WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CORSICA?
‘This is where my roots are. My grandmother was born here and a lot of my family still lives in Venaco, a village in the mountains. My grandmother was one of seven, and one of her siblings had 10 children, so there are many cousins! Each family has their own house, with gardens full of vegetables. You see goats crossing the road. It’s authentic – a very social, simple place, where nothing is artificial and everything is in harmony with nature. Something speaks to me about this way of life. I feel most myself here.’
WHAT’S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF THE ISLAND?
‘Stepping off the plane – I must have been about three years old. The airport then was just a strip in a field, so we landed straight in the heart of Corsica, right among the trees. What I remember most are the smells: the air was filled with them. It’s very different from the rest of France, there are plants that can only be found here: types of chamomile and orchid; wild eucalyptus, juniper, laurel, rosemary, sage and lavender. It’s such an evocative place for olfactory memory.’
WHERE DO YOU STAY?
‘I usually connect with my family in Venaco – I have my own home here and I can just open the front door and see my cousins – but I like to travel around and visit different spots, too. One of my favourites is L’Ile-Rousse on the north coast, with its pretty white beaches and cobbled streets. Villa Joséphine is a small boutique hotel set in the hills and Hôtel Minera, just outside of town, has stunning views across the sea. Both are quiet and completely immersed in nature, so I can just rest.’
MOST INTERESTING SPOT FOR A CULTURE FIX?
‘The Citadelle in Corte, with its 15th-century castle and barracks – it’s breathtaking because it’s so high up, sitting on a steep rock overlooking the town. It was built under Spanish rule and serves as an interesting
reminder of the island’s political history. There’s also a wonderful museum that traces the traditions of Corsica, from arts and crafts to anthropology.’
WHAT WOULD YOUR IDEAL DAY INCLUDE?
‘I’d spend it by a river, going swimming and having a picnic. There are lots of rivers all over Corsica; I often head to the Vecchio with my family and sit by the Pont de Noceta bridge in Venaco. It’s tranquil and beautiful, and you can go for ages without thinking about the time – you just watch the light changing as the sun moves through the sky.’
WHERE ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES TO EAT?
‘I like really fresh, healthy food. Corsican cooking is Mediterranean, with influences from Italy and France, and lots of regional dishes. I love beignets de poireaux, a leek pastry that’s similar to a doughnut. My grandmother used to make them but I can never get the recipe quite right, so I order them at U Campanile, a hotel and restaurant in the Vivario district, a little south of Venaco. It has incredible cannelloni. I prefer restaurants in the mountains to those by the sea – you get the best cheeses, such as brocciu, made with goat’s milk, and aromatic herbs and spices. The Ferme-Auberge de Campo di Monte, an old stone farmhouse in the countryside around Murato, is an exceptional showcase of local food including ham, cheese and savoury pastries with fresh tomato and wild herbs. I remember my aunt picking wild mint and oregano on the hillside – she knew exactly what she was looking for – then cooking them with vegetables and serving them on pastry with olive oil. A very simple dish, but all you need.’
ANY OTHER STOPS FOR A BITE?
‘Patisserie Casanova, a bakery and pastry shop owned by my good friend Edmond Casanova, is great for snacks. It’s in a historic building on the main street in the town of Corte, in the middle of the island. Edmond makes ice cream from fresh fruit, which is always a hit with my daughters. Another must-try pudding is falculelle – little cakes made with cheese that are simply delicious.’
BEST PLACE FOR A DRINK?
‘It has to be Bar de la Place in Venaco. It’s busy at any time of day and the centre of village life. People come here for a coffee in the morning or have a drink and a pizza in the evening. In Corte, I have a virgin Mojito with fresh mint and lime at bar Le Rex, which is also amazing for tapas.’
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THE LOVELIEST STORES YOU HAVE DISCOVERED?
‘I’m very fond of Corsican products – I try to shop locally when I’m here. There’s IMIZA, a fantastic beauty brand with a store in Bastia, the port town on the northern peninsula. The oils are made with immortelle, a flower that soothes the skin and is especially good for after-sun rehydration. I’m also a fan of Casanera, an organic cosmetics company that works with plants found in the maquis, a shrubland of aromatic herbs that’s unique to the Mediterranean. There are many small markets around, with stalls selling various toiletries made from natural ingredients, where I pick up organic soap with patchouli. And I buy Kyrnella face cream, which you can only get in Corsican pharmacies.’
IS THIS WHERE YOU WERE FIRST INSPIRED TO MAKE PERFUME?
‘Corsica is definitely the place that awakened me to fragrance, where I discovered its pleasure. In every one of my scents I have kept that purity found in plants and flowers. Untouched nature – strong, rough, immediate – is something that is always there in my work.’
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