This week’s travel snap takes us back to the island of beauty, Corsica and the lovely village of Agajola. I’ve visited several times and stayed there for a few days while on assignment for Corsican Places photographing the area. It certainly was a great base from which to explore la Balagne. This shot is my favourite from a series I took at different times of the day from just outside my hotel, looking back at the village and the sweeping bay of sand, known as Aregno Plage.

Photography Tip – Nightscapes

Usually, but of course there are always exceptions to the rule, the best time to take a photograph of a view by night is about half an hour after sunset when there is still some light in the sky but it is dark enough for an effective night shot. Find the spot from where you want to take your photograph, set up your camera on a tripod and wait. You will need a very long exposure so to avoid camera shake when you press the shutter, so use a shutter release or set the camera on timer. There is usually about a ten minute window when the light is just right. If you are looking east that window will be a little earlier then if you are looking west as there will be more light in the sky where the sun has set.

Travel Photo Roulette

This photograph is also my entry for Round 42 of Travel Photo Roulette: theme ‘evening’. Entries must be in by 11.59pm Monday May 14th. Do check it out; there are some really amazing photos entered so far. Glad I don’t have to pick the winner!

More about Algajola

You can read more about the area in my post Algajola and exploring La Balagne (written originally for The Corsica Blog.)

As regular readers of my blog will know the beautiful Mediterranean island of Corsica is one of my favourite places and the laid back, pretty, seaside town of L’Ile Rousse is one of my favourite towns.

This week’s travel snap is of a charming backstreet just a couple of minutes’ walk from the beach; the perfect place to find a great restaurant, souvenir or ice cream after a hard day’s sunbathing!

As with last week’s snap this is an HDR image but this time I’ve chosen to go for a less subtle but what I hope is a more artistic approach. Again I’d really value your feedback – good or bad, as I know HDR photography is not everyone’s cup of tea! See the unaltered and uncropped original on Flickr.

If anyone would like to find out more about HDR photography why not join me and the twitter friends I’ve made at ‘togchat’. Held every Wednesday at 8am and 8pm BST simply check out the tweets using #togchat. If you want to join the chat simply add #togchat to your tweets. There’s a different photographic theme each week and next week, Wednesday 2nd May, is HDR photography. You can also find the group on Flickr and submit photos for critique and questions about HDR photography there too.

Having taken a break from my weekly travel snaps to host Travel Photo Roulette (which I really enjoyed by the way)  I’ll now return to my weekly posts featuring one of my photographs from my travels.

This week… Ostriconi beach, in the north-west of Corsica. The view looking down over the beach is simply stunning.

At the view-point from where I took this photograph last June, if you turn a little to your right you will see a river gently winding through green pastures with a backdrop of mountains (and of course that wonderful blue sky) until the river reaches the sweeping bay that is Ostriconi beach. It was so lovely I couldn’t stop taking pictures in both directions!

The only way to reach the beach is to hire a car (or bicycle), find the small turning off the N1197 to the beach, then find a parking space which is not easy at the height of summer, climb down the hillside, ford the river, walk across the sands and voilà, you’re there!

View Larger Map

See more pictures of Corsica, including the view from here inland on Flickr

Read about my travels in Corsica and other Corsican ‘Travel Snaps’ here

Holidays in Corsica from Corsican Places

There’s a great photography post doing the rounds at the moment called ’7 Super Shots’. HostelBookers.com put out the call to select 7 of your favourite photographs, one for each of the following categories, then tag 5 bloggers that you would like to take part. I was really pleased when Anja nominated me. So here are my 7 shots…

1. A photo that…takes my breath away

The pretty seaside town of L’Ile Rousse, Corsica and the stunning beach – the colour of the sea took my breath away the first time I saw it and no matter how often I return it still does. A shot taken in the other direction featured in my ‘ Travel snap of the week’ recently so check it out if you’d like to know a more about L’Ile Rousse.

2. A photo that…makes me laugh or smile

These wonderful children in The Gambia always make me smile when I visit their school in Brikama. Read about my last visit in ‘My dairy from the smiling coast of Africa.’

