionary.
Cedrat only grows in Corsica.
It's like a lemon, butthe taste is different.
It's more sugary.
And with cedrat, they makea liqueur called Cedratine.
(21:48):
Ah.
Delicious.
And pate de fruit, theyuse it for cooking as well.
So cedrat, C-E-D-R-A-T.
Yeah, it looks like alemon with bumps on it.
Uh-huh.
That's interesting.
So they use it, mainly the liqueur.
Aha.
(22:08):
Ooh, that's going to make somegood, like, limoncello type of...
Very different.
Very different, okay.
Yeah, very different.
And of course, so many specialties.
Yes.
So many.
Charcuterie, number one.
Yeah.
Oh, the charcuterie.
The most famous is the figatelli.
The figatelli is a sausage you bakein the oven for about 15 minutes.
(22:33):
It's made out of liver, pork liver.
Oh.
And now, it's the time where theymake the figatelli, in winter.
Okay.
So it's the right time to buyand eat figatelli, wintertime.
Hmm.
In summer, it's dry, it's...We say in Corsica, "Figatelli
(22:54):
in summer it's for tourists."
Yeah.
So many ham, prosciutto,people will understand that.
Yeah.
But very different from Italy.
More salty and more pepper.
So lots of charcuterie.
And the famous goat cheese called Brocciu.
(23:16):
Mm-hmm.
The Brocciu is a white cheese madewith goat or cow... no, goat or
ewe milk, female sheep, brebis.
And this is used in cooking.
Mm-hmm.
For example, stuffed, stuffedcannelloni with Brocciu and truffles.
Oh yeah, that's a killer.
Stuffed trout with Brocciu.
(23:38):
Or dessert, the famous fiadone.
A fiadone is like a cheesecake,but made with this cheese.
Aha.
It's homemade usually.
You don't have big industries in Corsica.
Okay.
So the Brocciu would come from a localfarm where they have goats and sheep.
And those animals are free,you know, in the country.
(24:01):
Wine, of course.
And the grapes they use in Corsicaare a little different from
Provence or Bordeaux or Bourgogne.
One of the most famousgrapes is vermentino.
Vermentino, used for mainly white wine.
It's an Italian grape, grows in Corsica.
We use it in France as well,but we change the name.
(24:24):
It's Rolle.
Very good wine, not too dry.
Excellent.
And fabulous rosé.
Yeah.
Fabulous rosé.
And also, chestnut flower.
Aha.
I mentioned the mountains.
When we go from Corte to Ajaccio inthe mountains, lots of chestnut trees.
(24:44):
Chestnut flower, I remember mygrandmother and mother, they used to make
chestnut-flower beignet, like pancake.
Mm.
They make a beer with chestnut as well.
They make cookies, biscuit.
So very important, chestnut, everywhere.
And also, in France, I don't know if theydo this in Corsica, but in France, you
(25:05):
take chestnuts and pork and you make abeautiful stuffing with chestnut and pork.
Yeah, like for Christmas.
Yeah.
We do this inside the turkey.
Yes, yes.
La dinde aux marrons.
Yes, Yes.
It's delicious.
Well, You live in Southwest, huh?
Yes.
(25:25):
Famous for cuisine.
We like to eat.
And I like to eat a littletoo much, as a matter of fact.
Yeah, well, it's not that light,but you know, once in a while.
Yes.
So I assume that in your tour, you takepeople to very nice restaurants all along.
Mm-hmm.
Is it all in... like, doyou... So how does it work?
Do you charge for the whole package,which includes meals and hotels?
(25:49):
How do you work that out?
Okay, it depends, but, you know, Annie,almost all my customers are American.
Yeah.
... so they don't know Corsica at all.
Yeah.
So, I send them theitinerary with everything.
The ferry, hotels, restaurants.
I book everything as well, sothey have nothing to worry about.
(26:13):
And in the package, everythingis included except meals.
Okay.
Breakfast is included, hotelroom, my service, transportation,
ferry boat, blah, blah, blah.
And lunch and dinner... So lunch,usually I share lunch with them.
Yeah.
We carry on talking about everythingand, you know, I translate the
(26:35):
menu, the dishes, I explain.
Dinner, they are on their own.
Uh-huh.
We say goodbye, bye 5:00, 6:00 PM.
I drop them at the hotel.
They do whatever they want,and we meet again next morning.
Yes.
