France

France
As John and I sit on the train to Italy, it is hard to believe that one week has already flown by. It has been a good week, as we adjust to traveling through Europe for four weeks. We arrived in Nice without any lost luggage, our flight only an hour late from Montreal. Collecting our rental car, we set out to my girlfriend Catherine's home in Speracedes, near Grasse.

Staying with Catherine and her husband in their summer villa on the side of a mountain has been voted by John and I highlight number one of our week in France, (WOW factor 10- more on my rating system later). They were extremely generous hosts, serving delicious Provencal meals and amazing wines, including an 82 Sauternes. Their beautiful villa, designed by Catherine and built just ten years ago, included a pristine pool where we swam away our travel fatigue. A picturesque walk up to the village of Cabris offered a panoramic view of the region. A beer at the local pub amongst the locals quaffed our thirst as the weather was very hot. Unfortunately throughout our whole stay here we never got to see the Mediterranean due to persistent low cloud cover. Perhaps next time.

After two days, we traveled the local highways to St. Maximin la Sainte Baume, excited to stay in converted convent. However, while the convent was beautiful, the 12th century stone building had it's drawbacks. It was extremely hot and the fan in the room was on a one hour timer, so that we would awaken in the middle of the night sweating. The staff were less than welcoming and the town itself did not have a lot to offer. The highlight of our visit in this town was one night's dinner: la pizza forrestiere, full of many different kinds of mushrooms. Sold out of a mobile truck with a wood oven, there was always a lineup of people waiting for the delicious pizzas. A bargain at ten euros.

Another of our highlights was reconnecting with our friend Simon who met us at the Fontaine Rotonde in Aix en Provence. It was great to see him after four years and we spent a lovely lunch on a terrasse, discussing all the changes in our lives. Aix en Provence is a lovely city, one that I would love to visit again.

Friday night, the mistral winds blew in, giving us some much needed respite from the heat. Saturday found us traveling the coastal highway from St. Raphael to Cannes. The Cote d'Azur is stunningly beautiful and yet rugged at the same time with mountainous terrain. The Mediterranean sparkled invitingly but we forged on to Nice despite the desire to stop and swim at one of the many local beaches.

The second top highlight of the week was our two days spent in Nice, (WOW factor 9). After a rough start (we searched the city for over an hour to gas up the car before handing it back in), we checked into the lovely Hotel de Flore in downtown Nice. Donning our bathing suits and grabbing our towels, we headed for the beach two blocks away. Or should I say, beaches. There are ten of them to be specific, all side by side. Let me tell you about the beaches. Most importantly they consist of small rocks and pebbles. There is no sand. I can't think of anywhere else in the world where people lay down their towels, then make a feeble attempt to smooth down a semi-comfortable area to lie on. And they come by the thousands to do this. Planes fly by us all afternoon, landing every fifteen minutes or so. Of course, if you are willing to pay fifteen euros for the afternoon, you could rent a beach bed in private areas. But as this is a month long trip in Europe, frugality is the order of the day.

Another surprising thing is that every woman on the beach wears a two piece, irregardless of age or size. I only brought my one piece so I feel very out of place. Supple young girls with firm breasts give way to middle aged women, followed by wizened old ladies whose skin has taken on a leather tone. John and I take turns swimming in the very warm and salty Mediterranean. Large waves pound the shoreline, sometimes making it a challenge to get in and out. But the feeling is sensational, especially after a day in transit. Cooled off, we sat back and ate our picnic lunch: sandwiches and beer. Yummy.

Our mornings in Nice were spent walking the narrow streets of Old Nice and visiting the local market filled with fresh flowers, spices, olives, grapes, garlic, bakery goods, homemade soaps and candies, meat products and fish. I love the Nice architecture with it's ocre colored apartment buildings with purple flowers hanging from the ornate metal balconies. Laundry fluttered from others. Nearby, a street artist plays an accordion. Every so often, we would stop for a European coffee in little tiny cups, yielding about three sips. But they are so good. I try to make the sips last so we can just sit and watch the world go by.

Then back to the beach. This time armed with recently purchased water shoes to protect our tender feet. We sit and watch sunbathers burn themselves black, all the while smoking one cigarette after the other. It made us wonder about their future health with the double whammy. Nearby four middle-aged men play cards on a communal mat. A beer-walla comes by selling cold drinks. Children squeal as they ride the waves, reminding me of my children when they were young.

Later in the afternoon, we headed back to our hotel room and open a bottle of rose that we bought during our touring of some of the wineries a few days ago. Provence is renown for its rose wines. A taste of summer, the crisp and fragrant wine quaffed our post-beach thirst. Some phone calls home on Skype to our loved ones make us feel connected again, then we are off to sample another dinner of traditional Provence fare, with more wine of course!

France behind us now, I will miss speaking French but look forward to Italy, especially visiting Cinque Terre. But that is another story. Next stop, la Spezia.