Tag Archives: Festival

Top events in 2013

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2013 looks to be a good year for Corsica (and for us) with bookings well up on last year and lots of fascinating events to look forward to. Here’s a quick run down of some of the events and what’s new on the island for 2013.

The Tour de France hits Corsica for the first time (29th June – 1st July 2013)

I know we’ve mentioned it a few times, but this really is big news for the island and we can’t wait to see footage of the event – the whole world will get to see just how beautiful (and challenging for cyclists) Corsica is. We’ve had lots of enquiries from people wanting to be on the island during this time so if you are considering a trip it’s worth booking soon before the best flights and accommodation are sold. To celebrate we are carrying a limited number of bikes for free on our Stansted-Calvi flight so you can follow in the riders’ footsteps (or whatever the cycling equivalent is!). We have also introduced cycling holiday itineraries, one which of which retraces stage 3 of the tour – find out more.

Calvi Jazz Festival (19th – 23rd June 2013)

This year the Calvi Jazz Festival features the Glenn Ambassadors Big Band, a tribute to Glenn Miller, as well as the Calvi Soul Band and many other performers. As well as the ticketed concerts, the streets of Calvi become stages for impromptu jamming sessions. Tickets go on sale 1st March. Find accommodation in Calvi

Calvi Jazz Festival

Calvi Jazz Festival

Calvi on the Rocks (5th – 10th July 2013)

Calvi on the Rocks is an outdoor dance festival with four outdoor stages on the beaches of Calvi. This annual festival was founded in 2003 and includes both ticketed evening events and free day parties. The line-up for this year is yet to be announced, but previous acts have included Foals, The Rapture and Laurent Garnier. Find accommodation in Calvi

Les Nuits de la Guitare in Patrimonio (19th – 26th July 2013)

Each summer this tiny village of just 600 inhabitants hosts an 8-day guitar festival which in the past has attracted some big names such as Iggy and the Stooges, Tom Jones, Elvis Costello, Joe Cocker, Tracy Chapman, Simple Minds, Robert Plant and The Beach Boys as well as many Corsican and international artists. The full line-up for 2013 hasn’t been announced yet, but should be soon. Keep an eye out and buy tickets online. We have a few villas in the village or close by including La Maison de Marie, Villa les Oliviers, U Quercu, Villa di Ceppo.

La Maison de Marie

La Maison de Marie is in the heart of the village of Patrimonio, beside the 13th century church

Rencontres Polyphoniques in Calvi (10th – 14th September 2013)

A celebration of this unique Corsican singing held in the ancient buildings and cobbled streets of Calvi Citadel. There are ticketed events each evening as well as busking on the streets. You can read more about the festival from Kathryn Burrington who attended the festival a couple of years ago and see some of her photographs.

Rencontres Polyphoniques Festival in Calvi

Rencontres Polyphoniques Festival in Calvi

A Fiera di U Casgiu in Venaco (4th – 5th May 2013)

Rick Stein visited this rural cheese fair on for his BBC programme ‘Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes’ and it’s a chance to see and sample some of the traditional local produce. The event is held in the village of Venaco near Corte in central Corsica where there are a couple of good hotels.

Porto Latino in St Florent: (3rd – 6th August 2013) 

During this 4-day Latin festival there are nightly open-air concerts in St Florent Citadel. This year’s line-up hasn’t been announced yet but to find out more visit the festival website or watch this video for an idea of what it’s all about. And if you’re interested in staying nearby, here are some properties we’d recommend. 

What’s hot for 2012?

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Corsican Places product manager Amandine Blanchard tells us what’s new and what’s hot for 2012…

Despite all the bad news stories in the press and the number of travel companies that are struggling, Corsican Places has had a promising start since launching our 2012 programme to Corsica with bookings up on the previous year. Hopefully this means we’re doing something right that our customers appreciate, but more so that the beauty, culture, cuisine and close proximity of Corsica is winning in a tough market. We’d like to say thank you to everyone who has already booked to travel to the ‘Island of Beauty’ in 2012, and for those who haven’t, here are my recommendations for what’s hot in Corsica in 2012.

  1.  A new flight from Manchester to Calvi exclusively available through Corsican Places and operated by Flybe on their brand new aircraft, running every Sunday from 27th May until 23rd September 2012.