So, yeah, everything is booked.
Everything.
That's really good.
Unless they have something particularthey want to see, so I adapt, I'm very
(27:00):
flexible, like this group in June,they wanted to go to two or three
restaurants they saw on the internet.
Yeah.
And I said, "Sure, no problem."
Yeah.
Were they any good?
Oh, yeah.
They were good?
Okay.
That's the one I mention on the...
With the view from the...
Yes.
So you can mention thosetwo restaurants, huh?
(27:20):
Scalini in Sant'Antoninoand La Salsa in Nonza.
It's not only the food, butit's the... the scenery.
You sit here and... yeah, speechless.
Yeah.
Yeah.
In general, is Corsica expensive?
More expensive than the Rivieraor is it about the same?
Same.
(27:40):
Okay.
I would... No, I'd say a bit more.
A bit more?
Okay.
I'd say a bit more.
Like, for example, gas is more expensive,food, yeah, a bit more, by let's say, 10%.
Yeah.
Cigarettes are less expensive,but I don't know why.
Yeah.
Hm.
That doesn't do me any good.
Most of your customersprobably don't smoke anyway.
(28:02):
They don't.
Right.
Right.
Yes.
So islands are typically a littlebit more expensive than mainland, but
10% more is not anything, you know.
I mean, there's some French islandswhere it's like 40-50% more, so...
Ah, yeah.
St. Barts or Tahiti or...
Yeah.
Guadeloupe even, is quite a bit moreexpensive, food is more expensive.
(28:24):
So Corsica, it's about thesame or just a little bit more,
perhaps Paris prices then.
But you have all kinds of... you know,you have all kinds of hotels, all kind
of restaurants, many, many campsites.
Uh-huh.
Well, French people love tocamp, so I'm not surprised.
Yes.
And Germans too.
And the Germans too.
They come camping, yeah.
(28:45):
In the summer, oh, myGod, you see many campers.
From Holland, from Germany,from Belgium, from Switzerland.
Or, the Germans are well knownto ride their big motorbikes.
Uh-huh.
With a backpack, and theygo all around Corsica.
Yeah.
Now, we should say that Corsica,you cannot do without a car
(29:09):
or a vehicle of some sort.
You have to have wheels.
No way.
So you do one, one section of yourtrip on the train because I assume
the train ride is very scenic.
Yeah, but very limited.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, really, for a place like Corsica,you need a car or a motorcycle.
Bicycle, I'm not sure,it's got to be very hilly.
(29:31):
Ooh.
Yes, possible if you're fit.
Yeah, if you're very fit.
If you're very fit, if youcan slalom between tour buses,
tourists, locals, yeah, good luck.
Yeah, yeah.
Good luck.
Or maybe what I would recommendfor those who's going to listen
this podcast, you choose a base.
(29:53):
Like, I don't know, you choose Calvi.
You rent an apartment or ahotel for three, four, five
days and you go around Calvi.
There's so much to see.
My philosophy has alwaysbeen to do less, but well.
Mm-hmm.
But this trip I'mlaunching now, is not this.
We have to do a lot in a week, eight days.
(30:15):
But I'm flexible.
You know, I'm going to try thisbecause I know those people.
They were with me in June this year inProvence, and we moved almost every day.
It's their style of traveling.
Yes.
You know, they are retired.
Their hobby is to travel.
That's all they do.
Yeah, so they have plenty of time.
But it can be less, of course.
Yeah.
Yeah.
(30:35):
... Which I prefer.
I'm of two minds when it comes to travel.
You know, do you stay put for a few days?
I tend to like staying put for a few days,personally, because I sleep much better
if I go back to the same bed every night.
But you want to cover a lot ofground, then you just have to move on.
That's just how it is, you know?
And that's the point of traveling,but, you know, it depends on people.
(31:00):
Yeah
Once again, I'm so flexible, if they tellme, "Oh my God, too much driving, Jeff.
Can we do less?" And, "Yes."
Same amount of time, still abouteight days, but we do less.
Especially in the summer,if they are beach people.
"Okay, let's have a beachday, to relax, to do nothing.
(31:21):
That's part of being on holidays aswell, "Let's do nothing today, guys.
Ah, let's go to the beach, have lunch,a nice cocktail by..." and that's it.
Yeah, fine.
I bet in Corsica, you could also havelike a day when you go visit wineries.
