What is Corsican culture for you?
First of all, its languagewhich is holding up rather well compared to other regions; its musique and his songsnotably polyphonic which literally grabs the guts; its gastronomy with its cheeses, such as brocciu which we find in many recipes, but also its specialties based on chestnut flour, its succulent cold meats, its diverse and varied wines, its dishes based on meat, fish, etc. Its festivals, most often religious, because the Corse has always been very pious, as evidenced by the immense heritage of the island and its complex and eventful history, with big names like Pascal Paoli, Napoleon Bonaparte… An art of living, particularly in the villages which are truly the soul of the Corsican people, where their strong character has been forged over the centuries, and this in a wild nature of great beauty, this environment having been the wonderful showcase of Corsican culture.
To relax, what do you do?
I don't know if it's really relaxation, but whenever I have time, I read books on history, earth sciences, social phenomena, ecology, etc. Ultimately everything that is linked to understanding the world in which we live, since these are subjects which, as long as I can remember, have always fascinated me. I almost constantly make summaries which I compile into a work which I will perhaps try to have published one day, because it is written in simple language which everyone can understand. Otherwise, I like hiking in the mountains of our island, where I indulge in my favorite pastime, photography, whether with the high altitude lakes, the valleys, the waterfalls, and especially the villages, which are of great beauty and which have most often kept all their authenticity.
A blog, an Instagram account, X (ex-Twitter) that you follow, that you like…
To be honest, I am very little on social networks, a question of generation perhaps, except on Facebook where I publish photos of Corsica, in order to show the beauty of our island and the love I have for it. This translates into posts throughout the year, where each season is highlighted, because many people who follow me do not know Corsica in autumn or winter for example, although these are very interesting periods. , especially for landscape photos, with much better light than in summer.
Then, it's nice to get feedback from followers, which also allows me to see which photos I like the most, in order to incorporate them into future editorial projects.
A book
The awakening of intelligenceby the Indian philosopher Krishnamurti, this book being a bit of a summary of his thought, which is very influenced by Eastern philosophies of course, but also Western, since he was born in India during the British period and studied with them. It's this mix of cultures that attracted me to him, because the different aspects of these philosophies also interest me.
A movie
Dances with Wolves by Kevin Costner, with the latter as the main actor, and this for its grandiose natural settings of the great American plains. In addition, I love the simple and authentic life of the first peoples, especially Native Americans, who have unfortunately seen their culture almost completely erased.
The Iron Throneor Game of Thrones broadcast in the 2010s, and which we no longer present as it had a great impact. However, I will say a few words about it for those who missed it: this series is set in a fictional and fantastic world in the middle of the medieval period, where several stories intertwine, ending up coming together in a most spectacular finale, notably thanks to to the presence of dragons.
An artist
David Gilmourinitially guitarist-singer of the group Pink Floyd, whom I had the chance to see, among others, during the grandiose concert in Versailles on June 22, 1988. This man has, it must be said, an absolutely unique guitar game , which he highlights in compositions that are classified as “progressive rock”, a style that I particularly like.
A song
Shine on you crazy diamondagain from the group Pink Floyd, which is taken from the legendary album Wish you were herebecause it was with this piece that I opened up to progressive music at the end of 1976. This song spoke of absence in general, with an absolutely unique atmosphere, mixed with synthesizer layers and solos voluptuous guitar.
A dish
Crispy potato pancakes what my mother was doing in the frying pan. For those who don't know, you simply have to grate potatoes and onions, which you mix with a little flour, eggs, oil, salt and pepper, finally, its little secret, add a little beer to the preparation before cooking, which makes it a succulent and very simple dish.
