Last Weeks in Nice

Took the train to Cannes on Tuesday the 21st of May and all of a sudden, five policeman with a large Muzzled German Shepherd came through the train cars, must say a little unnerving. We thought this was possibly due to the film festival. Quite busy and many tourists and paparazzi as the Cannes Film Festival is on. A lot of the beach areas along The Croisette (their Promenade) were closed...sorry didn't see any famous stars, but in all honesty really didn't care. Cannes really doesn't have the same character as Nice, perhaps due to the lack of an "vielle ville -old town". After lunch and a bit of walking around we returned to Nice.

A few days before we left to go to Prague, we attended a quiz night at one of the pubs in the old town. We attended this through one of the "meet up " groups called "Hang out in Nice". Believe I mentioned in a previous blog entry that we met a young American woman when we went hiking. Since then, we have run into Jenny a few times. Well, Jenny was at the quiz night so she joined us as well as a young couple who had just moved to Nice from Holland (for work). The five of us formed one of the teams competing for prizes. We had to answer 15 questions, then took a break, then another 15 questions. Well folks, after the first round, our team was.....dead last! Having said this, during the first round Jenny managed to win two free drinks with a couple of quick answers to pop questions. Additionally during the break, a screen showed 20 bobble heads which each team had to identify. Although our team came in second last at the end of the evening, we were able to identify all 20 bobble heads and won a free bottle of wine. Our team decided that the young couple from Holland should take it home, so they were very happy. Bikes back to the apartment...home around 11:30 p.m.....way past our normal bedtime! A great fun night out.

Should mention that Jenny (sitting next to me in picture above) told us she had been to Cannes the day before, she was hoping to see some famous stars. She was quite excited because she thought she saw Quentin Tarantino, at least she thinks it was him, as she only saw the back of his head! She told us that she googled "back of Quentin Tarantino's head" when she got back home. We had a good laugh about that.

We have come to realize that the Promenade des Anglais becomes a stroll for the "Ladies of the evening". Now we thought this was only late at night as we had noticed them on the few occasions when we have come back later in the evening. Well.....I don't want to sound like a prude, but....the day we were leaving for Prague, we went out for a short walk along the Promenade. Coming back, we crossed the street and walked back along the residential side and my eyes couldn't quite believe what I saw. A hooker with the shortest dress I have ever seen someone wear with half her butt sticking out...yikes...not even sure she was wearing underwear, but I couldn't look! Oh well, makes for good discussions. Our friend Ken says the young ladies always wave at him, but he just laughs and walks by.

As we were walking into town one day along the Promenade, we came across what we thought was a political rally. Many groups walking down the road, escorted by police, all groups carrying different banners and wearing various colours. Found out later in the afternoon that this was a one day general strike by Government workers which affected flights from Nice. Glad it happened on Thursday and not Friday, when we were due to leave for Prague. These general one or two day strikes seem to be a regular occurrence in France. Last year the air traffic controllers went on strike for 3 days, which they announced ahead of time. That strike did affect travel plans when our Sister in law, Brenda was due to meet us. She had to spend a night in Amsterdam before meeting us in Toulouse after the strike was over. It is always an experience going through security points in airports. Here in Nice last week, I even had to take the pen out of my purse and take off all my jewellery. Doesn't seem to be any consistency in the world regarding security requirements in airports. At least this makes it somewhat interesting. Oh well, the joys of travelling!

I love to notice everyday life no matter where we are. I must say that the French are always very discreet when using their cell phones in public places. Much appreciated after being in places, even in our home town, where one is subjected to hearing strangers conversations on cell phones.

The latest news in France is the debacle of the French train authority. They just ordered and received several new trains. So, they go to test them and realize that the new trains are wider than the old trains, therefore they do not fit into the train station platforms. They now have stated that they need to spend 50 million Euros to trim down all the platforms. Wouldn't want to be that CEO or the people who ordered the trains.

On Friday the 23rd we attended the Nice Tennis Open. For those tennis players out there, the Nice Open is an ATP 250 men's tournament. We went last year and really enjoyed it, thought we would take it in again. We saw the two semi final matches which were both good, so a wonderful afternoon spent in a small tennis venue where one is very close to the action. Interesting to see a drone flying over the stadium to take pictures, a few times during the matches.

Must be a sports weekend as on Saturday night we went to Ma Molans pub in the old port to watch the Heineken Rugby Cup Final....so Robin tells me. Toulon, the French team won over an English team. Think some of the young gentleman in the pub had been there for quite some time before the match. They went absolutely crazy every time Toulon scored, French cheers and at the end one young man dancing on the table, which the management did not take kindly to. A fun evening after which we rode bikes home around 8:30 p.m., just in time to watch (Robin) the UEFA Champions League final which us football (soccer for North Americans. I tuned out of football to watch a program on my BBC IPlayer app.

At least once while we are in Nice, we splurge and take in some beach time at one of the "beach club". There are several of these along the Nice bay where you can rent beach chairs and umbrellas for the day. They are full service locations with change rooms, showers and restaurants. We chose a perfect day for this.

