Corsica belongs to France. However, judging from St. Florent and villages along the northern coast it seemed more Italian. It had something new and something old; something "paisano" like.

After our tender dropped us off, we had a brief look at the town. Then we boarded a bus.

The northern peninsula of Corsica, Cap Corse, has some beautiful, wild terrain. Years ago, the villages along here were cut off from the rest of the island until Napoleon had a coach road built along the steep coastal cliffs. The bus drove us to see this remote area.

A brief stop at Nonza included a hike to the top of this point with its square tower used in the olden days as a look-out fortress. The view of the sea and beach below were spectacular. Except for the quaint villages, the coastal route reminded us of highway US-1 south of Carmel, California.

After a visit to this simple but beautifully decorated church in Nonza, we continued and crossed over the Santa Lucia Pass (California again?). Along the east side of the penincula we stopped at Erbalunga, a village with typical French charm.

In the evening the ship departed for Monaco.

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