And I assume that if people are not doingthis with you, they can go to the local
(31:44):
tourist office and find a tour guidewho will take them around to wineries.
Or just go to the winery without booking.
Oh, you can do that in Corsica?
Yeah, yeah.
High season, hmm, maybe not.
But you can easily stop in awinery and say, "We'd like to taste
something," and it's usually free.
Yeah.
(32:04):
In return, you buy some bottles.
Yes.
Right, so that's like in the Southwest.
Yes, Provence, same.
Yeah.
I mean, typically, now more and more,there are places where they say, you
know, there's a small fee because theyhave to reserve... You know, especially
if I show up with a group in a bus.
When you go to a winery for ainformal tasting, you would taste
(32:26):
one white, one rosé, one red.
For free.
That's it.
Yes.
For my customers, I book wineriesbecause it's at least... Well, usually
it's between six and nine wines.
Yeah.
So the guy there or the lady takes time.
Like, two white, tworosés, two or three red.
(32:47):
And in Corsica theymake a delicious Muscat.
Aha.
Muscat is a sweet wine.
Yeah.
Okay, so their Muscat is sweet.
So that's seven.
You know, with a snack ortapenade or cheese or charcuterie.
So for this, yeah, I always, always book.
You book it and you pay a fee.
(33:08):
And we have someone with us.
And sometimes if it's possible,we may have lunch in the winery.
Mm.
I do this in Provence, withthe same chateau for years.
Wine tasting, visit and lunch, same place.
In Corsica, I have to check.
Yeah.
Because it's great tohave lunch in a winery.
Yes, yes, if they canarrange it, it's very nice.
(33:29):
And I've tried to send people yourway for tours in Provence, and
sometimes you're booked already.
Well, this episode was popular.
Thank you, again, Annie.
I had many people contactingme, " Oh, we heard you on Annie's
podcast." And I took them.
Yeah, that's great.
I took them to the lavenderfields and great experience.
(33:52):
Yes.
Great.
Even now 10 years later.
Yes.
Well, that's the great thing abouttravel podcasts, is that it doesn't
really go... I mean, it doesn't go stale.
Like, you know, in 10 yearswe'll still have lavender fields.
Yes and no.
Oh, maybe not?
Do tell.
Yes and no.
Last summer, okay, it's not aboutCorsica, but it's interesting for
people, because of global warming,it's warmer and warmer every year.
(34:17):
So the harvest is earlier than before.
Yes.
So I was there, I forgot, 15or 16 of July, and maybe half
of the fields were cut already.
So I used to say mid-June to mid-July.
Now I say mid-June tolet's say, 10th of July.
(34:38):
If they want to see allthe fields still in bloom.
And sunflowers.
Yes.
Second reason, local agricultures,local farmers, they don't make a
good living with lavender anymore.
Ah.
So they change crops, so nowit's more wheat than before.
So, less lavender.
(34:59):
Or they let the land with nothing.
Fallow.
Ah, the word I was looking for ages.
Fallow.
Ah, en jachère.
Oh, okay.
Jachère, fallow.
Thank you.
Okay.
So we arrive and there's nothing, butI explain and they understand, huh?
The soil needs rest for about a year.
(35:22):
This is something I've explained topeople on the podcast many times.
It is agriculture, therefore thisis not like a... I mean, it's become
a tourist attraction going to thelavender fields, but it's agriculture.
The other thing that happens, when I wasthere last summer and I drove around a lot
of these places just to see for myself.
Well, what I could see is that a lotof them were not weeded very carefully
(35:47):
anymore because they don't sprayRoundup on a lot of these fields.
And so you have lavender fields withhuge weeds in the middle, and people
are like, "Oh, it's..." I'm like, "Yeah,well, if you don't spray Roundup, that's
what's going to happen." They're notgoing to hand-weed the field, you know?
The machines later cantake care of the weeds.
(36:08):
And next to this one, there is awell-manicured field, and it means they
still work and make a living on this.
Yes.
If they have weeds everywhere,it means they gave up.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So there is still lavender this yearwith weeds, maybe next year less,
and in two years, psht, nothing.
Right, because lavender willcome back year after year even
(36:29):
if you don't do much with it.
Yeah, and there is somecompetition from, I forgot which
country now produces lavender.
Anyway, but.
Right.
So no lavender in Corsica.
It's not their specialties.
Right, no.