Has been pretty laid back during our last week here in Nice. On Monday our friend Ken invited us to a BBQ put on by one of his friends. Rita, who hosted the BBQ, is a young Hungarian woman mid 30's, and us a entrepreneurial chef in the a Nice area. She had just finished a weekend gig at a private home for the Grand Prix in a Nice. Oh my Gosh! The BBQ entailed more kind of meats than you can shake a "kebab". What a fun evening with a mixture of nationalities and age groups. Picture below is our friend Ken with Robin.

The BBQ was in a Villefranche sur Mer a few kilometres from Nice and up in the hills overlooking Villefranche...wow, what views.

On Tuesday we took the bus to Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. Last year we hiked around the cap, but unfortunately when we got there, the "sentiers -route" was closed as a large sea storm has washed a lot of rocks onto the paths and they were in the midst of cleaning the area for safety reasons. So we walked for about one hour where we could and stopped for our first feed of "moules et frites" ....which were delicious. The cruise boats which visit this area, moor in the harbour at Cap Ferrat.

Lots of walking around the city and simply enjoying our lady few days. Decided to enjoy the view and drinks from the a Radisson Blu hotel which is just in front of our apartment. Great views and a wonderful evening.

The latest news in this part of the world revolves around the elections held this past weekend for the European Parliament. Pretty scary, as most of the newly elected officials in many of the countries were far right wing who want to abolish the principles of the rights of immigration from country to country, reduce the fiscal cutbacks and protect their own countries from a common market. Well this shouldn't make things any easier for the European Parliament.

Robin and I will usually go out for a walk along the Promenade after dinner. Every night we see lots of men fishing along the beach and they usually have a minimum of 3 fishing poles set into the sand. We never see them catching anything and we often wonder if this is the same phenomena as ice fishing.....simply a way to get out of the house and away from "the wife"! They are also out during the day as well, but more in the evening. They are set up with their chairs, parasols and of course a cooler. Not sure if the cooler is for the fish they catch, yeah right, or the cold beer.

 

An Italian food festival is taking place along the Promenade as we had our daily walk down to the old town. We stopped to sample some Italian breads, cheese, meats and wine. Quite amusing that here we are in France sampling Italian foods!

 

Lots more people in Nice over the last couple of weeks. Tourists disgorging from tour buses all along the Promenade sometimes making it harder to get through...hey we're trying to get our exercise here! Today, May 29th was yet again another holiday in France (Ascension) so lots of locals with their kids out on the beach. That is three official holidays in the month of May...no wonder this country has problems with all it's holidays and strikes!

Out for dinner with our friend Ken and one of his many lady friends. We wanted to thank him for involving us with the local community, which definitely made our month here in Nice delightful and different from a usual holiday.

A picture below of our last day in a Nice, Friday, May 30th. Must say that once again we have certainly enjoyed our month here in Nice. A different experience from last year as we got more involved with some of the local expat community and met some delightful people, experienced local life and made some good memories. Flying to Bordeaux tomorrow for the month of June. Looking forward to seeing family while we are in Bordeaux.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

A weekend in Prague, Czech Republic

On Friday, May 16th we flew directly from Nice to Prague to spend the weekend. Wasn't sure if we would get here as the government workers went on strike on Thursday, which affected the flights in and out of Nice. Thankfully, they were back at work on Friday. Prague has been on our must see list for some time, and considering we could get a direct flight, decided to go for it. Our daughter, Christine, says its one of her favourite cities and only after a day and a half, we can certainly understand why. The historic area is on the Unesco World Heritage list.

Our first encounter with the country was the cab driver who was sent by our hotel to meet us at the airport, which took about 30 minutes. He spoke broken English but was quite a character...." look, look green parks, lots of green....look left, children's school...look right, ugly soviet era building....communists bad for country, Stalin like Hitler! ....Czech people love Vaclav Havel. He good for country...died a few years ago...drank, smoked and many women! We still love him....look left, Prague Castle...many many stairs...you take tram, o.k......look right, big church. Most Czech's Catholica, some Protestante and some other. You eat at hotel...good food...cheap for Europeans, expensive for East Europeans. Good hotel you stay....two boys at desk speak good English ...Martin and Martin...ha, ha! Yes, two Martin's..nice boys. You no take taxi unless hotel get for you...pickpockets on Bridge and central square, you be careful. You have hotel call me, I take you back to airport." Well, did you take that all in, I was almost tired by the end of the ride, but don't need to take a tour!

A little history about the Czech Republic. After the First World War, the closely related Czechs and Slovaks merged together to form the new nation of Czechoslovakia. During the Second World War, the country avoided the fate of the massive air bombardments and invasions that levelled most of the historic neighbouring cities in Europe. The country fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and remained so by force until November 1989, when the Communist government was deposed in a peaceful "Velvet Revolution".....peaceful demonstrations that lasted for a few months. On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a "velvet divorce" into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It was a very peaceful separation that was sponsored/led by Vacla Havel, who became President of the Czech Republic.

