Le jour final sur Cote d'Azur

My day began with another trip to my favorite boulangerie just down the street from the hotel. The girl who works there in the morning now expects me and greeted me with a cheery “Hello!” when I walked in. She knows this is my last morning and made a sad face when I said “au revoir!” It was another beautiful sunny day in Cannes and I wanted to get as much out of it as I could. I walked along Le Croisette by the Palais de Festivals. I had planned to visit Antibes today, so I made my way to the train station to catch the short train ride over. The trains can be a little tricky and unpredictable here so I wanted to be there a little early just in case the schedule changed. Upon arriving in Antibes (once again following Rick Steves’ direction) I walked down the hill to Vieux Port. The port in Antibes is the among the oldest in Europe and is claimed to be the biggest with over 1600 slips. It appeared that all of them were full and there were yachts parked on the other side of the rampart as there was no room available for them inside the port. Across the water there was an island where Fort Carre stands. This protected Antibes from foreigners for more than 500 years. I walked along by the port until I reached the end and came upon a little shell shaped public beach named Plage de la Gravette. Here there were a few dozen people taking advantage of the sunny day and having picnics or just laying there on the beach soaking up the rays. There were several runners and a few bicyclers. I loved Antibes already! It’s character made it difficult not to fall in love immediately. To get back into the little center area I had to backtrack and go through an arch that led into old town. Here I wandered through the streets inhaling the smells of the restaurants and the sea. On my way to the marketplace I walked by a plaza where there was being held an antique flea market. Apparently on Sundays there are many flea markets that happen all up and down the coast. They had one in Cannes that I caught the tail end of later in the afternoon. There were many inviting little shops that were fun to walk in and out of and one in particular that had an absinthe bar and museum underneath. Absinthe is outlawed in many places, but not France. The bar was like a cave underneath a little tourist shop. There was a party of four others who led the way down and it was fascinating listening to them talk about the history and involvement. They seemed to be intrigued by it as well. There were several tables all around and a bar you could walk up to. There was also a private area where you could sit with your friends, put on silly hats and scarves and have yourselves an absinthe party. I continued walking through the little town, past the marketplace and over to the beautiful pastel colored Church of Immaculate Conception. Next to the cathedral stood Chateau Grimaldi, which houses the Picasso museum. The museum is currently being remodeled so I was unable to go inside. From there I walked along the rampart letting the sun kiss my face and marveling at the beauty of the Cote d’Azur! Once I got to the end I turned and walked through the narrow streets until I once again reached the center square. Here there was another flea market in progress, a bigger one, so I perused the offerings. I couldn’t pass up the delicious looking gelato I passed by so I stopped and had a heaping scoop of mint-chocolate chip gelato! YUM! It was nearing time for me to catch my train back to Cannes so I leisurely wandered in the direction of the train station. Being early paid off! They canceled the train I had originally planned to take and instead we were to board another one headed to Marseille, which was coming 6 minutes earlier than the other one. It seemed as though no one knew what to make of this and even after asking three people I was still confused! The train came and I jumped on. There was a woman in front of me who was in quite a rush to board the train and then just as the train started to move she came barreling down the aisle screaming, “STOP!” (in french), opened the door and jumped out onto the platform. From a MOVING train!! As the train continued to pick up speed I began to pray that I hadn’t made the mistake of boarding the wrong train that would send me barreling past Cannes all the way to Marseille. Eventually we began to slow and finally stopped in Cannes. I jumped out with a prayer of thanks and was on my way to stroll the streets one last time before heading to the hotel to pack. The flea market was still going on in the plaza directly in front of our hotel, so I wandered through it and certainly couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get another hot, delicious crepe! YUM! I eventually headed back to the hotel to complete inevitable task of packing. But I had a far more exciting reason to be there. Today is my niece’s birthday!! Thanks to the marvels of modern technology I was able to chat with her and sing to her! Happy birthday! I love you so much!! After our video chat online , I got to have dinner with C at the Palais, which was quite a treat! He took me on the grand tour and showed me all the theater rooms where the movies are shown during the Cannes film festival. It is a beautiful building inside and fun to have the run of the place! After dinner we headed to a nearby Irish pub to watch England v. France in a rugby game. What a fun event! To be at an Irish pub with a bunch of Englishmen in France! Good times! Thankfully rugby fans aren’t like football (soccer) fans and can watch the games and root for different teams while maintaining (relative) peace! Having never watched a rugby game before, it was quite entertaining! The night ended with England winning, me saying “goodbye” to the London crew and heading back to the hotel to finish packing. I arrived home safe late Sunday night and hit the ground running on Monday. C is there until Friday and I am very anxious to have him home.