3. A photo that…makes me dream

Calvi beach (also in Corsica) with a back drop of pine trees and the mountains beyond – I regularly dream of being back in Corsica!

4. A photo that…makes me think

I took this photograph while on a photographic assignment in Senegal. Whenever I look at it I wonder what she was thinking. I think she looks sad. My guide did speak to her to ask if it was OK to take a few photos before I barged into her home.  I do hope she didn’t mind the intrusion too much. I felt frustrated that all I could do was smile and thank her in English or French without knowing whether she understood a word of what I was saying.

As a travel photographer you often find your self intruding in people’s lives. When is it OK and when are you crossing the line?

5. A photo that…makes my mouth water

Cupcakes topped with strawberries and cream, in Brighton, England. Delicious!

6. A photo that…tells a story

This statue in memory of the end of slavery is a poignant reminder of the tragic past of Gorée Island just off the coast of Dakar, Senegal. Once a transportation post for slaves leaving Africa it is now a very beautiful little island with pretty pastel painted buildings and flower filled streets plus a museum about slavery. A ‘must see’ when visiting Dakar. More of my photos from Senegal are on Flickr.

7. A photo that…I am most proud of (aka my worthy of National Geographic shot)

This is a tough one! My favourite photograph changes regularly and I’ve already posted a few in my weekly ‘Travel snap’ features. Not wanting to repeat myself here’s another one of my favourites shots of a street in Mindelo on the island of São Vicente in Cape Verde.

Thanks again Anja for nominating me. There are lots of  bloggers’ I’d like to pass this on too but I better limit this to 5 as requested!

So I’m asking the following to share their ’7 Super Shots’ with us.

Suzanne, The Travel Bunny

Cynthia, Hapidayz

Abu, A Visual Journey

Andrew, Andrew Graeme Gould Photography

Greg, Wanders & Wonders

This week’s picture post is of one of my favourite beaches, L’Ile Rousse in northern Corsica. For those of you who follow me on twitter you might recognise it as my background image, but what makes it such a wonderful beach?

As you can see it has soft white sand, the clearest of water and a gently sloping seabed. I have waded in up to my neck here and still being able to see my feet as if looking through glass. Every time I have visited this beach it has never been anything other than beautiful and calm.

What you can’t see in this photo is the wonderful town of L’Ile Rousse itself. Just off the beach is the town square surrounded by charming cafés and restaurants where you can sit in the shade of one hundred year old plane trees and watch the world go by. The parish church over looks the square in front of which giant date palms provide shade for the occasional game of petanque.

Leading off from here are a number of lovely little cobbled streets running parallel to the coast where you’ll find a traditional covered market, more wonderful restaurants, a few souvenir shops and some stylish boutiques. Yet more great restaurants can be found on the beach itself.

The town square plays host to numerous events throughout the year including Fête de La Musique held every 21st June (which is the day I took this photograph last year).

See more of my photos of L’Ile Rousse on Flickr.

Calvi is a wonderful town in La Balagne region of Corsica and the evening is a good time to photograph the marina with the 500 year old citadel in the background. There’s about a ten minute window when the light is just right to get this type of shot – when it’s dark enough for the lights to show up but there’s enough light in the sky to make an interesting picture.

Calvi hosts some great festivals. Read about my experiences at Calvi Jazz Festival in June and Rencontres de Chants Polyphoniques de Calvi in September.

Calvi is a wonderful town on the beautiful Mediterranean island of Corsica with an impressive citadel looking down over a luxury yacht filled marina. I’ve visited Calvi many  times, both on holiday and whilst on photography assignments for Corsican Places. It’s the home of some very special music festivals (Jazz, Polyphony) and a wonderful place to explore with numerous restaurants, cafes and bars to choose from and, just outside the town centre, a sweeping bay with a white sand beach and a back drop of pine woods and mountains.

With so many enticing restaurants to choose from where do you start? While in a wonderful setting, the restaurants along the beach are expensive and even if you have spent a lot on a meal you will still be expected to pay about 10 euros for a half day rental for a couple sunbeds and an umbrella. Generally these restaurants are closed in the evenings.