Prague (Praha) is the capital of he Czech Republic and the Bohemia area. It is the 14th largest City in the European Union. Population is about 2 million and has been in existence for 1,100 years so a lot of history here. Wow, Calgary, our home town was founded in 1875.... a bit different in terms of history. Robin read somewhere that Prague is the third most visited city in Europe. Can certainly believe this, we have never, ever seen so many tourists and from all over the world. Our hotel is located in the "lesser town" in the shadow of the Charles Bridge, which leads into the "old town". Arrived about 5 p.m. on Friday and headed across the Charles Bridge to the old town, drizzling a little and a little cool, but still o.k. for walking around. Lots of artists and musicians on the bridge, so makes for an interesting crossing. All the signs are in Czech, so you need to know where you are heading.

We made our way into the old town and into the main square where the famous Astronomical clock is located ...must digress a bit here. When we checked into the hotel, Martin (#1) welcomed us and gave us a quick overview of things to see. He had three warnings for us....1) if you need a cab, let us call one for you 2) don't go to a money exchange shop, use an ATM to get local currency and 3) watch for pickpockets on the Charles Bridge and mostly if taking pictures at the Astrological clock. He says everyone is busy looking up at the clock, so makes it very easy for the pickpockets! Back to where I was....careful of our possessions at the square while taking pictures, lots of people around.

Came across some small outdoor food shops and we thought we would try a local sweet pastry. It is called Trdelnik....Interesting how it is made. The dough is rolled into a rope which is then rolled around a cylindrical tube. The tube is then put on a spit and rolls around over the hot coals. Once it is cooked, it is taken off the spit and tube in one long section. When you buy a portion, they simply break off a piece about six inches long and roll it around in sugar....yes...very yummy.

 

Dinner at our hotel was indeed very good, as our cab driver told us. Prices here are indeed very good, especially when comparing it to the high prices in France! The currency here is the Czech Korona or Crown. Bigger establishments will accept Euros but for smaller purchases one does need local currency.

Saturday morning breakfast at the hotel and our waiter was Martin #1. He told us that in the service industry one normally works 12 hours a day. Martin #2 holds down the front desk.

Saturday headed out early, a little cool, but no rain. Walked up to the Prague Castle (Prazsky brad) which took about 30 minutes uphill and up some stairs. Visited the Old Royal Palace, a historical building in which the Story of a Prague is told through artifacts, St. Vitus Cathedral, Basilica of St. George and lucky enough to see the last part of the Changing of the Guard. Then back towards lesser and old town, but had to stop for hot chocolate, cappuccino and apple strudel.....hey...we shared the strudel......did I mention they are known for their pastries here! Even little cookies waiting for us in our hotel room at the end of each day!

Back to the old town and main square and wound our way into the Jewish quarter. Came across a new and and a very old synagogue. Very high end shops here. Started raining so headed back to our hotel around 4 p.m. Great day of seeing new sites in a beautiful ancient city with interesting history and architecture.

As this City caters to the tourists, one can't help but notice all the tours that are offered....city tours by foot, bike, Segways, historic cars, boats, hop on-hop off, etc. then you have the opportunity to do a tour ending up at a brewery or even better for the younger crowd, a pub crawl tour. Robin tells me that young people come here to party....I still heard them partying at 5 a.m. this morning! And the tours go on...ghost walking, communist walking tour, glass factory, pilsner brewery...and the list goes on, believe me! The other thing that is very noticeable is the number of classical concerts that are offered in all of the churches, which are numerous. Might take one in if I can convince Robin!

Prague seems to be the place for young men to come and party, guess its inexpensive here and the beer is extremely cheap and plentiful. Saw groups in the early afternoon very inebriated. Must be a few having stags, as even saw one young man in his group only sporting his underwear. All groups wearing various hats to denote their specific group.

Jewellery and crystal shops by the hundreds. They are selling crystal glasses of all shapes and sizes and even crystal chandeliers. The jewellery shops mainly sell garnet, which is mined in this area and lots of Amber. Also lots of stores selling handcrafted goods such as painted tinware, corn husk dolls, local pottery and some stores devoted only to marionettes.

The food here so far has been very good. Last night had rabbit and veal and both were delicious, accompanied by some Czech wine which was decent. The National dishes seem to be goulash (gotta try), sausages, pork knuckle, dumplings and oh yes....beer, beer and more beer. Second night Robin had goulash which he very much enjoyed and I had duck, also very tasty. No desert on either evening......o.k. just because we had it earlier in the day doesn't count, right!

Have come across many shops selling "absinthe". It has a highly alcoholic spirit (90 to 148 proof) and is green in colour and is called "the green fairy". It is normally diluted with water before consumption. This drink rose into popularity in the early 20th century in Europe and was associated with the Bohemian way of life. Many famous authors and artists of the time were said to be addicted to this drink, including Hemingway, Picasso, Toulouse Lautrec, Van Gogh and others. It was banned in North America and Europe in 1915 as it was thought to be a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug. In the 1990's it was once again approved for production by the European Union as it was found not to be a drug, simply a very strong spirit. Think the picture below tells it all.....beware. We will not be trying it.

Sunday found us heading out for a long walk around the Mala Strana neighbourhood where our hotel is located, but away from the touristy areas. Residential area along the river, also a few embassies located along the way. Came across a great wall of graffiti, finding out afterward it is known as the John Lennon graffiti wall, quite amazing. Then found our way to Petrin hill. We climbed up the hill which us located in the center of Prague and this took us about 1/2 hour. The hill is covered in gardens and is where a lot of locals come to relax and enjoy the views above the City. Also numerous religious monuments at the top along with art pieces scattered throughout the park and a lookout tower at the top (built in 1891) which resembles a miniature Eiffel tower. Then rode the funicular back to the bottom and walked back to the lesser town.