Tour de Grasse

Today C had to report in to work, so that mean I was on my own. Having spent the day exploring Cannes yesterday I decided to go on a little adventure and take the train to the village of Grasse. After studying up on it last night, I left at 10:30 am feeling prepared to see all that Grasse had to offer. Grasse has been known for centuries as the perfume making capital of the world. I also found that it has been "twinned" with several cities one of them being Marblehead, MA and that it is where the famous singer Edith Piaf died. The train ride was just 25 minutes long and it passed quickly. I enjoyed getting out of the bustling area of Cannes for a change of scenery. It was another perfect day with the sun high in the sky, which made riding along the sea spectacular. Further on we passed beautiful landscapes with chateaus built alongside the mountains and cut right through a scenic and well-manicured golf course. Winter has somewhat dampened the beauty of the countryside, but mimosa flowers have come alive and decorate the landscape with it’s brilliant yellow color. I imagine this region has a completely different personality in the spring and summer months.
The moment I arrived and stepped off the train I inhaled the fragrances that make this hillside village so popular. I was anxious to begin my tour but was caught off guard upon arriving. The train stopped at the bottom of the hill and was surrounded by hilltop villages. Which way to go? I must say it took some courage to approach a bystander and utter the word “Center?” which thankfully sounds much the same in English and French. The person to whom I was speaking understood me and directed me to a little white bus that stopped directly across from the station and would take me up to the “center.” The road up zigged and zagged and wound around so much that it was difficult for me to follow on my map. The roads are terraced along the side of the mountain and literally zig-zag all the way to the top. As we approached the city center I noticed a sign that said Musee International de la Parfumerie and decided that would be a good place to start. Here I learned a great deal about the history of Grasse and how it's passion for perfume has grown since the 13th century. From here I visited Fragonard Parfumeur, a museum, boutique and factory that was built in 1782. It is one of the oldest perfume factories in Grasse and is still owned by the same family and run by the grandson of the founder. It was given the name Fragonard by M. Eugene Fuchs in honor of the Fragonard family. Francois Fragonard was a perfumer-glove-maker and father of the world-famous painter Jean-Honore Fragonard. My next stop was Parfumerie Galimard which was founded in 1747 by Jean de Galimard. The history of the perfume industry is really quite interesting! I enjoyed walking through the museum and again spraying sticks with different fragrances trying to pick out the different flowers used in each one. After breathing in all that perfume I decided I needed some fresh air and headed out to see some more sights. The streets throughout the town were extremely narrow and there were stairs leading everywhere which made it difficult to navigate. Many of the shops I passed by were closed up and the streets seemed deserted. Whenever I came upon a place there were usually open shops and cafes. Eventually I made it to the Cathedral de Notre Dame du Puy built in the 12th century. There are several paintings inside by notable painters Rubens, Fragonard and Bourdon. From then on I simply meandered through the streets snapping photos and peeking in shops. Soon it was time for me to find the free bus that would take me back down to the train station. With a deep breath in I jumped on the train and concluded my tour of Grasse.
It was only 3 o'clock when I arrived back in Cannes, just about lunch time! I went to the boulangerie C and I found yesterday and ordered a spinach calzone and a loaf of olive bread to snack on. I decided to take a walk by the water in a direction I had not yet traveled. I am so glad I did! It was a mild afternoon/evening, perfect for a stroll along the beach. On this side of Cannes it felt like a cold day in Hawaii. The beaches were lined with restaurants and gelato stands. There were several people running and others playing volleyball. Before I knew it, the sun was beginning to set. I found the perfect spot and sat on the beach while I watched the sunset over the Mediterranean. It was a perfect ending to my "day before the last day."

Notre jour dans Cannes

Lucky day! C was given the day off and decided to spend the better part of it exploring Cannes with me. Our journey began by ambling down a narrow street lined with cafes and little market shops. We stopped at an aromatic boulangerie where we picked out two different quiches and an almond pastry and ate at a table just outside. We continued on in the direction of Le Suquet hill where stands the ancient walls of old Cannes. Up on the hill there are magnificent panoramic views over Cannes. Within the center we visited a small cathedral that was built in 1645 in a Southern-Gothic style. This little piece of old Cannes was enchanting. We strolled along through the long, narrow streets stopping at quaint little shops and browsing the many items offered for tourists such as ourselves. We ended our tour of this part of town with a trip to Le Creperie where we each had a delectable dessert crepe. From there we spent a couple hours wandering the shopping district before retiring for the evening. C had a team dinner tonight and was able to catch up with the UK crew before the work begins tomorrow.