No, but they have a lot ofcitrus, they have a lot of fruit.
Oh, yes!
They grow avocados.
On the East Coast.
(36:50):
The East Coast is flat.
Uh-huh.
... So it's great for agriculture.
Yeah.
The West Coast is rocks, windy roads,so no, you can't plant anything.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Agriculture is the East Coast,which I don't take people because
there's nothing to do there.
Right.
No, it's fields, fields, flat, nothing.
(37:13):
And an Air Force base.
That's all.
And an Air Force base.
I mentioned... I forgot to say, in Calvithere is a big Foreign Legion camp.
Ah.
Big.
One of the biggest inFrance, Foreign Legion.
Ah.
Cool.
Legionnaires are usuallyvery interesting people.
The only ones I've ever talked to werevery nice, very respectful, really trying
(37:36):
to be good representatives of their...
I agree.
Yeah.
I agree.
You know, as I said before, theyare very proud people, so they're
happy to show their culture, theirfood, their wine, their manners,
and a great sense of hospitality.
Even if at the first sight,ugh, it may look like ice.
(37:58):
Yeah.
Go further, in French we saythey would give you their shirt.
Yes.
But you have to talk to them.
You have to talk to them.
And this is true in all of France.
Just talk to people and be nice, be kind.
Don't be demanding.
Demanding never works in France.
Exactly.
When you go to a shop, say,"Bonjour," even if you don't speak
(38:19):
the language, at least, "Bonjour.
Merci.
Au revoir."
That's all.
Yeah.
And people like this.
Yes.
They need tourism, of course, but-
Yeah, that was one question that I wantedto ask you, is what's the... I mean,
is tourism a major industry in Corsica,or are there other major industries?
(38:40):
Oh, yes.
Definitely.
I would say number one, likethe Cote d'Azur and Provence.
Uh-huh
... or France, anyway.
As you know, France is still thefirst visited country in the world.
Yes.
Corsica, yeah, I would say thatCorsica, tourism first, then fruits.
Yeah, and agriculture.
Like now, in our supermarkets now,we get the Corsican clementine.
(39:04):
Yes.
With the green leaves.
That's the time, winter.
Yes.
And I bought some yesterdayand they are delicious.
So I have a mandarin tree andI just harvested it today,
and it gave me tiny little...
Ah, lucky you.
It's just a year old.
They're very tiny littlemandarins, but they are delicious.
Delicious.
(39:24):
Yes, so tasty.
Yes.
But they're not big.
Next year, I will fertilize it better.
I mean, this year, I didn't want tofertilize it because this is something
that people don't know necessarily, butit... when you plant a fruit tree, it's
better not to fertilize it the first year.
It has to establish itself by itself.
Yes.
And then you can helpit the years after that.
(39:44):
But just that first, leave it be.
Just, if it doesn't like the ground,it's not going to do well anyway.
So you might as well,you know-... let it be.
Growing is based on patience.
Yes, it is.
And right by my mandarin tree, Ihave a pomegranate tree that gave me
one fruit this year after 10 years.
(40:06):
It's been in the soil 10 years.
I bought it, it was like a foot talland now it's bigger, but it's still-
Pomegranate, yeah.
Yeah.
it's a slow-growing tree andso you have to give it time.
It takes years.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It takes years.
We have one at, as well.
And I wanted to before maybewe stop, I wanted to mention
(40:26):
the rich history of Corsica.
Yes.
Not today, and if people join us forthis trip, I will tell them, just one
thing because since the Greek, you know?
So how many weeks have you got, Annie,for this- ... for our Corsican history?
I think many people knowthe French connection.
Started in Marsaille.
(40:47):
With the Greeks.
Yes.
Okay.
Gangsters.
Yeah.
Drugs.
Oh, the French connection.
That French connection.
Yes.
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
It's not that glamorous, butthe French connection started in
Marseille with two Corsican brothers.
The mafia is pretty big or was pretty big.
Let's say was.
(41:07):
The mafia was pretty big inCorsica so those two brothers
went to Marsaille, they were poorand they started the whole thing.
And then it becomes huge, internationaltraffic, blah, blah, blah.
But it was
two guys, two guys from Corsica.
Yeah.
The protection industry,let's put it that way.
Oh, yes.
(41:28):
I'll protect you for a cut.
Exactly.
That's a good summary.
That's how it works.
Anyway, Corsica is a beautiful country.
