Corsica a la Astrologique
by Russell Grant
I'm sitting on a wobbly wooden quayside bench watching the ferry for Marseilles leaving the little port resort of Propriano and using the Corsican horoscope as a fan. Doug, my partner and I arrived this morning on a very easy 2 hour flight from the UK in the tiny airport of Figari at the far south of the island of Corsica.
I am here on a mission an astrological mission as I start my globe-trotting series jet-setting around the world to connect the heavens with terra firma! Because everything that has a beginning also has an astrological chart I am looking at the horoscope of the island of Corsica .
Taurus is the overwhelming zodiac sign for the island so what will I expect to find? A very traditional, even fixed society; a love of la dolce vita ; strong stubborn streak; rustic and bucolic; slow to modernise but loyal and faithful.
When we left the airport I saw the first hints of this nature-loving sign as Doug picked up my hire car and set off for the one hour drive through lanes and B roads en route for Propriano. Parched, bonsai-like shrubs, with an undulating terrain dotted with olive trees and that unique Corsican vegetation, the maquis, a herbal mix that covers much of the island and gives a scent that Venus, the ruler of Taurus, would be happy to wallow in wild rosemary, lavender, thyme and that was with my first breath.
The stubborn streak came through when reading the graffiti for independence, Corsica was once, and I am a sucker for backing underdogs back home in the UK I live in Wales and was born in Middlesex, so you can imagine when people say I live in England or I am Londoner gets short shrift. So tell a Corsican they are French and they will get the hump until that is money kicks in. Taurus is a money sign but only recently has a flood of it come to Corsica from Europe . So in a recent referendum asking the islanders if they would like to be independent or remain part of France was no contest as it was a toss up between staying with La Belle France and getting the money (very Taurean) or going it alone and getting no money (not very Taurean).
The good life for the tourist is plain to see and enjoy. The heat has taken its toll and its time to lunch. Our find' is Le Petit Mignon, a top-notch nosh-house; real coffee, the the creamiest quiches and all butter croissants. This is where the Jupiter factor comes into his own for there's nothing more this giant planet loves but to scoff and quaff. There's plenty of that in Propriano or Prupia as the Corsicans call it, they were so Taurean, stubborn and loyal to their traditional ways, like in Wales , they have their own language road signs.
We decided to take a trip to Ajaccio , Napoleon's birth place (he was a Leo), about an hour from Propriano, but be warned there are no motorways just narrow-gauge roads. With the bougainvillea in bloom, another sign of horticultural Taurus coming through I had a chance to sit and reflect and hit the shops. I am a shopaholic but don't bother between 12 and 3 because EVERYTHING closes including the museum of wonderful Renaissance paintings now this is very Taurus, the arts, after all it is ruled by earthy Venus.
We stayed at two places in Propriano, the Piazza Ronda, a massive villa that was incarnated from a wine tower, top Taurus stuff. Up in the hills a refreshing breeze ensured we never roasted as I can't stand too much sun, must be that wintry Aquarian in me. Midweek we trotted off to Les Lantiques nearest to the town, in fact 15 mins walk, good for my figure and felt more at home in the new build with all mod cons and satellite TV - now comfort is a combination of the Venus and Jupiter in the Corsica chart.
A day out to nearby Sartene, that most Corsican of Corsican towns meant driving almost vertically as it was high up in the hills. But worth it, a peaceful wooded square and lots and lots of Corsican (and Taurean) tradition it is here you can hear tales of vendettas and U Castenacciu, a Good Friday ceremony following the footsteps of Christ.
Our last day out was Bonifacio, this was my favourite. A Corsican Gibraltar, a citadel on a rock it is pure theatre, down below the wee boats ply between islands, grottos and Sardinia and up in the city there are narrow cobbled walkways of souvenir shops and quaint restaurants it was here I enjoyed my most delicious lunch wild boar steak with a crème fraiche and Dijon sauce still licking my lips.
When we left I looked back and realised that places as well as people have their astrological charts and Corsica fits the Taurean character to a T.
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