La vie dans Monaco

Both C and I were eagerly anticipating our visit to Monaco, a first for both of us. Monaco has a lot going on! It has hosted the world famous Grand Prix de Monaco since 1929, it's port harbors some of the most exquisite yachts in the world and then there is the casino, hotels, and shopping. From the train station we hiked down the side of a mountain through a tunnel only to find that we would have to go up again to get to Monaco-Ville which was atop another mountain. One thing you have to know is that to get anywhere in Monaco you have to take stairs or elevators. It reminded me of the game Chutes and Ladders. After climbing the next set of stairs we arrived at place du Palais (Palace Square). Following Rick Steves' direction once again, we started at the wall where you can look out over the principality which has amazingly remained an independent country for almost 800 years. In the square we saw a statue of a woman with a fishing net which is dedicated to Prince Albert I who had a fascination with the sea. During his reign he built a gigantic aquarium which was under the direction of Jacques Cousteau for 17 years. Also in the square there is a statue of Francois Grimaldi, the renegade Italian who disguised himself as a monk and captured Monaco in 1297. He then began the dynasty that still rules, Europe's longest-lasting dynasty. The current ruler, Prince Albert II, is his great-great-great...grandson. Prince Albert II occupies the palace and his sisters, Princesses Stephanie and Caroline, live nearby.
From here we took a narrow street to the Cathedral of Monaco where centuries of Grimaldis are buried, most recently Princess Grace who was killed in 1982 and Prince Rainier who died in 2005. It is a beautiful cathedral both inside and out and stands in an ideal place overlooking the port and the sea. By this time we had worked up quite an appetite so we walked back to the center through a well-manicured garden and found the perfect boulangerie a block off Palace Square. I had a delicious crepe (surprised?) and C had a yummy pesto, tomato baguette sandwich. We ate and walked through the streets and down the stairs that led to the port. I have never seen yachts so big as the ones there! Strolling along gazing at each one we marveled at these beauties of the sea. We then climbed up to Charles Hill, otherwise known as Monte Carlo, where the casino stands and were once again, awestruck! We both enjoyed gawking at the several Jags, Bentleys and Ferraris that were parked in front of the hotel and casino and watching in wide-eyed wonder as yet another Ferrari rolled up, the owner jumping out and tossing the keys to the parking attendant and dashing inside. Incredible to think that until the late 1800's Monaco was one of Europe's poorest countries and today has the world's highest per-capita income.
The casino is another experience. Though we didn't pay the 10 euro to go into the private gaming rooms we did wander around through the lobby that divides the casino and opera house. We also spent some time in a side room which houses the slot machines. It was early evening by this time and as we walked back outside we watched several couples emerge from the hotel dressed in their finest on their way to their evening events. It was soon time to catch our train back to Cannes so we hurried up the stairs, then down the stairs, then up the elevator that took us to the train station. After such an exciting day we were ready to sit and enjoy some quality food. Back in Cannes, we walked along the boulevard that parallels the sea then meandered away from the beach and into the central part of Cannes. It was there we came upon a whimsical cafe called Il Teatro tucked away off the beaten path. Everything looked delectable and we weren't disappointed. I ordered the risotto and C ordered the eggplant tagliatelli. For dessert we had another fondant au chocolat, which was once again...heavenly! We of course couldn't consume it without mention of our sister-in-law, Lindsey. Happy birthday, Lindsey! Wish you were here!