It's a beautiful place.
Well, it's France, so obviouslyit's not its own country.
So do you think, just in closing, doyou think they will ever be independent?
(41:48):
Do they really want that?
Of course not.
Okay.
You know, when we were kids, we used tospend all summers at my grandmother's.
Uh-huh.
And already in the '70s, itwas them already bombing villas
or bombing non-Corsican peoplevillas, blah, blah, blah.
Yeah.
But like in the Basque Country,for example, there has always been
(42:11):
this spirit of being independent.
You know, since the 17thcentury or even before.
But what would they do without France?
Yeah.
Forget it.
Some mandarins, and lemons,and charcuterie and what?
Plus the EU.
You know, the EU, the agriculturepolicy sends lots of subsidies,
(42:31):
money to Corsican farmers, as well.
And, you know those guys whobombed whatever, gendarmerie
or villas or there were what?
200 or 300 or 400 people?
Yeah.
But, now it's gone.
Now it's gone.
It's like Ireland or Basque Country and...
Oh, I forgot to mentionthe Corsican songs.
(42:54):
Aha.
They sing.
It's only men.
They sing a cappella with no music.
That's very famous.
Yes.
So it's like Basque singing kind of.
Exactement.
Yeah.
It sounds a bit like that.
It's a lot of men and it's very
loud.
It is.
It is.
So yeah, well, it's very well known.
(43:17):
And they sing in Corsican language.
Lots to discover.
Yeah.
Lots to discover in Corsica.
They love their language as well.
Very good.
All right, well, Jeff,it's been a pleasure.
For me too.
I hope that you have a wonderful timetaking people around Corsica, going
forward and also around Provencebecause that's where you're based
(43:38):
and that's where you do most of yourbusiness, I assume you spend most
of your time in Provence anyway.
Always a pleasure to welcomeanyone and share, you know, share
my heart and my passion and myroots in Provence and Corsica.
Wonderful.
Merci beaucoup, Jean-François.
Merci, Annie.
Take care.
Au revoir.
(44:03):
Again, I want to thank my patrons forgiving back and supporting the show.
Patrons get several exclusiverewards for doing that, you can
see them at patreon.com/joinus.
And special shout out this week tomy new Join Us in France champions,
Mary Ulrich, Pat Smith, Mary Jane,and Michael and Nancy Armstrong.
(44:30):
And thank you, Christine Cunningham,for editing your pledge up.
Would you join them too?
You can do it for as little as threebucks a month, as I said, and if
you can afford it, I would love you,to have you pledge more so you can
have access to more of the rewards.
And to support Elyse, goto patreon.com/elysart.
(44:53):
This week I had my Zoommeetings with patrons.
It's always wonderful chatting witheveryone, and thank you for joining me.
Somebody left this reviewof my tour this week.
So the first one is very nice, "I'vedone four of Annie's tours, I'm now
also a big fan, especially enjoyingher stories, The Man Who Walked
Through Walls, for example. Fabulous."
(45:16):
So here's a person who enjoysmy stories, and here's a
person who apparently does not.
So Anonymous says, "If you don't careabout actual history, and just want to
hear entertaining stories, it's a greattour, and Annie is a fantastic tour guide.
Annie gives directions, tellsyou how to find each point, and
shares pictures so you can be sureyou're looking at the right thing.
(45:39):
The quality of the soundis excellent as well.
The portion about Notre-Dame coversthe three doorways and discusses, in
some detail, a few of the carvings.
If you care about differentcarvings or statues, make sure
to Google before visiting."
Now, I have to say that this is thepart that hurts a little bit because I
do care about history very, very much.
(46:03):
I suppose maybe this personwould have liked it better if I
had started the tour like this.
"Notre-Dame de Paris is a Gothiccathedral located on the eastern half
of the Île de la Cité in Paris, France.
Construction began in 1163 underthe direction of Bishop Maurice de
Sully and continued for nearly twocenturies, with final modifications
(46:24):
completed in the mid-14th century.
The cathedral was built on the siteof an earlier Christian church, which
themselves replaced a Gallo-Romantemple dedicated to Jupiter."
Yes, I could have done that, but I decidedto go another route and, tell you the tale
of Pierre the stonemason at Notre-Dame.
(46:47):
The tale is based on very realhistorical facts, but that
was just lost on the reviewer.
Look, when you buy one of my tours, you'renot signing up for a college course.