Another area people tend to head for to find a good restaurant is around the marina along Quai Landry – a great place to people watch and to admire the expensive yachts but for better value, a warmer welcome and I think a better atmosphere, I prefer the restaurants set back from the marina.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

A Cigala is a lovely little restaurant, decorated in a cheerful yellow and green, next to Calvi’s covered market on Place de Marché. Specialising in fish and paella, it has been recommended by the Guide Petit Futé for the last three years. When I was here in June I found a pleasant welcome and good service. Passing on the seafood paella at 40 euros for 2 people, I opted for a tasty lasagne for 10 euros, still a bit pricey, but it was so delicious I was more than happy.

Another restaurant which I found quite charming was Casa Vinu on Boulevard Wilson. It was fairly early in the evening and there was no one else in the restaurant other than three generations of the family who owned it. They sat chatting away on a table near me and although no one spoke English, and my French is minimal to say the least, I was made to feel very welcome. Rather than choose anything from the menu on the blackboard I was offered a pie and, with no idea what was inside, I smiled and nodded. Soon, said pie returned, heated up and with a side salad. The vegetarian dish was not the most delicious meal I’d ever had but I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this simple pavement café that looked as if it would be at home in any impressionist’s painting. I would also suggest a visit to Casa Vinu to any wine connoisseurs as inside you will find Serge Ricco’s wine cellar and you will receive good advice on the wines of Corsica, I’m told.

If you are feeling energetic enough to climb the stairs, Calvi’s citadel offers a number of good places to eat, however, these are again rather more expensive. Opposite the cathedral entrance you will find the pretty tea rooms of Salon de The, a great place to take time-out during a busy day of sightseeing with a cup of tea or coffee and a slice of cake. The pretty interior is full of interesting brick-a-brack and a few antiques. Either sit inside by a picture window overlooking the sea or on a table on the cobbled street overlooking the Place d’Armes.

For a more substantial meal there are three restaurants in the citadel, two on Place d’Armes but I prefer, A Candella, which you will find down a side alley off the square, just passed the Oratoire. With a stunning view over the bay of Calvi it is the perfect place for a special meal. Your waiter will bring out a blackboard displaying the days menu and I found the service very good (and quick). I choose the honey roasted pork with a fig and muscat sauce served with mixed vegetables and herbed, roasted new potatoes for 14 euros. It was delicious washed down with a Colomba beer.

For a cheaper option, take the road leading out of Calvi (towards the airport). You will find a number of pizzerias as well as restaurants serving traditional fare. These tend not to have the charm or the views of the town centre or the citadel restaurants, both of which are mainly pedestrianised areas, however, they are worth visiting if you have to watch your budget and I found the passing cars fairly unobtrusive.

Alternatively you can always pick up something delicious from a pâtisserie and have a picnic on the beach. Set back from the beach on Avenue Christophe Colomb opposite the turning for Route Pietramaggiore is the delightful mini-market of Au marché de l’Orée des Pins selling fruit and vegetables, fresh bread, wine, honey, charcuterie and ‘home-made’ pizzas, quiches and delicious fruit tarts. Although you should keep in mind that it shuts for lunch at around 12.30pm.

And for desert…. a stroll along by the marina is the perfect way to relax after an evening meal and there are a number of places selling delicious ice-creams. For 2 euros you can have a large scoop of chocolat noir, which for me is a little taste of paradise in an ice-cream cone, but there are a myriad of flavours to choose from. The bar/ice-cream parlour/café  Les Glacier on Rue du Marechal Joffre by the marina often has live music and I’ve heard some excellent gypsy swing guitarists here and if you feel like really indulging, for around 10 euros, you can have a seriously huge glass of various flavours of ice-cream with fruit. Tempted?