Mentioned previously that Prague has hundreds of jewellery stores and yesterday we stopped at one near our hotel. I tried on several Garnet rings and Robin wanted me to buy one. Those who know me well will know my fondness for nice jewellery. I said "no, I wanted to think about it". The owner of the store spoke English, as most people here do, and he said "I can't believe it. I have never met a woman who has said no to her husband who wants to buy her jewellery"! Well......as we walked by today, Robin convinced me that I really should get a garnet ring, as they were so reasonably priced here and also the fact that garnet is my birthstone. I capitulated folks..... I am now in possession of a lovely garnet ring! Thank you Robin.

Stopped to visit St. Nicholas Church located in Lesser Town. A beautiful baroque construction church, built between 1704 to 1755. The paintings/frescoes amongst the nicest we have seen. Beautifully painted ceilings and a magnificent pipe organ.

Cool weekend with some showers. This doesn't stop any of the outdoor restaurants. They are all covered with large awnings and have heaters, blankets and some chairs covered in sheepskins. All the outdoor restaurants were very busy even with the showers/rain.

On our last night in Prague, we decided to attend a classical music concert in the Rudolfinum, which is a neo-renaissance building built in the late 19th century. This building did house the Czech parliament for a period of time, but is now used for concerts and social events and is the home of the Czech Philharmonic orchestra. When we stopped by the front desk of our hotel this morning to enquire about attending a classical music concert tonight, Martin (#2) quickly steered us towards this concert. He told us that a lot of the classical music concerts held in Prague are quite bogus as far as what they charge, the length and quality of concert. We are to report back to him as to the quality of the concert. The concert was very enjoyable and featured a quintet made up of two violinists, one viola, a cello and a bass. They played a variety of well known classics such as Mozart, Vivaldi, Dvorak, Bizet and finished with The Hungarian Dance by Brahms. An enjoyable evening for our last night in Prague and the rain stayed away for our walk back to the hotel.

We can't say enough about the Pod Vezi hotel here in Prague. If anyone is planning on visiting Prague, we would definitely recommend this hotel. A great location, the staff have been excellent, great breakfast included in the price, large room with good amenities, and a restaurant with top quality food. Little cookies and chocolates every evening in your room and this morning we got a free certificate for a crepe and coffee at a little restaurant next door and we were given a tiny bottle of bubbly to thank us for staying here....wow!

Monday morning arrives and we are due to leave at noon, and the sun comes out. We decide to go back into the historical center to catch the chiming of astronomical clock. Figures of the apostles make an appearance n the top of the clock every hour on the hour. Hard to capture in pictures as they move so fast. Walked through the old town for about one hour then back to our hotel. A couple of "odd" things that I meant to comment upon. Every time we have crossed the Charles Bridge, we see numerous people touching one of the statues, which we are told is a Prague ritual. It is supposed to bring good luck and to ensure that you return to Prague soon. One is supposed to touch it with your left hand.....well we didn't touch....kind of yucky...reminds me of people kissing the Blarney Stone...yuch! The other odd thing we saw our last morning was taking place in the large square where the astronomical clock is located. There were probably about eight Chinese couples, young ladies in wedding dresses and their male partners dressed quite casually. They were getting their pictures taken individually and as a group. As one tourist behind us said..."kinda creepie" !

As we left the hotel this morning, Martin #2 gave us a fridge magnet as a momento of our stay....ah, what more could one ask for. Have to tell you, notwithstanding the cloudy/rainy weather, we absolutely had a wonderful time in Prague. If you haven't been, put it on your list.

For my nephew Marc, Prague was a holiday away from our holiday!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Everyday Life in Nice

Some observations of every day life in Nice. We certainly have noticed what a diverse population comprises this port City. Very noticeable the amount of Arabs and North Africans. With the Euro zone came an influx of East Europeans as well. When walking along the Promenade you can always be assured of crossing paths with an Arab man on his bicycle with his radio blaring away the latest "Arab music" at a decibel level that you simply cannot miss.....are they trying to convert us, I mean to their music! Also....where are the Arab women? This isn't meant to sound racist or feminist... simply an observation.

 

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, we went for a hike the first weekend we arrived with a group of expats. In discussions with the various people on the hike (ages 28 to 62) I was told that the hike was organized by the expat club which is part of the "Meet Up" website. Those of you who know my curiosity and my love of the Internet (except Facebook!) will know that I delved into Meet Up. Wow, what a great way to meet new people if you move to a new City/area. The local Nice and area meet up website has groups such as the expats, a camera club, book club, hangout in Nice, a ski club, yoga, business clubs and on and on. We also joined the expat group for a day in Monaco for the 9th Grand Prix Historique of Monaco....more on this later. Having said this is a great way of meeting people, mostly ex-pats, one is not really assimilating into the French culture, language, etc.

 

The number of people smoking has not decreased, but you see more of them smoking electronic cigarettes. Last night while walking along the Promenade we came across two young Arab men smoking their hookah pipes, small enough that they could carry them, sort of like a coffee to go, this was hookah to go!