You are signing up to enjoy a moment inParis with me, and I think that sharing
facts about a place only goes so far.
(47:10):
We remember stories.
That's what I think anyway.
That's my approach.
And yes, I give you the context,but I also help you connect with the
place emotionally, not with facts.
And then the reviewer goes on, "Theportion about Sainte-Chapelle gets
very Catholic, and you need to getout your Google." Again, the Google.
There is very close focus in just a coupleof panels." Actually, it's three of them.
(47:35):
"If you care about differentstained glass panels, make sure
to Google before visiting."
Okay.
Look, I don't talk about every stainedglass panel because there's 618 square
meters of glass surface, that's more than6,600 square feet at the Sainte-Chapelle.
They illustrate 1,100 biblical scenes.
(47:56):
You could study this forever.
I picked three because my goal is to helpyou notice what matters most, as I see
it, and walk away understanding why itmatters, not be overwhelmed with detail,
it's about experiencing the place, andyou have time to be quiet and look around.
And is it too Catholic?
Well, yeah.
(48:17):
King Louis IX of Francewas a hyper Catholic.
That was his whole motivationfor building the Sainte-Chapelle.
There's no escaping that.
I want you to understand hismindset and the context of his
work because I think it matters.
And then moving on to the nextportion of this sad review.
" The portion covering the Conciergerieis my least favorite because it
(48:38):
almost fully focuses on the Revolutionand basically ignores the ancient
history of this royal palace or whyit was repurposed so many times.
This is a good audio tour, butit's well-made and orients you
for these three major attractions.
I suggest listening to it at home as astarting point to figuring out why you
(48:59):
plan to visit these locations and whatyou hope to get out of that visit."
Have a good trip," blah, blah, blah.
Okay, I wrote another whole VoiceMap tourcalled Ile de la Cité that goes exactly
into the history of the palace, andwhy it changed attributions over time.
I probably should'vesaid that in the tour.
(49:19):
I probably should've said, "Oh, and ifyou're missing the bit about the history
of the palace per se, get my other tour."
You know, I can't possiblysay everything in those tours.
They are long enough as it is.
When I write my audio tours, I haveto decide what to concentrate on.
They're not comprehensive, nor do Iwant to give you a history lecture.
(49:42):
Now, if I had said things that wereinaccurate or misleading, the charge
that my tours are not for people whocare about history would be correct.
But I didn't say anything that wasinaccurate or misleading in my tour.
He just doesn't like the factthat I didn't concentrate on
the things that he was after.
Well, you have the Google, okay?
(50:02):
So here's where I need you, becausethe only way to counteract a negative
review, especially when it's thefirst one, is to add more reviews.
So if you've taken my latest tour,Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, and
the Conciergerie, please take aminute to leave your own review.
If you're not going to Parisfor a while, but you've bought
(50:23):
the tour, listen to it at home.
Even this reviewer says thatit's a good way to prepare your
trip to listen to this tour.
"It didn't say the things he wanted meto say, but it's good preparation." And
when you get to the end of the tour, it'llask you if you want to leave a review.
Doesn't have to be long or fancy.
Just say what you liked, what youlearned, how it helps you enjoy the visit.
(50:45):
Each review helps future travelers knowwhat to expect, and gives a much more
accurate picture of the experience.
And you'll be helping me out alot, too, so thank you in advance.
And if you don't have this new touryet, let me remind you that podcast
listeners get a big discount forbuying these tours from my website.
It's best for me as well, because I getto keep more of what you pay instead
(51:09):
of giving it to Apple or Google.
But if you buy directly from my boutique,it's a manual process, so don't expect
it to be instant like it would be ifyou are buying directly from the app.
But most of you listening to meright now plan their trips at least
a few days in advance, some of you,it's more like a few months, right?
So you're probably not in such a big rush.
(51:30):
Once you've bought the codes from me, touse them, open VoiceMap, on the bottom
right, it says, "Tour codes." Tap onit, enter the code, download the tour.
And this is a digitalproduct that you own forever.
Even if you change phones, for example,log into your VoiceMap account,
and you can download all of thetours that you own again, forever.
(51:53):
Say, if I update a tour becauseI decide it's a good idea to talk
about my Île de la Cité tour atthe end of the Notre-Dame tour.
Okay.
I might just add one sentence,but you could get that
updated whenever you're ready.