    Jazz Orlando Poleo

    Orlando Poleo performing at the Calvi Jazz Festival

  2. The Calvi Jazz Festival is one of my favourite events on the island – this year it runs from 19th to 24th June. Other top events worth travelling for are: Calvi on the Rocks (6th-11th July), Rencontres Polyphoniques (11th-15th September) and Les Nuits de la Guitare in Patrimonio which takes place each July, although the dates for 2012 are yet to be announced.
  3. The 100th Tour de France will start in Corsica in 2013 for the first time so we’re expecting a lot of interest in the island over the next year or so. There will be three stages on the island: Porto Vecchio to Bastia, Bastia to Ajaccio and Ajaccio to Calvi.
  4. With a double bank holiday at the beginning of June, you can have a week’s holiday but only need 3 days off work. This is already the fastest selling week of the year so we expect flights to Corsica and accommodation to sell out.
  5. I’ve been out to Corsica sourcing lots of new interesting accommodation for 2012, here are a few of my favourites:

    Casa Cassaninca in Calvi

    Casa Cassaninca in Calvi

    • Casa Cassaninca, Calvi – the real attraction of this 3 bedroom villa is the close proximity to Calvi with its restaurants and beach and the great views of the Citadel.

      Villa Vallone in Tarrabucceta

      Villa Vallone in Tarrabucceta

    • Villa Vallone, Tarrabucceta – a stylish contemporary villa in a really quiet location, the perfect retreat.

      La Tour de Calanca in Olmeto

      La Tour de Calanca in Olmeto

    • La Tour de Calanca, Olmeto – a fairy tale location and another place to really escape with direct access to a quiet beach.

      Hotel le Splendid restaurant in L'Ile Rousse

      Hotel le Splendid restaurant in L'Ile Rousse

    • Hotel le Splendid, L’Ile Rousse – great value hotel in a quiet street but just 50 metres from the beach with a good restaurant serving organic food.

 

Calvi Jazz Festival – not just Jazz!

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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…

Cynthia Saint-Ville Quartet, Calvi Jazz Festival 2011

…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. While I ate another band started playing. They moved from restaurant to restaurant, along the marina and through the backstreets. 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 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.

Orlando Poleo y su Chaworo, Calvi Jazz Festival 2011

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.

Orlando Poleo, Calvi Jazz Festival 2011

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.

Click here for more of my photos

Fête de la Musique in L’Ile Rousse

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Another glorious day and I’m off to L’Ile Rousse, a laid back coastal town about 11 miles from Calvi with a beautiful sandy beach set against a back drop of the La Balagne mountains.

Parking near the train station the walk into town offers a lovely view of the beach. I’m here to photograph the town and start by exploring the cobbled streets near the beach filled with numerous enticing restaurants and interesting little shops, as well as the usual seaside postcard and souvenir outlets and a charming covered market.

The smell of fresh fruits greets me as I wonder from stall to stall, stopping a while by the honey as the stall holder insists that I try every single variety of honey he has (and there are quite a few) followed by a rather delicious glass of mead. Having purchased my favourite pot made by bees that have fed on the marquis (the wild herbs growing over much of Corsica), I move on past stalls of cured meats, fresh fish, oils and local cheeses. Tempting, but it’s back to the beach for me. The water is the clearest blue I’ve ever seen and so inviting but instead of swimming I try to capture its beauty with my camera.

That evening, I dine with friends in one of the many fabulous restaurants here. As we are finishing our meal a choir gathers outside and bursts into song! It is World Music Day after all – a tradition started in Paris in the 80s known as Fête de la Musique where concerts are held across France to celebrate the summer solstice every 21st June.

The original idea was that amateur and professional musicians perform in the streets all-night. Two conditions sanctioned by the official Fête de la Musique organization in Paris are that all concerts must be free to the public, and all performers donate their time for free. World Music Day is now celebrated around the globe and in fact I first heard of it while travelling in Africa.

Before dusk a concert starts in L’Ile Rousse’s town square – musicians of all ages entertain locals and tourists alike into the early hours. Luckily my friends’ son has no school tomorrow!

There is also a free concert going on in Calvi tonight to celebrate Fête de La Musique and to mark the start of the annual Calvi Jazz Festival.

Back in Algajola another concert is still in full swing under the arcade close to my hotel and I am tempted to join in the celebrations but I have an early start in the morning. Luckily in my hotel room the noise is unobtrusive and I easily fall asleep, dreaming of another wonderful day in Corsica.

Click here to see more of my photos