NICE
We arrive in Nice about 3:00 and got a car. Drove up to Michel’s around 5:00 PM, just in time for Pastis. Le pere du Vinyette est ici avec his girlfriend. Her father is wonderful. He is seventy three and going strong. He is building a rock wall in the garden.
His girlfriend’s name is Bernadette and she is very nice also. Michel arrived home from work and he and I left to get Corrine and then pick up a sofa bed for Jackie and I. He had given it away when he bought new living room furniture, but told his friends who received it that they would have to let him borrow it back for our use.
The friend has an old beat up van that he used to return the sofa. The backdoors were barely on, one was hanging by a single hinge and had to be tied shut. But the truck ran well and they showed up around eight with the bed. We were having Pastis with them and Michel asked if I would like to perform magic for them (as if there was any doubt.) I dazzled them for awhile then they left. A quick dinner was prepared consisting of jambon, et tomato avec mozzarella, et (comment dit on “beets”). We had rose wine and then red wine with cheese for desert.
Shortly after dinner Jackie and I turned in. The sofa bed leaves something to be desired. It was pretty uncomfortable. This evening we are going to try sleeping the opposite direction to see if it makes any difference. Jackie must not have had much sleep as she conked out in the car this morning. I eventually had to pull over and we both took a short nap. This was after we visited Gourdon. We were early in Gourdon so nothing was open. We then drove up into the mountains to a ski resort that was pretty well deserted this time of year. After our nap we drove down to St. Paul du Vence. With the dollar so weak everything is very expensive. We spent about 2.5 hours in St. Paul, having a small lunch there.
Lunch in a French restaurant is always interesting. This lunch we were joined by a cat that sat on the bench next to Jackie throughout the meal. Somehow, I don’t know how exactly, some food leapt off our plates onto the bench. When it was apparent that we were done, the cat calmly jumped down and went over to a table with two young Japanese women. It jumped up on the back of their bench to demand it’s due. I took a picture with their camera for them.
We then drove back to Valbonne. We looked for a place to exchange Jackie’s travelers checks but it was too late for that. We also drove to a “supermarche” and bought Jackie some toothpaste. We also bought a bottle of Pastise, a bottle of red wine (St. Emillon) and some fromage (all for 122 FF or about $30.)
We arrived back at the house about 5 PM. Jackie has been reading but just got up to go in for a nap. I’ll put down the journal and read a few chapters of “Toujours Provence.”
WEDNESDAY MORNING
I’m sitting at the breakfast table with Bernadette, Vianyette and Gilbert (Vianyette’s father.) Breakfast is a bowl of coffee and baguettes toasted and covered with butter and jam. Corrine just joined us. She has cut her hair since the last time I visited. She is eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast.
When greeting each other in the morning, friends and family will either greet with a handshake or kisses on the cheeks. Knowing which to do requires practice. For example, this morning, Vianyette’s father shook my hand ( handshakes are usually done between men), Vianyette simply said good morning because she knows that Americans are not always comfortable with cheek kissing, Bernadette shook my hand (kissing be reserved for close friends and family). When Corrine arrived she kissed her mother on the cheeks affectionately, touched cheeks and made kissing sounds with Bernadette three times, then with me twice and with her grandfather twice (but actually kissing him.) It’s a nice ritual but is difficult to follow. I have greater respect for dogs now, as they must have studied with the French in order to exceed them in ritual greeting behavior.
Last night Jackie awoke from her nap and joined us for Pastis. She is acquiring a taste for it. I may corrupt her yet and turn her from being a granola head (but I doubt it.) Dinner was great as usual. Something just thrown together. Poached fish with a white sauce, melon, ratatouille, small potatoes, cheese and wine.
Ah, the sun is trying to peek through the clouds. We may yet see some good weather. Today I want to take Jackie to Monaco. We need to stop in Nice and change some money, we also need to buy some gas. Tomorrow we will return the rental car. We will spend the morning in Antibe and then return the car. We can arrange for Vianyette to pick us up. The next day I think we will hike to Biot and back. We haven’t gotten much exercise since England.