We get a kick out of parking practices here in Nice and for that fact in a lot of France. You see vehicles double parked all the time. The normal practice is that if someone is blocking your way, you simply honk your horn, sometimes for several minutes, until that person blocking your way comes out to move their vehicle. At times, the person will leave their cell phone number on their windscreen so you can call them to come and move their car. Seems to work.

Love some of the French expressions..."Bonjour Monsieur/Dame" when you walk into a restaurant or shop..."Je vous ecoute" (I am listening) when you are ready to order your meal. Others such as "de rien" or "Je vous en prie" which both are a reply to when you thank someone, their reply basically means "no big deal, your welcome".

Both Robin and I needed a haircut, so decided to see the same hairdresser we went to last year, just a block from our apartment. The hairdresser actually remembered us, however she only speaks French. She asked Robin how he would like his hair cut and I told her...how much around the ears, I asked Robin, then told her....did he want the back shorter, I asked Robin, then told her....how much off the top, I asked Robin, then told her....did he want gel, I asked Robin, then told her. At the end of his haircut, she gave him the mirror and told him that next year he better learn a few French words such as "un petit peu" and "plus court", etc. We had a good laugh, including Robin. Love the following picture of Robin with our grocery cart. Still everyday life here, buying groceries, doing laundry (one wash cycle takes minimum 1 1/2 hours), etc.

 

Watching the local BBC news, the latest story is the Eurovision contest (think of American Idol, but way bigger). This year the finals are in Copenhagen. The winning country hosts the finals the following year. This contest has been happening since 1956 among European nations; it started after the war to unite European nations. Previous winners include ABBA, Julio Iglesias and even Canada's own Celine Dion who sang for Swizerland. The biggest news was in the quarter finals which included twins from Russia and a female singer from Ukraine...lots of interest in this one of course due to geo-political concerns in Crimea....the Russian twins won. The finals are taking place this weekend. Update, the winner was Conchita Wurst from Austria.....a drag queen who sports a beard....look it up...really!

Walked 45 minutes into town on Friday night for dinner. After a lovely meal out, we were too tired to walk home, cabs cost a fortune here, bus schedules are minimal at night, so we decided to hop on the Velo blue to come home. Good thing they have step through frames as I was wearing a dress! These bikes are great to get around the city, but a fair number are crappy. On occasion we have stopped at another bike station to switch out a bike, which we did on Friday night. At least the lights work, so not worried about riding in the dark.

 

On Saturday the 10th we attended the 9th Grand Prix Historique of Monaco with the expat club. Sixty people in total and the English woman who organized it, did a fantastic job. We went by train from Nice, and as soon as we exited the train station you could hear the roar of the engines. Stopped at an outdoor cafe for coffee, then wound our way to our seats which backed onto the Port of Monaco. The track they use is the same as the Formula 1 Grand Prix which takes place in two weeks. We saw a total four races which included pre 1940 Voiturettes and Grand Prix cars from 1952 onwards. Our English host had also organized a lunch including, of course, lots of wine. Robin and I headed back to Nice in the late afternoon, but we are certain many stayed behind to party late into the night, including our friend Ken!

 

 

Well folks....just a little rant on my part. Robin and I have been listeners/readers and watchers of the CBC for years and we follow CBC while travelling. The CBC is one of the icons of our wonderful country of Canada. Saddened to hear of the cutbacks that were announced last week and sad to see people like Lyndon McIntyre, Nancy Wilson and Allison Smith leaving this institution which has been looked up to by other countries. Lyndon gave a very moving interview on Friday morning and Jian Gomeshi's essay on Friday morning was excellent. Those of you who care about our public institution should speak out. O.K, enough said.

Local newspapers of late have been filled with talk of Monsieur Hollande's (President of France) popularity ratings, or should I say lack thereof. Most people will say tht he has had a lacklustre performance so far and any hope they had that he might change things has evaporated. A funny editorial comic in this mornings paper shows a PR director saying to Hollande...." Your popularity ratings have dropped to 18%, Hollande says "mais non" as he holds the sign upside down to show 81%...!

Monday the 11th of May and we decide to take the train to Frejus, a medieval walled town situated on the coast. The town is known for its local artisans. When we arrived, we found the local tourist office and the young gentleman told us it was a pity we chose a Monday to visit as all the museums and local landmarks were closed on a Monday...o.k....maybe didn't do enough research on this one! We decide to walk around the quaint town and find a signpost directing down an alley where some artisan shops are located. As we are walking down, all of a sudden we hear what sounds like a canon going off. A lot of towns have a noon canon, but we look at our watches and it is quarter past noon. Next thing we hear are the sounds of whistles/piccolos/fifes! Well guess what...a local celebration/parade coming our way with the townspeople dressed in period costumes and many of the men dressed in many different types of military costumes which covered many historic periods. Once they stopped on the pedestrian street, they began shooting off their various muskets and guns. Not sure why the young man at the tourist bureau didn't mention this, but very glad we came across it. Got some great pictures and as we were standing there, I asked a local policeman what this was all about. He indicated that it was a local town celebration. Stopped for lunch at a lovely cafe in the local square and the owner told me the celebration was called "Bravade". The townspeople are wearing their best ancient dress and in a "bravado" fashion showing off the old military might. They are thankful for St. Francois de Paule who through his prayers saved the town from the "petulance/plague". Did go back to the tourism office to find out more about the celebration.....sorry, closed between 12:30 and 2:30p.m. I guess tourists shouldn't need anything between those hours. Having said this, it is a rarity nowadays for shops in tourist areas to close at these times, which was practice in earlier years. However, one still has to ensure you purchase what you need before 11:30 if you are in a small town, as the shops do indeed close over the lunch....but really, the tourist office!

