of corsica

 

I found a stairway to heaven! It's located in Corsica, France, thirty minutes outside the bustling port town of Ajaccio, and it connects the sublime green-blue water of the Med with a rustic two-story brick house that I called home last week! At the bottom of this breathtaking staircase, I hopped on a boat that whisked me up north to the dramatic red ochre cliffs of Calanques de Piana, a Unesco World Heritage site, and its surrounding beachside restaurants (Le Casabianca, A Piaghja) as well as to the south for the most incredible snorkeling and moules-frites-ing (Chez Frances)! See all the highlights--and how I styled my way through with just a carry-on--below.  

The Mediterranean Sea's 82-degree temperature and brilliant shades of aqua, teal and sapphire blue (all thanks to its high salt concentration) had me swimming oh-so-buoyantly and rotating bikinis from dawn till dusk. I brought these new suits from Ulla Johnson, Marysia, and Solid and Striped! 

Not only did I sport swimsuits that stood up to all-day sunning and swimming, but also standout jewelry. I'm wearing necklaces, earrings and charms from Adina Reyter, Dorsey and Maison Mayle. 

I staunchly believe that there's no better lunch spot than one you have to boat to! Every day had me late-lunching on grilled shrimp, langoustine, razor clams, crisp salads and french fries in a sandy seaside spot. My favorite: the open-air A Piaghja in Calvi, above, complete with epic ocean views and an outdoor ping pong table. Next time I go I want to try Maora in Bonifacio, La Casadelmar in Ponte Vecchio, and La Table de la Plage in Domaine de Murtoli.

Truth be told, I didn't wear much in Corsica--just a smattering of swimsuits, lightweight button-downs and throw-on-and-go dresses! Still, I packed plenty of options to choose from including this, this, this and this. Plus, lots of sheer lace dresses from Doen, including the two newbies immediately below.

The MVP of my Corsica wardrobe? A colorful Cesta sarong, pictured above, that pulled off double duty daily as a cover-up and towel. Sadly, it's back-ordered but this and this will do the same, heavy-lifting trick! Coming in close second: an oversized white button-down by Jenni Kayne thrown over suits and sheer dresses. I also love this airy eyelet one! Critical to my holiday beauty routine was this newly-discovered post-swim conditioning/revitalizing hair spray from Sun Bum, which from now on I will never go island-hopping without! 

Every day in Corsica kicked off with a scenic 60-minute bike ride that included a pitstop at a local boulangerie serving up the most divine, out-of-the-oven croissants. Along the way, there were ubiquitous blossoms of pink, white and purple oleander. It was as if the bushes were exploding with fireworks of flowers! 

One day we boated up one and half hours to Calanques de Piana, a crystal clear, pool-like inlet accessible through towering narrow rock arches that required expert skippering. Thankfully, we had a skillful boat captain, who navigated the strong currents around the steep cliffs and steered us into small luminescent caves. He dropped anchor to let us jump in and scale the rocks! The awe-inspiring, surreal-like setting reminded me of Land of the Lost or a digitally- enhanced movie scene--truly stupendous. It was beyond cool!

I'll end my vacation chronicle here, descending the heavenly staircase (in a crochet Mango!) as I'm now back in  L.A. reality--yet already plotting to ascend, step by step again one day soon!  Check out my Instagram Highlights for lots more fun snaps.