Seeing as how the justification for my 10 days in Corsica was that I was attending a small opera festival, I guess I should write a bit about the music, n'est-ce pas ? Les Nuits d'été de Corte was founded six years ago by an opera-loving couple wanting to bring more music to Corsica. A fantastic initiative in my opinion, and one I hope to emulate some day on my own island. Originally the festival consisted of a couple different opera-themed concerts, but this year the organizers decided to go the extra mile and produce a fully-staged opera, as well as a themed concert. The opera they went with was Don Giovanni, and it was terribly well received. While I do think it was slightly lacking in certain departments, it was surely a valiant first effort, and I'll be interested to see how they improve on it in the future. What I most enjoyed about the production was to hear some up-and-coming talent. Two voices in particular I found particularly impressive-both deep and dramatic, yet playful at the same time. Those were that of Sophie Angebault and Alexandre Duhamel. Lucky for me, they both live in the Paris region, so it will be easy to keep track of what they are doing in the future.
An old recording of one of the more recognizable moments from the opera:
While Don Giovanni might have been the big seller of the festival, I greatly enjoyed La Nuit de l'Opera. I felt the program was well balanced, with a French half and an Italian half, and a variety of composers, yet the music moved smoothly and sensibly. And in addition, the evening featured young tenor Andeka Azurmendi (who, unfortunately, as not yet jumped on the personal website boat), whose voice is terribly powerful, yet also sensitive. The highlight of the concert for me was the duet of Angebault and Azurmendi singing Nuit d'Ivresse from Les Troyens. Enjoy !
stumbling & singing through the illuminated city. good times really never seemed so good.
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Corsica Part II: The Scenery !
Calling Corsica the "island of beauty" isn't so much of a nickname, as it is a fact. I knew what I was in for even before stepping off of the plane: crystal clear blue water, rolling mountains and valleys tapering off somewhere on the horizon, dramatic variations in color along the landscape... what more could one ask for ?
Most of my time in Corsica was spent in the Haute-Corse region around Corte. While most Frenchies consider la corse to be a summer beach paradise, the mountain region is not to be overlooked. First off, all of the villages and cities seem to be precariously, but perfectly perched on the side of various mountains, and to arrive at such towns requires passing by quaint dirt roads with ever so violent twists and turns. The most dramatic and fulfilling one of these roads I experienced won't take you to to any village. The route in the Valley of the Restonica truly embodies the idea of one's journey being the destination. We drove for hours on frighteningly small roads, catching glimpses of stone-lined brooks, small waterfalls, dramatic valleys, and craggy peaks. At the end of the road, all that was to be found were more mountains and valleys, only accessible by foot or horseback, and a small stone house selling delicious plates of local cheeses. Our afternoon-long journey was definitely a highlight of my trip, as I do cherish the sense of travelling but never arriving.
We also visited rivers and hidden lakes, and one day that I so desperately wanted, the beach at Calvi. But what I really loved about this trip was sticking close to the region immediately surrounding Corte. I felt like I had an opportunity to learn about the city, instead of trying to fit too much into a short journey. To follow are some photographic highlights:
The harbour at Bastia
The citadelle in Corte by day
The citadelle by night
The beach at Calvi
The river in a hidden forest near Corte
And of course, the Valley of the Restonica
Most of my time in Corsica was spent in the Haute-Corse region around Corte. While most Frenchies consider la corse to be a summer beach paradise, the mountain region is not to be overlooked. First off, all of the villages and cities seem to be precariously, but perfectly perched on the side of various mountains, and to arrive at such towns requires passing by quaint dirt roads with ever so violent twists and turns. The most dramatic and fulfilling one of these roads I experienced won't take you to to any village. The route in the Valley of the Restonica truly embodies the idea of one's journey being the destination. We drove for hours on frighteningly small roads, catching glimpses of stone-lined brooks, small waterfalls, dramatic valleys, and craggy peaks. At the end of the road, all that was to be found were more mountains and valleys, only accessible by foot or horseback, and a small stone house selling delicious plates of local cheeses. Our afternoon-long journey was definitely a highlight of my trip, as I do cherish the sense of travelling but never arriving.
We also visited rivers and hidden lakes, and one day that I so desperately wanted, the beach at Calvi. But what I really loved about this trip was sticking close to the region immediately surrounding Corte. I felt like I had an opportunity to learn about the city, instead of trying to fit too much into a short journey. To follow are some photographic highlights:
The harbour at Bastia
The citadelle in Corte by day
The citadelle by night
The beach at Calvi
The river in a hidden forest near Corte
And of course, the Valley of the Restonica
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Corsica Part I: The Food !
I had a great plan to update often while I was in Corsica. Daily details of sites seen, music heard, food eaten. But of course as soon as I arrived, it became clear that wouldn't happen. A beautiful never-setting sun, and a poor internet connection made sure of that. But all is not lost ! A sharp memory, and photographic evidence should provide a sufficient outline of my ten days on the Ile de Beauté.
Part I: The Food !
Corsica food is, in general, very earthy. The island is covered with forests, so most genuine Corsican fair comes from plants or animals that can be found exclusively in the woods. We're talking deer, wild boar, chestnuts, etc. And if it doesn't come from the forest, it definitely comes from the sea. There is incredible seafood to be found just about everywhere, and it's a comfort knowing that all of these products are fresh and local.
Some culinary highlights of the trip:
Zucchini Fritters
Fiadone: A traditional lemon cheesecake
Haricots soisson: white beans and pancetta cooked in white wine
Fritters made with leeks and locally picked walnuts
Risotto of chestnuts and local pancetta
fondant of chestnut cream and walnut
Fritto Misto of local seafood
Sandwich of figatellu--a local, and very popular sausage
the most wonderful assiette of local cheese, which was served with a divine fig jam
and the most importand, a fresh local beer !
Part I: The Food !
Corsica food is, in general, very earthy. The island is covered with forests, so most genuine Corsican fair comes from plants or animals that can be found exclusively in the woods. We're talking deer, wild boar, chestnuts, etc. And if it doesn't come from the forest, it definitely comes from the sea. There is incredible seafood to be found just about everywhere, and it's a comfort knowing that all of these products are fresh and local.
Some culinary highlights of the trip:
Zucchini Fritters
Fiadone: A traditional lemon cheesecake
Haricots soisson: white beans and pancetta cooked in white wine
Fritters made with leeks and locally picked walnuts
Risotto of chestnuts and local pancetta
fondant of chestnut cream and walnut
Fritto Misto of local seafood
Sandwich of figatellu--a local, and very popular sausage
the most wonderful assiette of local cheese, which was served with a divine fig jam
and the most importand, a fresh local beer !
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