The Man

Toothbrush and Slippers

We’re home from our March travels to Paris and Corsica.   First, I had to catch up all I’d missed while away; now I’m struggling to prepare for our month-long St Helena voyage in May.  Meanwhile, there’s tons more to write about Paris and Corsica.  So stick with me—the adventure has just begun! One of my …

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Sea and Sky

I arrived in Corsica believing Napoleon had grown up poor within limiting confines.  At twenty-six, how could he have dared to whisk an army across the snowcapped Alps? How could anyone with few worldly experiences have sailed off blithely to conquer Egypt? I wondered, as so many have, how this island boy of narrow prospects …

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Ajaccio Cathedral

Ajaccio’s cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and built in 1593, is steps from the Bonaparte house.  Tradition says it was here on August 15, 1769, Letizia Bonaparte felt sudden labor pains and rushed home, giving birth to Napoleon on a first floor sofa before she could reach her upstairs bedroom.  The church hasn’t changed …

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First Day in Napoleon’s Hometown

Ajaccio, Corsica, is a lovely place, on a vast Mediterranean bay, full of Italian exuberance and French style.  It’s a bit run-down here and there, but that only adds to the authenticity. We arrived on its patron saint’s feast day and were treated to a solemn religious parade and marching band. The museums were closed for the …

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Ecole Militaire, Paris

Nine years in impoverished Corsica followed by six years in countrified Brienne couldn’t have prepared fifteen-year-old Napoleon for the Paris Ecole Militaire.  He must have been overwhelmed when he first saw the grand buildings of Paris, especially his new home at L’Ecole Militaire where he would learn to be an artillery officer.  How did he …

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Grapeshot at Saint-Roch

Napoleon first became famous for routing the British navy out of Toulon in 1793.   This is the view (without the cars) that he would have had in 1795 during his second great exploit, routing protesting Frenchmen in the streets of Paris.   He’d been charged with stopping royalist insurgents who were bent on bringing down the …

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Not Finding Much Napoleon at the Louvre

Jacques-Louis David's Coronation of Napoleon

Finding Napoleon at the Louvre was harder than I expected.  After unsuccessfully searching their website, I wrote in advance for a list of Napoleon-related paintings: no response.  I queried several agencies for a specialized guide: no luck.  So, when we arrived, we headed straight for the Information Desk.  Did I know about the Coronation painting …

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Malmaison

Malmaison, the country mansion Josephine chose while Napoleon was on his Egypt campaign, provides my first glimpse into a personal residence.  The couple lived here and in the Tuileries Palace in Paris from 1800 to 1802, while Napoleon was First Consul, his stepping stone to absolute French ruler.   After their divorce, Josephine retired to Malmaison, …

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