Trip to Ajaccio

Here are a few pictures from a trip I took two weeks ago (time flies!) down to Ajaccio, a town in the south of the island a few hours drive away. The town was quite tourist-y but the drive through the mountains was gorgeous...

My first color/shaded Tattoo!

Last week my new friend Laura generously offered her pearly thigh as the canvas for my first color and shaded tattoo- here is the result- almost healed...

cloud scape from my friends balcony...

Tattoo Work

 I have had to do alot of script, numbers and Japanese/Chinese characters, 

so I was delighted to have someone come in and request a tahitian design!

Only in France...

Can you find foie gras and fig jam inside a maki roll...


Today the chef from the cafe next to the tattoo shop paid Jorge and I a visit to request that we begin eating our lunch before 1pm, because by that time most people have finished ordering lunch, and he has to unwrap everything...
"Vous comprenez, quoi?"

~Sunday~

After a busy 4 days of settling in to the shop, and my new apartment- Jorge (my Spanish colleague) and I finally got a chance to explore Bastia by daylight on our first day off!
We headed to the flea market held in the large plaza on the wharf, where we drooled at antiques- in Jorge's case, mostly copper pots and a sterling silver saxophone, my preferences leaning more towards ceramic dog figurines.
Next, we hit up the flower and fresh foods market in a neighboring square, and proceeded to spend every euro in our pockets on various local produce.
By the time we had made three rounds of the stands and compared the prices of every cured meat vendor, our shopping bags were cutting off the circulation in our arms- so we left- our bags full of sheeps milk cheese, kumquats, honey, hazelnut spread, halva, teas, dried herbs, fresh mint, goats milk yogurt, cured ham, olives, fresh bead, calzones and wine.

The second half of the day we spent at a nearby beach oogleing a group of topless 16 year olds, and eating many of the aforementioned food items while Jorge soaked up the sun in his mini speedo. 

(the beautiful Bastia marina in the center of town) 

Arrival!

I arrived safely this morning in Bastia, and was met at the airport by Denis the part owner of the shop, who works at the second location in Ajaccio, in the south of Corsica.
We came straight to the shop, and after a quick expresso on the terrance next door, and a brief tour, I am already behind the desk and making appointments for myself and Jorge the Spanish tattoo artist I will be working with, I haven't seen my studio yet, but will be heading over there in an hour or so...
The shop is in 'centreville' Bastia near the old quarter, and I can see the gorgeous, crystal clear mediterreanian water from here... more to come!