After this lovely happenstance, we then took the bus to the port and adjoining town of St.Raphael. At the bus stop I asked a very lovely older French woman, if the number 6 went to the "Gare" in St.Raphael. Not only did she confirm this, she went on to tell me that the 6 went around the port, but if we wanted to see more of the town, we could take the 7, which did a circuit through the town. Once we got off at the Gare, I turned to thank her, and she pointed in which direction we should go. We always run into people who are very friendly, but must say it helps when you speak the language.

I try to encourage English speaking people we have run into, to make the attempt. A good example is an Ozzie couple we met at the bus stop were telling us that they had asked the previous bus driver for assistance, but no help. I told them which bus was going to the Gare and we were going there. Lo and behold, guess who was driving the next bus, you guessed it, the same guy who wouldn't help them.....mind you the Ozzie didn't help himself either!

Spent about one hour in St.Raphael before taking our train back to Nice, then bus back to apartment. We continue to appreciate the fact that we can get to so many towns and villages around Nice by train and bus, which are for the most part very clean and run in a timely manner. Certainly don't need a car here and wouldn't want one with all the double parking going on!

Our lunch today in the village of Frejus was so delicious. Something about the way the French cooks use sauces, dressings and oils; none are overpowering, simply delicate tastes. Ordered a cappuccino after lunch and it came with "chantilly" (whipped cream)....o.k., a little indulgence...o.k. O.K. had one in Paris as well! Hey, my pants still fit!

We try to take a trip to a nearby village every second day or so. Wednesday, the 14th, decided to take the bus to the nearby ancient walled town of St. Paul. We had visited here last year and it was on our "go back" list. The town is known for its local artisans whose shops are in the tiny winding streets. Each shop has lovely signs which I thought were all so different and each one very unique. Spent the afternoon in St.Paul and Bus back to Nice.....oh! forgot to mention that there is a lovely knife shop in St. Paul. Some of you will know that pocket knives are one of Robin's weaknesses....he has a hard time walking by a knife shop without stopping, and usually, without buying! Yes, we will be bringing another knife home.

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

First Days in Nice

Arrived in Nice on Thursday, May 1st by TGV from Paris, which took 5 1/2 hours. Very relaxing way to travel. We rented the same apartment as when we were here last year, so almost feels like a second home. May 1st is a holiday in France as in a lot of countries around the world, celebrating "La Fete du Travail" (Labour Day). Most businesses are closed and in Nice even the local buses don't run. As someone told us, " " if it wasn't for the Arabs one wouldn't be able to buy groceries or wine", so we dropped by the local Epicerie to buy a few things for dinner. A custom on this day, dating back to the late 1700's, is for one to give loved ones a bouquet of "Muguets des Bois", Lily of the Valley. The bouquets represent the new season and new life of spring.

Our aim for our first day in a Nice was to buy a French "shopping cart" (pretty exciting!), our passes for the Velo Bleu (the local bike sharing system), and bus tickets. We head out and who do we run into just two minutes from the apartment......Ken!

For those of you who read our blog last year, Ken is the local handyman who lives in our building. He is a Whelshman and has a wonderful sense of humour. Last year we spent a couple of afternoons at the pub enjoying a few drinks while watching football with him (soccer for our North American friends). We went for coffee with him and got caught up on what he has been up to. Married and divorced twice, he decided to semi retire in Nice 21/2 years ago and he has many lady friends. Well after a half hour we have already arranged to go to an antique car race in Monaco with Ken and some of his friends in a couple of weeks as well as hiking on Sunday.

The Historic Grand Prix of Monaco exists since 1997 and is held every two years, 2 weeks before the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco. It takes place on the same circuit as the Formula 1 Grand Prix with the charming old cars that propose a travel back in time. There are 7 races which include Pre-war "Voiturettes" and Grand-Prix Cars dating from as far back as 1939. We are told it is an all day event including a dinner and wine (of course) concluding with a train ride back to Nice. Looking forward to it.

Found our "French shopping cart", bought the necessary items to stock our apartment, then headed to the Velo Bleu offices. There are 175 bike stations in Nice and the neighbouring towns of St. Laurent de Var and Cagnes sur Mer and a total of 1,750 bikes. We paid €10 each for the use of the bikes for one month. The first 30 minutes are free with a charge of €1 for each additional hour thereafter. Last year we made full use of the bikes and only had to pay additional costs on a few occasions. A great way to get around, although we still plan on doing lots of walking as we did last year. It takes us about 40 minutes to walk into the "vielle ville", the old town. After our errands and a few stops for coffee and people watching along the way, we returned to our apartment late afternoon. Some showers, but nothing substantial. Must say that it is much greener in Nice this year over last. The trees on the boulevard in front of our apartment are in full leaf. Last year after a month here, they were just starting to green up. We are told by one of the locals, that Nice experienced a very wet winter and spring arrived early. Nice to see all the greenery.