For more photographs of Calvi visit Travel with Kat on Flickr

A Cigala
Place du Marché 20260 Calvi (on Boulevard Wilson next to covered market)
Tel: 0495 650285
Menu includes fish and paella specialities

Casa Vinu
15 Boulevard Wilson 20260 Calvi
Tel: 0495 313709
Wine merchant and traditional Corsican restaurant

A Candella
Citadel 20260 Calvi
Tel: 0495 654213
Traditional Corsican cuisine

In my last post I shared with you my experience of the wonderful festival held every September in Calvi Rencontres de Chants Polyphoniques de Calvi  hosted by the polyphonic singing group A Fileta. For those of you not familiar with this form of singing here’s a bit of background information (and a taster to whet your appetite).

Polyphonic literally means ‘many voices’ and applies to music where one person plays one melody or rhythm will others play different melodies or rhythms. For instance, in a West African drumming group each drummer (or section of drummers) plays different interlocking, often quite simple, rhythms to produce a far more complicated overall sound. In the case of traditional Corsican polyphony the instrument is the male voice (although there are a number of excellent female groups now too).

Polyphonic singing is found in many cultures from the pygmies of central Africa to the Western musical traditions of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. In Corsica, traditional polyphonic singing had almost died out. Its resurrection coincided with the rise of nationalism of the 1970s and it is now a very important part of modern Corsican culture.

A Filetta, formed in 1978, sing some of the most emotional and moving music I have ever heard. You can listen to A Filetta singing L’Invitu (written in the 1st century) set to some of my photographs of Corsica in the video above. Please note that the photographs are low resolution and are best viewed at the size they appear in this blog.

Every year Calvi’s citadel, which was built over 500 years ago, is the stunning setting for Rencontres de Chants Polyphoniques de Calvi.

Although I’ve visited Corsica a number of times, this was the first time I’ve been lucky enough to be there for this festival and I really hope it won’t be the last. The sky was as blue as ever, the sea as crystal clear, the people as friendly and the beer as refreshing but the music…. the music was simply breathtaking!

The festival was hosted by the polyphonic group, A Filleta. Their album Intantu transports me back to Corsica and a wonderful week of live music, from the buskers with their guitars playing gypsy swing at the foot of the citadel to the diverse collection of artists performing throughout the festival.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Most evenings there were two ticketed events but these were quite pricey and we only went to a couple. On the Saturday afternoon there was also a free concert which sounded interesting although I wasn’t familiar with the acts. I never imagined what a truly unforgettable day this would turn out to be!

On a hot sunny afternoon, on the last day of an already memorable holiday, we climbed the steps of the citadel to Place d’Armes and found a number of craft stalls but no sign of any music!

Following the flow of people from the square down a side alley we came to the 14th century Oratoire and settled into our seats awaiting over 3 hours of live music by artists from Italy,  Mali and Corsica. After a wonderful performance by the Italian singer, Francesca Breschi with her harmonium, accompanied by percussionist Ettore Bonafe, everyone got up and left!

While wondering where the next performance might be, we heard the not so distant sound of a violin and accordion. The duo were playing in the street outside and after a delightful but short performance, a flute led us through the ancient alleyways to a small square, where the Sidikiba Coulibaly Trio from Mali were waiting to entertain us. The crowds soon filled up all the rows of chairs and overflowed onto walls and steps overlooking the little stage. A magical concert followed which delighted the enthusiastic audience.

As the final notes dissipated into the ancient walls, nearby singing reached our ears. Down another alley and up some steps we found another violinist, Maria Zaharia, accompanying Manu Theron (vocals/tammorra) with a lively collection of Occitan songs. After about 20 minutes the duo led us up another street, down passed the cathedral, through the Place d’Armes and back to the Oratoire where they continued their performance. Maria’s fiddling and her infectious smile were a delight and Manu’s vocals were amazing. As they finished they welcomed on to the stage Daniele di Bonaventura with his bandoneon.

We were enjoying the music but didn’t want to miss another concert back at the square, Zi’ Riccardino with Riccardo Abate Esposito (accordion) and Maurillio Tallani et Imma Arguento (vocals and tammorra). Zi’ Riccardino is a delightful character that looks as if he just walked out of a story book from the Brothers Grimm. I only caught the end of his performance as they were singing, playing and dancing down the steps outside the cathedral. His energy and enthusiasm were contagious and it was a joy to watch.

