August 21: Corsica

On this date in 1794, France surrendered the island of Corsica to the British. Here are ten things you might not know about Corsica.

1. The island had been sold to France in 1768 after a period of independence. The man considered to be the hero of independent Corsica, Pasquale Paoli, was exiled to Britain. After the French Revolution, Paoli encouraged the British to free Corsica from French rule, which they did, but their union with Britain only lasted two years before the French took it back.
2. While Corsica was independent, Pascale Paoli wrote a constitution, the first democratic constitution of modern times. It included separation of powers, sovereignty of the people, courts of justice, and even votes for women. It was applied from 1755 to 1769. After that, it became the inspiration for the US Constitution.
3. The population of Corsica was estimated at 322,120 in 2013. The most widely spoken language is French and the second most widely spoken language is Corsican, a minority language that is closely related to medieval Tuscan.
4. Corsica's main towns are Ajaccio, also known by its Latin name of Ajax, Corte, Bastia and Sartene.
5. Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio (Ajax). His ancestral home, Maison Bonaparte, is now a visitor attraction and museum. Another Corsican, Angelo Mariani, is credited with inventing Coca Cola. His tonic wine made of coca leaves was so successful that he sold it in the United States. It was the non alcoholic version of his recipe, invented by Doctor Pemberton in Atlanta, which we know as Coca Cola today.
6. Corsica is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Cyprus, Sardinia and Sicily. It is also the most mountainous. It was formed about 250 million years ago with the uplift of a granite backbone on the western side. Monte Cinto is the highest peak at 2,706m, which is about twice the height of Ben Nevis. There are 20 other summits of more than 2,000m. Corsica's 1,000km of coastline has 200 beaches.
7. Lariccio pine trees, or Corsican pines, are unique to the island. Some of these trees are over 500 years old.
8. Corsica has a Flag and an unofficial National Anthem. The flag depicts the head of a Moor wearing a white bandana above his eyes. It was based on a traditional flag in which the Moor was blindfolded, but Pascale Paoli changed it to represent Corsica's independence. The song Dio vi salvi Regina (Italian for "God save you Queen") is a folk song is sung at the end of any concert of Corsican folk music.
9. Corsica once had a king. His name was Baron Theodor Von Neuhoff, and he was born in Cologne in 1694. While working as a diplomat, he met some exiled Corsican rebels and told them he would help free their island from the Republic of Genoa. He went to Corsica and was crowned King Theodore I. His reign only lasted about eight months before the Genoese sent a large army, defeated him and threw him out.
10. Wine is made in Corsica, but isn't exported. They make red wine from niellucciu and sciaccarellu grapes.

NEW!!

Over the Rainbow

'We're not in Trinity anymore,' says Leonard Marx, quoting a line from an old Innovian  movie. The moon is different; the planes flying overhead are different. Nobody has any idea where they are or if it's possible to get home. 

In this strange new world, people from the highly technical Innovia and the less advanced Classica must co-operate in order to survive. In addition, travel through the inter-dimensional wormhole has given some people unusual and unexpected powers.

Innovia mourns the loss of its superhero, Power Blaster, last seen carrying a nuclear bomb to the upper atmosphere away from the inhabited Bird Island. They don't believe he could possibly have survived.  Power Blaster has survived, but is close to death and stranded in the new dimension. He is nursed back to health by a Classican woman, Elena. She has no idea who he is, only that she is falling in love with the handsome stranger.  

Shanna sets out to discover what happened to Nathan Tate, who didn't return from his hiking holiday, not knowing her life is about to be turned inside out and upside down. 

Meanwhile, Desi Troyes, the man responsible for the catastrophe, is at large on the new world, plotting how he can transfer his plans for world domination to the planet he now finds himself on - Earth. 

Available from Amazon and Amazon Kindle