 

Enjoying a quiet evening at home with a glass of wine, watching the BBC. OMG.....the headline is about Rob Ford (the wacko Mayor of Toronto)......really! Thankfully, the news moved on.

Walked to the old town today (Saturday) for the first time. Stopped along the way for Pissaladiere (caramelized onions, olive and anchovies on flat bread) and socca (chick pea crepe), both of which are specialties of this area, the Nicois region. There are several cafés in the old quarter which specialize in Nicois cooking, a couple in particular must be written up in guide books as they always have line ups. You order at a counter (limited menu, just about five Nicois specialties) then you sit at shared picnic tables. Today we met a Scottish/Irish couple here for the weekend and had a chat about the oil industry in both Alberta and Aberdeen, where they both work. Lots of walking so jumped on Velo Bleu to ride home along "The Promenade des Anglais" right along the sea.

The Promenade de Paillon, which is a lovely green space between the downtown and the old town, is finished. Last year when we were here, it was being fully refurbished. It took 2 years, cost 40 million Euro and covers 30 acres. What a magnificent job they have done, beautiful gardens, resting areas, fountains, sculptures and a children's park.

Out for dinner to a favourite restaurant in Nice, Oliviera on Saturday night. Our son had told us about it last year and we enjoyed it so much, worth a return visit. This business started off by selling olive oils and eventually grew into a restaurant. They serve different olive oils with each dish, even including desserts.The menu, which is limited by the fact that they only offer what us fresh in the local area, indicates which olive oils will be served with which dish....like a wine pairing. May sound a little weird, but simply fantastic tastes! Just to make your taste buds salivate, we started with a zucchini flower salad....what can I say, absolutely delicious. The zucchini flower is probably 5 inches long and was stuffed with fresh tomatoes, aubergines, zucchini, peppers and fresh garlic. Robin had a mushroom lasagne (very earthy) and I had the rabbit. Finished off by sharing a tiramisu served with olive oil..yummers! They only take cash here....the owner says "My arrangement with the Bank is that I won't do credit cards and they won't do olive oil ".

 

Sunday arrives and we were invited to go on a hike in the mid Alps in La Vallee de la Vesubie with our friend Ken and his local hiking group. The hike was supposed to be a 5 hour circuit but turned into 7hours...yikes! The tour leader got lost several times, we ended up hiking through logging roads which were pure muck, found the trail, had to hike back up, got lost again, hiked back up, lost the trail, then down to find the trail.....geez! Did stop in a tiny little village called Peira-Cava for coffee, possibly should have asked someone for a ride back to our car! Finally got back to Nice around 8 p.m. Notwithstanding the challenges of the day and the fact that Robin's knees took a beating, we had a good day and the scenery was spectacular.

A couple of days just hanging around Nice taking it easy. Bus to Beaulieu sur Mer to enjoy their beach one day as it is a sandy beach as compared to the beach in Nice which is very rocky.

On Wednesday, May 7th we took the local train to Grasse, a town known for it's perfume industry. The town dates back to the 11th century and was fortified at one time. Medieval towns were built in hills so they could have a vantage point against any invaders. Yes, you guessed it, the train station is at the bottom of the hill. A sign indicated that the town was only 350 steps away....o.k. Well guess what, walk a couple of blocks then up 150 steps, go through a tunnel, then up another 50 steps, around a corner, up 50 steps, turn left walk a block then up a final 100 steps! The bus from the train station cost €1.50, but this way was much better for our cardio exercise for the day. Simply love this old villages...the winding narrow streets with local artisans selling their wares. The church was our first stop, although not grandiose, it was very welcoming. It was filled with baskets of roses everywhere one looked, also a good number of paintings, including a Rubens. We visited an art museum with works of 18th century painters of the area along with an exhibit of photographs of Asia dating back to the early 1900's. Next we visited the Provençal costume and jewellery museum (18th and 19th century) and finally the Fragonard perfume factory, museum and shop. Fragonard is the largest of the Perfume makers left in the area. A tour of the factory, which still operates today was very interesting. The process is very time consuming and one could relate it to wine making. We were told that one has to study for two years at school followed by eight years of practice. A good perfumer not only has a good nose but most also possess a sense of fantasy. This is a trait that helps one create new scents. As Robin said, " Now we know why perfume costs so much".

 

Posted with Blogsy

A few days in Paris

Arrived in Paris on Monday the 28th of April after a transfer in Amsterdam. When we arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport we found that Robin's suitcase had missed our transfer, which was quite short. We went to the luggage department and we were looked after by a wonderful French lady from Air France. In the usual French manner, she shrugged her shoulders and told us that KLM ( a partner of Air France) simply caused them a lot of problems. She did say that due to the short transfer, that it was very possible that the suitcase would be on the next flight which was in 1 1/2 hours. She went on to enter the required information into the computer and after about 5 minutes, I said to her in French that it was amazing how much information was required.....she laughed and indicated by the time she was finished our luggage would probably be on the carousel. When she found out that we were headed to Nice in 3 days, she said that if the luggage hadn't arrived by the time we left Paris, she would be willing to deliver it there, as she owned an apartment in Nice. Sure enough, we went for coffee/tea and came back and the missing suitcase was there. A different start to our 21/2 months away!

