Tag Archives: Corsica

10 French Christmas Traditions

Posted on 16/12/2016 by

Like every country in Christendom, France has a range of Christmas traditions, local and nationwide. I explore a few in this post. Christmas used to be lower key, less commercialised and of shorter duration than in the UK. During our … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

SW France Summer Weather 2015

Posted on 07/10/2015 by

We had a great holiday on Corsica a couple of weeks ago. And it was a good thing we went then, because we had nice weather for the most part. One week later and it would have been quite different: … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Shutters

Posted on 15/01/2015 by

    One of the things that distinguish French houses from English ones is the use of shutters. This is not to say that no English houses have them; rather, that a lot of French buildings do, especially in the … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

French Solstice Customs

Posted on 22/12/2014 by

  This post was written three years ago. This year, 2017, the solstice occurs at 4.28 pm GMT on 21st December. We’re in winter now, marked by a sharp frost and bright sunshine (hurray!). The winter solstice occurred today in … Continue reading →

Posted in Corsica, Customs, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Corsican Vendetta in Fiction and in Reality

Posted on 28/09/2014 by

  We have recently returned from our fifth visit to Corsica, the setting for my novel, The House at Zaronza (temporarily unavailable; to be reissued in April 2018). L’Île de Beauté is a captivating place, with a savage beauty and … Continue reading →

Posted in Books/writing, Corsica, History, Personalities, Places | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Prehistoric Corsica: the Remarkable Site at Filitosa

Posted on 21/09/2014 by

  Les Journées du Patrimoine fell this weekend in France, when historic monuments and sites throughout the country are open, many for free. I’d like to mark them with an account of a visit that has been on my bucket … Continue reading →

Posted in Corsica, History, Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Another excerpt from ‘The House at Zaronza’

Posted on 13/07/2014 by

With a little over two weeks to go before publication, here is another short extract from my novel The House at Zaronza. The story is set in early 20th-century Corsica and at the Western Front during World War I.

Posted in Books/writing, Corsica, History | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

An excerpt from my forthcoming novel, ‘The House at Zaronza’

Posted on 26/06/2014 by

I’m getting very excited about the publication of my historical novel with Crooked Cat Publishing, which is only just over a month away. I’m also delighted with the cover, above. Between now and 29th July, I’ll publish a few short extracts, starting … Continue reading →

Posted in Books/writing, Corsica, Places | Tagged , , , , , | 20 Comments

Meet My Main Character from My Novel ‘The House at Zaronza’

Posted on 19/05/2014 by

Today, I’m taking part in a blog hop for historical novelists, entitled ‘Meet My Main Character’. I was tagged by fellow writer and Writers Abroad colleague Dianne Ascroft who wrote about her main character last week.

Posted in Books/writing, Corsica | Tagged , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

My novel, The House at Zaronza, to be published by Crooked Cat Publishing

Posted on 18/03/2014 by

I’m thrilled to announce that my novel, The House at Zaronza, will be published by independent publishers Crooked Cat Publishing, probably this summer. The novel is based partly on a true story, which we discovered on holiday in Corsica in … Continue reading →

Posted in Books/writing, Corsica | Tagged , , , , , , | 30 Comments

The Next Big Thing – ‘The House at Zaronza’

Posted on 04/01/2013 by

Since I wrote this (in 2013), The House at Zaronza has been published by Crooked Cat Publishing, in July 2014. Find out more about it on my writing site. The House at Zaronza is temporarily unavailable pending a new edition … Continue reading →

Posted in Books/writing, Corsica | Tagged , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Round the Bend in Corsica

Posted on 28/10/2012 by

How do you get about in Corsica? The island is less than 200 kilometers long but has spiny mountain ranges everywhere. Until well into the 19th century, most roads were mule tracks and many villages were isolated and almost inaccessible. We’ve tried … Continue reading →

Posted in Corsica, Places, Walking in France | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

A Romantic, and True, Corsican Tale

Posted on 07/10/2012 by

Wherever I go, I find out so much more if I speak to the locals. This was certainly so during our recent – fourth – visit to Corsica, where we always find new things to see. We would not have … Continue reading →

Posted in Books/writing, Corsica, History | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

Foreign Flavours: A New Anthology from Writers Abroad

Posted on 24/10/2011 by

The online writing group I belong to, Writers Abroad, publishes today a new anthology of short stories and non-fiction articles, entitled Foreign Flavours. The theme of the anthology is food, drink and recipes from around the world.

Posted in Books/writing, Food/drink/recipes, Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Walking in Corsica: Spoilt for Choice

Posted on 23/06/2011 by

Corsica is a paradise for walkers. Whether you are into extreme walking or just want a Sunday stroll, there is something for everyone. We are somewhere between the two. Although we have walked in Corsica before, this time we wanted … Continue reading →

Posted in Corsica, French life, Places, Walking in France | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Corsica: where to stay

Posted on 17/06/2011 by

For my other posts on Corsica, please click on ‘Corsica’ under topics in the righthand sidebar. Let’s be straight about this upfront. Corsica lives mainly from tourism, whether some of the inhabitants like it or not. The island has everything: … Continue reading →

Posted in Corsica, French life, Personalities, Places, Walking in France | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Letting the train take the strain in Corsica

Posted on 14/06/2011 by

For my other posts on Corsica, please click on ‘Corsica’ under topics in the righthand sidebar. Most guidebooks will tell you that the only way to get around in Corsica is by car or motorbike. Up to a point, this … Continue reading →

Posted in Corsica, French life, Places, Walking in France | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Corsica: l’Île de Beauté

Posted on 11/06/2011 by

For my other posts on Corsica, please click on ‘Corsica’ under topics in the righthand sidebar. The Greeks called it ‘Kalliste’ (the beautiful one); and Corsica certainly is beautiful in a savage, rugged kind of way. It’s known today as … Continue reading →

Posted in Corsica, French life, History, Personalities, Places, Walking in France | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments