Corndogs + Avocados

I know, it’s taking me forever to get through this. You teachers out there know that May is just impossible. It sort of feels like a flat-out gallop to the finish line. But this evening I have a few wonderful hours of leisure.

We took a motorcoach from Avignon to Nice, our last “base of operations.”

We entered the town from the west along the coast, hotels and restaurants on the left, the Promenade des Anglais, a wonderful paved walkway dotted with benches, on the right in between us and the Mediterranean. There is a long strip of pebbly beaches between the Promenade and the water. Although there is no visible division between each beach on the sand, big blue signs stand up along the Promenade alerting passersby to the name of each beach. One of the first signs reads “Forum Beach.” Our courier (sort of a tour leader) explained over the microphone at this point that at each beach you can rent a mistress.

“I’m sorry?”

The courier repeated herself, “you know, a mistress. You pay money and use a mistress for the afternoon on the beach. It is much more comfortable than laying on the rocks. A mistress!”

“Do you mean matress?”

“Oh yes yes, a matress!”

Those scandalous Frenchies.

After dropping our bags at the hotel we walked over to the Cours Saleya, the famous street in Vieux Nice (Old Nice) normally filled to the brim with the daily flower market. On Mondays, however, you can find fine antiques and important whatnot, like silver ostrich teapots.

Late afternoon the tents came down, the chairs and outside heaters came out, and diners descended on the street en masse.

We spent the next hour or two wandering the narrow cobbled streets of Vieux Nice stopping in cafes and shops.

I love the statues that line part of of the Place Masséna, the town’s main square. They change color every few seconds.

That night ratatouille was on the menu, a most marvelous way to eat your veggies, and I munched the most delicious meringue for dessert.

The next day we had several field trips, the first to Eze, home of the Fragonard Perfume factory. I’m usually not into perfume, but I totally recommend going here and taking the tour. Finally the difference between perfume, eau de parfum and eau de all the rest demystified!

A little quiz to test your nose.

Many wonderful things to buy. Our guide through the factory explained the process and a number of the scents before having us sniff at them. It was amazing.

And, girl, you know these legs belong to our guide!

Then off to Monaco. Not too shabby an aquarium, eh?

We saw the tomb of Grace Kelly -

- and the changing of the guard.

The most scenic defibrillator I’ve ever laid eyes on.

I feel so bad for the people here who have such little boats.

Now, if you are ever in Nice or Monaco, and you have a few hours, you MUST GO TO Villefranche for a lazy lunch. It lies between Nice and Monaco. Here is a view from the bus as we rumbled past in the morning.

The adults ate at this wonderful place, Beluga. The students walked a minute down the beach, grabbed some sandwiches and lounged in the sun.

Back in Nice that evening we ate dinner together and then had a couple of hours before we all had to be back at the hotel with lights out. I strolled down the Promenade again and snapped these shots.

Over in Old Nice and at the very end of Cours Saleya I enjoyed the rest of my night outside nibbling at a crepe, sipping on hot chocolate and listening to a sultry jazz trio lull us all into that pleasant zen-state that only an upright bass and buttery voice can do. That night more than at any moment I missed Darin like crazy.