Holiday in Corsica

We have just returned from a fabulous vacation in Calvi, Corsica.  Before May, we did not know much about Corisca.  It was never on our list of places we wanted travel, but our friends, Ashley and Lucasz were planning a trip there, so we decided to tag along.  Corsica is an absolutely beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea, 100 miles South of France and 50 miles West of Italy.  It is a part of France and shares the French culture.  It was a perfect travel destination for us because it offered kid-friendly beaches, an abundance of hiking trails in the mountains, and amazing weather.

We were there for six days and spent most of our time at the beach, hiking, and in the pool at the house we stayed in.  The family we traveled with have two young boys and the kids got along so well.  They absolutely loved the beach.  They loved playing in the sand and riding the waves.  The beaches we visited in Calvi were very shallow- about 100 feet out it was still only four feet deep.  A perfect depth for the kids to play in and feel safe.

Calvi Beach Coastline

They had a kid area out in the sea- Adalyn and Jonah loved it!  

Playing in the sand-

Some mornings we spent time at the beach, other mornings we went for hikes.  The first hike we went on was to visit the Chapelle de Notre Dame de la Serra.  The Chapel was rebuilt in the 19th century on the ruins of an earlier sanctuary destroyed during the Siege of Calvi in 1740. 

A statue of the Virgin Mary standing on a rock protects the city.

View from the Chapel overlooking Calvi

Hiking buddies- 

Our second hike we did was to Village d'Occi.  This is a small abandoned village high up in the mountains overlooking Calvi.   It was deserted by its inhabitants in the nineteenth century.  People are  unsure why it was abandoned, but theories are that they either ran out of water or ants drove them out of the village.  There were a lot of ants, but I am guessing it was lack of water.  There is a church in the village that was restored and during festivals and holidays people still go there to celebrate. 

Rocky hiking path- 

Enjoying a snack above the sea!

Village d'Occi

Between the beach and hikes, we spent a lot of time in the pool.  We were able to find an amazing villa with a pool - which was perfect for relaxing afternoons.

Adalyn and Jonah swimming-  

One night, we were able to get a babysitter, and just the adults were able to go out to dinner.  We ate at a restaurant in the middle of nature amongst the most beautiful scenery, U Nichjaretu.  It was an intense thirty minute drive through the mountains to get there, winding through the mountains with one side a cliff leading to the sea, but once we got there it was definitely worth the scary ride. 

The restaurant-

The view from the restaurant- 

Memorable night out with Ashley and Lucasz

We had such an enjoyable week in Corsica.  I would highly recommend this destination to anyone that enjoys the sea and mountains. 

      

One Year!

“On some level we all fear the unknown, and we all fear being blown away, having our skirts blown skyward, having a blow to our pride, and somehow we know in our bones that however narrow and colorless that strip of comfort zone ledge might be that we’re teetering on, leaving it, flinging ourselves off into a major geographic and cultural relocation, will expose us. It will expose our limitations, insecurities, and weaknesses."

"But another part of us wants to take that step, to fall in love with a new place, a new people, a new way of living in the world. Sometimes that move just begins in a cursory, sideways glance of curiosity about the place. We study the map. We watch the people, their way of moving and talking and gesturing in conversation and we take note of how they sing to their babies in the city park and how they greet old friends in the marketplace and how they drive their cars or their rickshaws or their camels and by now we’re fascinated by observing how they hold their canteen or wine goblet or beer stein or how they hold their liquor at all. Before we know it, we’re mirroring how they fold their origami or their crêpe Suzette or their slice of pizza con funghi, and next we’re eating at their pace, slurping miso soup, spitting seeds over our shoulder, ripping the tip off the hot baguette, peeling our raw shrimp, and all of this with our eyes blindfolded and both hands tied behind our back.”

Excerpt From: Melissa Dalton-Bradford. “Global Mom.” Familius, 2013-08-13. iBooks. 

We have officially made it ONE YEAR being an expat family!!!  It is hard to believe that it has been a year since we moved to Geneva, a place that was completely unknown, yet now is called home.  When I read the above excerpt from the book, "Global Mom," I was amazed at how well it summed up what I was feeling a year ago.  When first arriving, I was totally exposed.  I would go out with the kids, and had a definite feeling of insecurity as we tried to get through each day.  Is this road a one way?  Where can I park?  What is the cashier asking me?  Do we totally stick out as being completely clueless Americans?  Will we ever have friends?  The list was endless. The major underlining question was, "Have we made the right decision?"  Everyone wants happiness for their kids, family, friends, and themselves, and can you continue that happiness when you take that huge step in life?  After living here for a year, I can honestly say, yes.  

Is it tough?  Of course.  Our life is not all adventures.  We have days when we feel alone, anonymous,  and unsure of what's to come.  We miss out on family celebrations back in Minnesota.  We miss family and friends.  That's the hardest part.  Fortunately, this past year we have hosted 18 visitors, much more than anticipated and we are looking forward to hosting that many this upcoming year or more.  During the past year I have also learned the importance of friendships.  When you are all alone away from your friends you have known forever, and your family, you rely a lot on the new friendships you create.  Thankfully we have met some great friends who have helped immensely during the transition.          

People have asked, "How has this move changed you?"  If you were to ask me two years ago if I would ever live abroad, I would quickly answer, no.  I enjoyed living in the known.  I had spent my entire life in Minnesota.  My family and friends are all in Minnesota, Target was a mile away, why would I leave that comfort?  I was hesitant, but now with one year in the books, I can say that taking that jump was the best decision for me, and our entire family.  Before I spent our days taking the kids to familiar places with familiar people.  Now, our days are spent going to many different activities where we don't know anyone and are forced to leave our comfort zone.  We have all gained more confidence through this experience.  We have immersed ourselves in their way of life and learned so much along the way.  

Is it worth being away from the known?  Absolutely.  We know that it is temporary and that this wonderful experience will one day come to an end and we will have these memories to look back on. I can only hope that year two goes just as well and we continue to discover more of the unknown.


A few pics from the past week....

Happy Swiss Day!  August 1st is their national holiday- they have a huge festival down by the lake for a week to celebrate- Adalyn insisted on wearing her Heidi dress to celebrate!

Eliza riding the ride!  (Adalyn was too scared!)

Dancing with friends at the festival-