And best of all, those of you who can'tgo to Paris as often as you'd like,
you can listen in virtual playbackfrom anywhere in the world, and
(52:16):
you can see the map and the photos.
I would like you to think about thesetours like walking around Paris with
your French friend, a friend wholoves history, despite what this guy
says, also architecture and art, andcannot wait to share it with you.
You can take me in yourpocket with my VoiceMap tours.
The other thing you can do isplan an itinerary with my help.
(52:37):
It's a busy time for me with theseconsults, so book your spot soon by
going to joinusinfrance.com/boutique.
And there's two levels of itineraryplanning, either one could work for you,
you know, right now, it's very, very busy.
So there you go.
Foire du Trône.
Okay, so from April 4th to June 9th in2025, the Foire du Trône is back in Paris
(53:04):
on the Pelouse de Reuilly, and it's a fun,festive tradition that you won't want to
miss if you're in the city this spring.
This is actually one of theoldest fun fairs in France.
It dates back to the 12th century whenit started as a religious gathering
near the Abbey of Saint-Antoine.
The name Foire du Trône comes froma statue of Christ on a throne.
(53:28):
Trône in French, means throne.
And that statue was displayed nearby.
Over time, the religious aspectfaded and the event evolved into the
full-blown fun fair that we know today.
It's now held in the 12th Arrondissement.
The fair features nearly350 rides and attractions.
(53:50):
Entry is free, and you onlypay for the rides or games
that you should choose to try.
So whether you like high-speedthrills or looking for something
family-friendly, it's all there.
Plus, the usual carnival food, ofcourse, the lights, the music that
make the atmosphere so lively.
It's usually a very fun, local experience,and history, and energy, and a great
(54:15):
way to see another side of Paris.
Let's talk about the May holidays inFrance, because if you're planning
to visit, you'll want to know aboutthe bank holidays, or Jours Fériés,
that pop up throughout the month.
May is kind of famous in France forhaving lots of days off, and when you
have days off, usually you add one beforeor after and that makes a bridge, un
(54:39):
pont, and we have three of them in May.
It can definitely impact yourtravel plans, but are we sorry
that we take so many days off?
No, not one bit.
We are very much attachedto the tradition.
Here are the key days for 2025.
So Thursday, May 1st isLabor Day, Fete du Travail.
(55:02):
This is a big one.
Almost everything shuts down,museums, shops, government
offices, even some restaurants.
It's one of the only days whenpublic transportation may run
on a reduced or Sunday schedule.
In most of France, there is zeropublic transportation on May 1st.
(55:24):
In Paris, they just runon a reduced schedule.
So this is the day that you haveto decide what you're going to
do without public transportationand near where you are staying.
Thursday, May 8th is Victory in EuropeDay, so La Victoire de 1945, commemorating
(55:45):
the end of World War II in Europe.
There are some closures,but it's more hit or miss.
Many museums and attractions are open.
We also have Thursday, May 29th,that's Ascension Day, L'Ascension,
it's a religious holiday.
A lot of places close andmany French people take a long
(56:05):
weekend by adding the Friday off.
But did you notice, all of them areon Thursdays, so most people they're
going to have Thursday off and they'regoing to take Friday off, and then it
gives them a four-day weekend, a pont.
And don't forget Pentecost Monday, that'son June 9th, so that's next month, but
it's also a holiday in some regionsand professions, but not everywhere.
(56:29):
So what does that meanfor you as a visitor?
So you'll find restaurants open in touristareas, but expect many small shops, banks,
pharmacies, and offices to be closed.
Museums vary.
Double check on their website.
And if you're renting a car or usingpublic transportation, plan ahead,
(56:49):
services might be reduced or fully booked.
Long story short, May is a beautiful timeto be in France, but a little planning
will save you a lot of headaches,and expect crowds everywhere, okay?
Because everybody isout for those holidays.
Many thanks to podcast editors Anneand Christian Cotovan who produced
the audio and the transcripts.
(57:11):
Next week on the podcast, an episodeabout a scenic journey from Montpellier
to Toulouse with Craig Anderson.
Thank you so much for listening andI hope you join me next time so we
can look around France together.
Au revoir!
The Join Us in France travelpodcast is written, hosted, and
produced by Annie Sargent, andCopyright 2025 by AddictedToFrance.
(57:35):
It is released under a CreativeCommons attribution, non-commercial,
no derivatives license.
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