Bastia in Corsica | crumbling charm

crumbling façade in Bastia (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Aboard the Seabourn Ovation, we left Rome yesterday and woke up this morning approaching the seaside town of Bastia on the north coast of Corsica. I signed up for a shore excursion, a guided three hour walk through the streets of this interesting town. "Crumbling charm," is how I described it to a colleague. Attractive buildings with crumbling mortar, Bastia does not enjoy the wealth of Paris or many other towns and small cities of France ... but it exudes charm and authenticity.

We visited several architecturally interesting churches from across the centuries (styes including Baroque, Neo Classical, and Rococo), We passed large public squares,  walked down a shopping street with opportunities to purchase souvenirs, and saw the beautiful marbler fountain pictured below.

fountain in Bastia (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

A fun morning that ended with a "taste of Corsica" (i.e., a plate of meats and a wonderful wedge of goat cheese), cruises offer the opportunity to visit see the sights of multiple destinations without ever having to unpack.

copyright (c) 2019 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

concerts in Vienna and Salzburg, Austria

St. Stephan's Cathedral in Vienna, Austria, © 2013 by David J. Ourisman

What to do when visiting Austria? We enjoyed two concerts in Vienna and Salzburg during our recent trip to Austria. Both were among the highlights of our trip and highly recommended for lovers of Baroque and Classical music.

We heard Vivaldi's Four Seasons at the St. Charles Church in Vienna. The church's Baroque architecture provided the perfect setting for this masterpiece of Baroque music, and the chamber orchestra (and soloist!) provided a virtuoso performance of Vivaldi's most beloved and familiar work.

Salzburg is the birthplace of W.A. Mozart. Not only did we tour the home in which Mozart grew up, we enjoyed a dinner concert, courtesy of the tourist board of Austria. The meal was enjoyable, and the concert consisted of arias from The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro, and Don Giovanni as well as selections from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik performed by a string quartet and operatic soloists.

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.