An unusual day around Ajaccio: only one step separates the mountain from the sea +Added to my favoriteItem already present

Ajaccio, 8am. The skis are on the roof of the car. Cosy  in my jacket I take the road to the ski resort of Val d’Ese, an hour away. The sun is shining brightly. My day’s programme is enough to make the whole world pale with jealousy! Who can boast being able to ski in the morning and then eat fresh sea urchins for lunch?

With these buoyant thoughts I take to the road. An hour later I’m making my first tracks. It snowed last night and the snow is good.

Arriving at the top of the blue run, I take a moment to appreciate my surroundings. The view is breathtaking: the sea is there in front of me, an unusual addition to the white landscape. This is the famous ‘blue triangle’ that Val d’Ese is known for.

At midday I decide to rest at a resort bar with a good hot chocolate. It’s then time for me to go back down to sea level and enjoy the second part of my day: the beach, its rocks, sand and sea urchins! My fishing companions are waiting for me.

By 1pm I arrive on a beach on the south shore of the Gulf of Ajaccio, causing general hilarity: thermals and ski pants for me, T-shirts and shorts for others! But it doesn’t matter, everyone is there, the atmosphere is lively and morale is high. There isn’t a cloud on the horizon, the sky is a deep blue and sea urchin buckets are filled to the brim. The fishing has been more than a success.

It’s high time to savour this moment – a beautiful day that can only exist on our Island of Beauty.