Monday, April 24, 2006
Souvenirs from Corsica
What on earth do you bring back from Corsica as a souvenir for a friend, a loved one or, if you've nobody else to buy for, yourself?
I've often wondered, and I can't pretend to have the complete answer. However, here goes with some ideas. If your recipient is a cook, you could try giving a pack of chestnut flour (oddly, this is almost white - not brown as I had expected) and you can use it for making a range of different cakes and breads (a search on Google will yield some recipes if you don't feel you can throw in a Corsican cookery book as an extra gift).
If you have some luggage space spare, you could try bringing some Corsican wine or beer back with you. Choose these with care (ie taste a sample first!) and they'll be delighted with your gift. Or if you know your recipient really well, you could buy some Corsican music. This, as I've stressed before, is not for everyone but if you know your subject you could convert someone for life. And if you are a European resident, don't forget that you can also bring a plant home with you for the greenhouse, window ledge or a sunny spot in the garden.
There is some lovely jewelry to be purchased in some of the intriguing side streets to be found in Corsica's towns, and as in most Mediteranean islands, there are plenty of leather goods and spectacular pictorial table mats. All very well. However, I nearly always come back empty handed these days, not because I'm particularly mean but because the things I treasure most from this place are in my mind.
I've often wondered, and I can't pretend to have the complete answer. However, here goes with some ideas. If your recipient is a cook, you could try giving a pack of chestnut flour (oddly, this is almost white - not brown as I had expected) and you can use it for making a range of different cakes and breads (a search on Google will yield some recipes if you don't feel you can throw in a Corsican cookery book as an extra gift).
If you have some luggage space spare, you could try bringing some Corsican wine or beer back with you. Choose these with care (ie taste a sample first!) and they'll be delighted with your gift. Or if you know your recipient really well, you could buy some Corsican music. This, as I've stressed before, is not for everyone but if you know your subject you could convert someone for life. And if you are a European resident, don't forget that you can also bring a plant home with you for the greenhouse, window ledge or a sunny spot in the garden.
There is some lovely jewelry to be purchased in some of the intriguing side streets to be found in Corsica's towns, and as in most Mediteranean islands, there are plenty of leather goods and spectacular pictorial table mats. All very well. However, I nearly always come back empty handed these days, not because I'm particularly mean but because the things I treasure most from this place are in my mind.
# posted by Derekthered @ 2:45 PM 
