R. Doug Wicker's Blog, page 48

Bonus Holidays Recipe Article: Roasting Chestnuts

Hot, freshly roasted chestnuts with a little butter

Yep, it’s late fall. Chestnuts are showing up at the local grocers’ or, in our case, the local Whole Foods. And pricy though they may be, roasting these little gems at home is a heck of a lot cheaper than flying to Europe to get a paper sack full of chestnuts from a street vendor. Besides, if you can find good, fresh chestnuts, it’s simply too easy to do these at home, and in very little time. So, let’s get started with this step-by-step rec...

Mediterranean Cruise 2022 — Ajaccio Cathedral, Corsica

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption of Ajaccio

Today I present to you yet another of the three ABCs of European travel (Another Bloody Castle, Another Bloody Church, Another Bloody Cathedral). Old joke and, yes, I’m just kidding. Both Ursula and I just love these things. Today it’s another cathedral — Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption of Ajaccio, otherwise known simply as Ajaccio Cathedral. This structure was erected between 1577 and 1593 and is credited to famed Italian architect G...

Fun Photo Friday — Mediterranean 2022; Corsica Favorites Part 2

Napoleon misplaced his hat?

Today is Part 2 of 3 Fun Photo Friday favorites of Corsica. Next week we return to Corsica for a tour of Cathedral Santa Maria Assunta (Monday) and a pass by Napoleon’s childhood home. Until then:

Mediterranean Cruise 2022 — Walking the Streets of Ajaccio, Corsica

It was approaching 12:30 p.m. when our bus arrived back into Ajaccio. We would soon return to our pickup point just outside the cruise terminal. In the background above and in the photo below you can see our competition that day for resources, NCL’s Epic (for more on this ship, see: Fun Photo Friday — Epic photos of an Epic ship). The Epic is a nice ship, but we were not happy to see her in port this day. Her passengers outnumbered us by several thousand, and she stole our berth, which requi...

Mediterranean Cruise 2022 — More Bus Touring Back Into Ajaccio, Corsica

Our bus took us as far as Torra de a Parata, where we could see in the distance the Phare des Îles Sanguinaires (Sanguinaires Islands Lighthouse). After that we turned around and headed back into Ajaccio, hugging the coast along highway D111 the whole way. Today I’m going to let the beaches and other sights do the talking for me, as there’s not a whole lot to say but there is much to see. It was almost nonstop beaches the entire way. On Wednesday I’ll get a bit more descriptive as we leave t...

Fun Photo Friday — Mediterranean 2022; Corsica Favorites Part 1

U Papacionu

Time of the first of three Fun Photo Friday adventures featuring Ajaccio, island of Corsica, France. I hope you enjoy the show.

Mediterranean Cruise 2022 — Ajaccio Touring by Bus; Corsica

Ajaccio by Bus

Before we walked the streets of Ajaccio on Corsica, Ursula snagged us a quick bus tour just outside the cruise terminal. She was anxious to get us aboard, as another much larger cruise ship was preparing to offload passengers and the bus would fill up quickly if we did not act. The bus would take us to some highlights in southwest Ajaccio, then head west for some sights we would not otherwise have seen.

Ajaccio, island of Corsica, France Heading out of town

Our bus took...

Mediterranean Cruise 2022 — Vision of the Seas Approaches Ajaccio, Corsica, France

Over the next three weeks I’ll be showing you Ajaccio in the Corse-du-Sud (Southern Corsica) department of Corsica. Ajaccio is also the capital of the island. This was an exciting stop for us, as during our many Mediterranean voyages we had never before visited Corsica. Indeed, many of the destinations on this eight-day cruise were new to us.

Vision of the Seas approaches Golfe d’Ajaccio (Gulf of Ajaccio)

We sailed into Ajaccio at about 9:00 a.m. on 16 May 2022. As such, the lighting wa...

Fun Food Friday — Manofica — Best Pizza in Toulon, or Best Anywhere?

Munching at Manofica

Ursula and I had earlier passed an establishment back on Quai Cronstadt that had what looked to be some very delectable pizza. Today I’m going to introduce you to what could be the best pizza we’ve ever had at a place called Manofica. The charming restaurant also gives you options to dine either inside or out, and offers up some exquisite views of Toulon Harbor and the marina just outside.

Looks good!

Some fellow Vision of the Seas passengers were dining there, and t...

Mediterranean Cruise 2022 — The Ferry to Toulon and a Walk Around

Our ferry approaches: Rade de Toulon (Toulon Harbor)

Ursula and I had a comfortable amount of time remaining before we were due back to Vision of the Seas for our next destination. So, we got in line at the ferry pier in La Seyne-sur-Mer and waited to take the ferry across the harbor into Toulon. By about 1:00 p.m. we were there.

Harborside in Toulon on Quai Cronstadt (Cronstadt Quay)

The walk along Cronstadt Quay is rather enjoyable, with many bars, cafés, and restaurants to entice you ...