Un jour dans Nice

We woke up this morning and the view out our window was amazing! Sky and sea were the bluest blue. We had breakfast in our hotel which consisted of muesli and yogurt with fresh fruit, juice, and a chocolate filled croissant. After finishing we headed to the train which took us the short distance to Nice. Nice is the Riviera's capital it is also France's fifth largest city and we happen to be here right in the middle of Carnival, otherwise known as Mardi Gras. I have to thank Rick Steves' guidebook for our lovely tour, it is a perfect companion. From the train station we walked down Rue Jean Medecin to place Massena which is in the old part of the city. Our first stop was Cours Saleya which is Nice's main market square and has been since the Middle Ages. We caught the tail end of the market and were able to walk through and enjoy the the color, sights and smells. At the end of the market stood a golden building that housed famous artist Henri Matisse for 17 years. Just next to this building was a little cafe named Cafe des Ponchettes where we chose to have lunch. C had a delicious vegetable pizza (the thin crust is so light and airy!) and I had a crepe (one of many!). We sat outside and enjoyed the live jazz band playing in the square. Next to us was an older couple from Couer D' Alene, ID. They travel four months out of every year to different places around the world. So inspiring! After lunch we continued on our tour of the old town. We passed by many an old building, churches, cafes and restaurants. We were tempted by the overabundant gelato stands but were too cold and therefore bypassed them. Surprisingly many of the museums are closed for the season, so we stuck to popping in and out of ornate churches and cathedrals and winding through narrow streets to bustling piazzas. We eventually walked the distance to the Russian Cathedral, Nice's Russian Orthodox church which claims to be the finest outside of Russia. The story goes that there were some five hundred rich Russian families that wintered in Nice during the late 19th century. They couldn't pray in a Catholic church, so the widow of Czar Nicholas I provided the land and Czar Nicholas II gave the church. The church is actually much smaller on the inside than it looks from outside. It is really just one room filled with spiritual icons and candles.
From there we ambled back to the old part where we found some stairs that would take us to the top of Castle Hill. There actually isn't a castle on the hill....but apparently there used to be. The views you get from the top are sensational, especially as you watch the sun set over the Med. We rushed from one side to the other in attempt to capture the sights of Nice, the port, the foothills of the Alps and the Mediterranean before the sun disappeared and we were kicked out for the night. From there we went to Distilleries Ideales, a cafe/bar recommended by Rick Steves'. Here we were able to rest our feet, get warm, and sip on a cappuccino while we marveled at our day. For dinner we stopped at Pasta Basta and had a three hour meal (not atypical here...) of salad, bruschetta and gnocchi. The parade for Carnival began just before we finished so we hurried on down to Promenade des Anglais to watch all the commotion. It was quite a sight to see everyone dressed up in costumes with confetti flying and all the kids running around spraying silly string. Unfortunately we couldn't stay too late because we had to catch our train back to Cannes. I'm hoping we can go back on Saturday night to see the fireworks!

Bonjour de Cannes!

Nous sommes arrivés et c'est bel! We arrived and it is beautiful! Our flight over was pretty uneventful. We flew out of San Francisco on Sunday evening. Unlike our flight to Barcelona, both C and I were unable to sleep much. I spent a lot of time reading and C worked until we felt completely exhausted and were finally able to get a little rest. We landed in Frankfurt, Germany to transfer to our Lufthansa flight which would take us directly to Nice. It was a quick flight and once we arrived we hopped on a bus and sat back for the hour long ride into Cannes. We are staying at the Hotel Splendid which is indeed splendid! We have an end room on the 4th floor with a harbor and sea view. It is a quaint room with (in typical European style) two twin beds pushed together to make it a double. We have two small balconies with tall doors to open when you want to step out and enjoy the view. Being that we arrived somewhat early in the evening we were ready for dinner. We strolled along the Rue Felix Faure passed several restaurants until finally deciding on one which happened to have the same name as the street we were on. It was a good choice! Our main course was wonderful but it was the fondant au chocolat that really did it! A mouth-watering steamy brownie-like chocolate cake sitting atop a creamy custard with melted chocolate spilling from the center and around the sides....YUM! Je pense que j'ai gagné dix livres!
To counteract the damage we did with our delicious meal we walked along the main boulevard that borders the Mediterranean. As we walked we could almost picture the bustling activity that takes place during the summer months when tourist season is in full swing and the beaches are smothered with bodies clamoring to catch the rays of the Riviera sun. For us, however, it was a quiet evening walking past the shops and restaurants that won't again open until the first buds of spring. Christian enjoyed reminiscing as he showed me the Palais des Festivals which is where he will spend his days until he returns home and also, coincidently, where the Cannes Film Festival is held each year in May. We walked past the Hotel Majestic and Hotel Carlton, two grand hotels that host Hollywood's best during the aforementioned festival. We turned to walk away from the beaches and came upon Hotel Cristal, which is where he last stayed. He was very pleased to have remembered how to get there. We ended our stroll back at the hotel anticipating what the next day would bring.

OUCH!

I know there isn't a whole lot of sympathy out there for me, but just to put it out there, I'm BUMMED! The Superbowl, also known as "The Great Upset", was exciting (yes!), maddening and ultimately disheartening.  Yes, I love the Patriots...every one of them!  No, I am not ashamed and will unabashedly admit to my fondness for Tom Brady as well.  It was a sad day for all of us....and though I am still sad when I think of those final seconds when Eli Manning pulled something from somewhere even he has yet to understand....I think of next season, and what that could bring. Another chance for the Patriots to make history!