Welcome to Corsica aka What a Day
REVISED
There are traveling days and then there are day when all you do is travel. The last ones fall into the later category. Let’s just say Steve, Michael and I arrived safely and are checked into the hotel. We found a nice restaurant right on the old harbor where wine and food was consumed to convince our bodies it’s evening and not the middle of the day. Getting to this point has been challenging.
The day started not as planned. Some of the high lights include our bags being put on the wrong plane at the jet center in SLO, (fortunately we noticed it before our plane left), an hour + delay in taking off from SFO causing us to literally run through the Frankfurt airport to make our connection to Bastia and no bags when we arrived.
Just when we thought it was enough for one day, on the way to dinner we almost walked into a mini riot/protest in the town square being staged by Corsican separatists? Really, Corsican separatists? Yep, complete with angry youths dressed all in back, wearing gas masks, concussion grenades echoing off the quaint streets of Bastia and the smell of tear gas mixing with gentle sea breezes.
Yes, it’s been quite a day. Maybe tomorrow we’ll actually get to do a little of what we came here for – to ride. It's almost prologe time for Raid Corsica.
Up Next - The Prolog
I love the smell of tear gas in the morning...you guys are so lucky!
ReplyDeleteWhat about your bags? Hopefully they've gotten to you!
ReplyDeleteFlavorful introduction to Corsica. The paper say, ...."Clashes broke out late Saturday afternoon in Bastia between protesters and security forces, alongside a parade of thousands of people in favor of measures recently passed by the Assembly of Corsica as resident status Fifty people , young hooded and gloved , and scattered in small groups at the roundabout Prefecture downtown, threw stones and Molotov cocktails and agricultural bombs against the forces that responded with tear gas.
ReplyDeleteThe clashes, which have pursued a part of the evening , made a total of thirty minor injuries , mostly bruises and contusions, among the forces. Protesters also damaged a post office and burned containers. In addition, police seized Molotov cocktails and a man firing into the air from his window was arrested , unique arrest of the evening.
The demonstrators demanded " a genuine dialogue with Paris "
My Mom (Pam Nargie) sent me your blog because I hiked across Corsica. They speak French with an Italian accent and really see themselves as their own country. Reminds me a bit of the Basque situation. So the idea of Corsican Separatists doesn't surprise me in the least. Club Med tried several times to build there and the Corsicans just kept bombing the construction site once the building started to take shape. That said the people are warm and friendly and you'll have a wonderful time!
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