March 15, 2019
A morning walk in Ajaccio unexpectedly brought me to the birthplace of Napoleon. I wandered to a large plaza and encountered a group of schoolkids on a field trip milling about (1) a large plinth with statues of Napoleon and his brothers. The statue was erected during the reign of Napoleon III, during the second empire period (2).
On the bus to the Ajaccio airport (3) I noticed two sailboats that appear to have been tossed onto the seaside promenade, presumably by a winter storm. I caught a flight to Toulouse and had a nice visit with some dear friends who now live in the area.
(1) And attempting to climb on; some of the students were young boys.
(2) Lous-Napoléon Bonapart (a) was elected president of the Second French Republic in 1848. Not wanting to leave office at the end of his term, he staged a coup d'état in 1851, shortly thereafter proclaiming himself Emperor Napoleon III. Thus ended the second French Republic.
(a) He was the nephew of Napoléon Bonaparte: the son of Napoléon's brother Louis and Louis's wife Hortense Beuaharnais, who was the daughter of Napoléon's wife, Josephine, from her first marriage.
(3) Officially, the Aeroport D'Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte (mais oui!).
Napoleon's birthplace
Napoleon Family Statue
Plaque on plinth
Flight to Toulouse
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