It was interesting to see goats grazing at the Charles de Gaulle airport. They keep them in fenced in grassy areas around the airport.....guess this saves on paying someone to mow the lawn. Wonder how our neighbours back in Calgary would feel if we got goats instead of hiring a neighbourhood kid to mow! Thinking about it, sounds like a good idea. The goats would keep the grass "mowed" and also provide fertilizer. I guess the only question is....who would pick up the mail?

Arrived at our hotel in the Latin Quarter about 2 p.m. Quickly freshened up and headed off for a nice long walk along Boulevard St. Germain, one of the famous streets in this area. This is the third time we stay in this hotel, so the area is very familiar. Always nice to see how the neighbourhood has changed...some shops closing and others opening.

Some of of early observations of Paris...

1) Still lots of people begging. We commented last year that the people begging were now accompanied by dogs. We now note that a few of them are now using cats as companions to pull at people's heart strings! Gotta change things up to keep people interested.

2) Always get a laugh at "rules of the restaurants". We stopped for a glass of wine at a bistro . When we looked at the price list, it made more sense to order a half carafe....hey we're on holiday. We were told that you could only order a 1/2 carafe if you had a meal!

3) Continue to be amazed at the chocolate shops. One can't walk more than a couple of blocks before seeing yet another chocolatier.....needless to say we had to stop and sample. What else to have but some dark chocolate with a glass of red wine.

4) We know we are back in Paris when throughout the day and night you hear the "klaxon" (police car horns). A very familiar sound.

Early dinner our first day and very early to bed.....fifteen hours of sleep. Probably more than in the past. We did not sleep well on the flight over as many crying children which kept us awake.

Off for our full first day of touring in a Paris. Breakfast at a local favourite restaurant. Then walked across the Seine, viewing the many "love locks" on the Quai de L'Archeve. An article in the local paper indicated that some see these locks as an eyesore. I must say that the number of locks has greatly increased over last year. They have started putting locks on some of the other foot bridges and it is said that that the local government is cutting them off, as they are trying to ensure that this phenomenon is kept to certain bridges. They are also going after the local touts selling the locks.

We continue to "The Marais" an area in the 4th and 5th arrondissement. We really have not toured in this area in previous trips. What a lovely area to discover. So many interesting shops....papeterie, purse shops, artisan cheese and chocolate shops, designer clothes for both man and women, great restaurants, shoe stores, etc. We also ventured into Village St.Paul near here, but not as developed....they are a wanna be Marais.

Spring is definitely in Paris. The trees are in full leaf and bloom. Roses are blooming as well but the lilacs and tulips are already past their prime. We have had a few rain showers in our first day here, but nothing significant. Weather about 16 degrees C. very nice for walking.

In the afternoon we continued back to the Left Bank and wound our way to the Rodin museum. The museum is undergoing some restorations, so only a few of the viewing galleries were open, and there was quite a substantial wait, so we decided to visit the gardens. In all honesty this was a wise choice. The numerous statues in the gardens were impressive. Started sprinkling rain just as we finished our tour of the garden. A 40 minute walk back to our hotel. We walked a total of about 6 hours today, excluding stops for coffee and people watching. The people watching is always amusing...a variety of cultures, styles and interesting attitudes!

Another great day of sightseeing in Paris on Wednesday. Weather about 18 C today and no showers, very pleasant. Probably walked for some 5 hours today. Spent today in mainly touristy areas, amazing the crowds everywhere. Lots of school groups everywhere we went today.

Headed to the L'Orangerie Museum, one neither of have seen in part visits. It is located at the north end of the Tuilleries Gardens. The main rooms of this museum are devoted to Claude Monet's Water Lillies. He donated these paintings to the French people after the First World War so that they could have a space in which to feel peace. Unfortunately one is not allowed to take pictures in these galleries. Two full viewing rooms are put aside for the Lillie's, quite spectacular. Museum also had collections of Renoir, Cezanne, Rousseau, Modigliani, Matisse, Picasso and a few others. I must say that the size of this museum is quite small compared to some of the more popular museums (Orsay, Louvre, etc.), therefore not as overwhelming.

Then decided to stroll through the Tuilleries Gardens making our way to the Champs Élysées. Hard to believe that this is only the end of April, the number of tourists is unbelievable; wouldn't want to be here in the height of the season! Back to the first arrondisement and visited the Grand Palais gardens which is located a few blocks behind the Louvre. What a lovely quiet space to spend some time reflecting on what we have seen in the last couple of days. The majority of people enjoying these gardens were locals, we even saw two separate groups of men playing boules.....why no women I ask, I lawn bowl!

Heading off to Nice tomorrow (Thursday, May 1st) on the TGV (high speed train) which will take 5 1/2 hours. We enjoyed our time in Paris visiting familiar sites and discovering new areas.

Posted with Blogsy