What a wonderful concept! A magical afternoon as one musical delight led into another and took us on a musical tour around the citadel and the festival wasn’t over yet… another free concert that evening – PVC Napoli Quartet’s Neapolitan folk music inspired by magic and mythology. With a stunning backdrop of the mountains across the marina they played tarantellas as the sun went down. We danced and clapped along.

And still the day wasn’t over as we had tickets for the grand finale of the festival and as we waited to go in, a spontaneous and beautiful interlude of polyphonic singing started in the bar opposite the cathedral.

The first half of the concert was a real treat as many of the groups that had performed throughout the festival each did two or three numbers. The polyphonic Ensemble Imeri from Georgia were particularly outstanding.

And to finish… Le Trio Jourban, Palestinian oud trio. The three brothers, who are fourth generation luthiers, and their outstanding percussionist Yousef Hbeisch, interacted skillfully to produce an outstanding and exciting performance of subtle and rich improvisations from their new album AsFãr (journeys). They took my breath away especially when guest vocalist Dhafer Youssef joined them on stage, his haunting vocals perfectly complimenting their beautiful melodies.

The concert ended well after midnight but outside wine and food were being served and the singing continued into the early hours – a wonderful end to the most amazing day!

To see more photos visit Travel with Kat on Flickr

More Myspace links:

A Filetta
Le Trio Joubran
Francesca Breschi
Maria Zaharia
Manu Theron – Lo Còr de la Plana
Daniele di Bonaventura
Carlo Faiello from PVC Napoli Quartet

Held every June (21st to 26th June in 2011) the Calvi Jazz Festival is a wonderful time to visit Northern Corsica. I came across the festival by accident during my first visit to Corsica many years ago. I fell in love with Corsica and the Jazz Festival. Here’s why!

After a morning enjoying the crystal clear waters of one of the many stunning beaches of La Balagne and an afternoon exploring the delightful villages nestled in the hillsides…

…I sipped a cool beer by the marina with views across the waters to snow-capped mountains while listening to a free jazz concert, before dining at one of the many lovely restaurants that can be found in Calvi. As I ate another band started playing. They moved from restaurant to restaurant, along the marina and through the back streets. After dinner I saw a fantastic concert at the foot of the citadel and as I still had just a little energy left I ended the day listening to more live jazz in a bar until the early hours.

On another evening, for a change of scene, I tried the free early evening concert in the Oratoire in the citadel. The gigs here cover a variety of other musical genres and this is probably my favourite venue. It is an intimate, peaceful setting for a concert. Although the quality of the artists is sometimes not quite as high as in the other venues, some of the acts I have seen here have been truly outstanding. In 2006 I was lucky enough to catch the Cuban duo, Alma n Niurka. The gig started with a half empty room but their stunning vocals and exciting guitar playing quickly enticed passers-by in off the street and soon the room filled up. A wonderful concert followed and I eagerly bought their CD at the end. One of my favourite concerts of all time and still one of my favourite albums.

This year the week started with a free concert by Tao By timed to coincide with Fête de la Musique (the annual music festival held across France to celebrate the summer solstice). Other headliners for the week included Panam Panic, the Andy Emler MegaOctet, Marc Lelangue and the Heavy Muffuletas with a Ray Charles tribute night and finishing on Sunday with the Florence Fourcade Quartet.

I particularly enjoyed Salsa Night! The Saturday night by the foot of Calvi’s citadel started with a dance display by the local salsa club followed by a great concert: ‘Orlando Poleo y su Chaworo’ that had everyone out of their seats dancing. Percussionist Orlando led the band with gusto and did a particularly memorable solo that stopped the dancing in it tracks as the audience stood still, transfixed by his drumming.

For me this year’s line-up didn’t disappoint with numerous jazz bands, choirs, a percussion troupe and the fantastic salsa band. Although true jazz fans may prefer it if there was less variety to the musical styles on offer I felt there is still plenty of jazz at the Calvi Jazz Festival.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

See the location of the festival on uencounter.me

See more photographs of Corsica on Flickr