Pétanque & Pastis : Calvi – True Birthplace of Christopher Columbus ?

Calvi – True Birthplace of Christopher Columbus ?

We took in more spectacular scenery along the winding coast as we made our way further north to the spectacular seaside resort of Calvi, our final destination on this Corsican vacation. Calvi is a Riviera-style resort with a lively promenade full of colorful cafés & restaurants, a lovely yacht harbor, a 2-mile stretch of white sandy beach with shallow transparent water that slowly eases out toward the impressive 15^th-century Genovese citadel sitting in all its glory high on its rocky promontory.

While Ajaccio boasts of being the birthplace of Napoléon Bonaparte, Calvi boasts of its own native son, Christopher Columbus, who was, by their account, born in a house right in the interior of the citadel in the year 1436. They have a lovely square named after him, Place Christophe Colomb, and they hold a festival in his honor each October. There seems to be no doubt that Christopher Columbus was Genovese, and Corsica was ruled by the Genovese for six centuries, so who knows… However, I think they should have to “duke it out” with Genova, Italy for this particular distinction.

After a short drive north to L’Île Rousse for lunch at one of the beach restaurants, we returned to Calvi and spent the afternoon swimming and admiring the amazing scenery all around us. We got our exercise by strolling along the Quai Landry under the palm trees, and by meandering through the steep, narrow, cobbled streets of the citadel. We had a great dinner at a restaurant called EAT, which sat just at the foot of the citadel. The fusion of Asian and French cuisines was excellent on this warm night under the stars on the quiet terrace. EAT (Epicurien Avant Tout), 15, rue Clémenceau, 20260 Calvi, tél: 04.95.38.21.87.

The Bay of L’île Rousse

The picturesque bay of L’Île Rousse is surrounded by red granite rocks which serve as a base for a lighthouse built in 1857 and another Genovese watchtower.

Once again, time is short, and all we were able to do is have lunch and a short stroll along the seaside promenade here in L’Île Rousse, but I wouldn’t mind spending a little more time here and maybe participating in some water sports the next time around.

The 15^th-Century Citadel in Calvi