Childhood memories

It is HOT in Provence!! Everyone around us says it is a very rapid and early summer and yesterday we heard the first cigales singing (these are cicadas in case you aren't certain)! They usually do not start until July so that was a surprise.

Before the heat came on JC and I drove over to Grenoble for the day (about a 2.5 hour drive). His grandparents and aunt Renée are buried there. The drive took us through the Vercors where so much of the resistance activity took place during the Nazi occupation. It is a beautiful area and reminds me a bit of the Columbia Gorge but without such a huge river.

Driving into the city we saw this line up of sailors crossing the street. I made JC stop in the middle of the street so I could take a picture. I think it was a graduation celebration. I like the way they are reflected in our car window!!

We were actually driving over to visit some of JC's family in this small rural village.

JC spent summers here when he was a boy and has fond memories of herding cows and helping out with harvest. This area grows walnuts and if you have ever used  French walnut oil in your salad etc. it probably came from this region. These are some of the walnut trees...

We had salad dressed in walnut oil for lunch and came home with a bottle of freshly pressed oil from trees grown on the farm! Delicious.
Here is the farm.

The geese were waiting to hiss at us by the garden gate...they are excellent watch dogs as you may know and I certainly wouldn't want to get in their way! I was happy for the barrier!

Dixie the terrier mix was there too and a much more lovable little lady. I always love to spend time with nice dogs and she is a sweetheart.

We spent a really wonderful afternoon eating delicious food and telling family stories. It was still light out when we said goodbye and started homeward.

The next day we gathered for a mother's day "goûter" (Mother's Day is later in France...May 31) at Emmanuelle's mom's and this year we were all cuddling a new baby...Oscar!! Last year it was Maya's little cousin Anna who was the baby. Here is big sister getting some smiles from her little brother!

The past week was a sort of "return to roots" for JC...first the trip to Grenoble and then we went back to Nice to meet with his aunt Ella who was in town for four days. Come along and check out some more sights of the area. We started out with a stroll on the Promenade des Anglais...

and ended up for lunch at the Rotonde which is this incredibly decorated restaurant in the Hotel Negresco. The colors were beautiful and so cheerful and the setting made you feel like being in a fairytale!

This was one of the desserts...sort of fairytale like too!

We walked through the inner courtyard part of this fabulous hotel which is a symbol of Nice.

It hasn't changed much since JC's childhood except perhaps for some of the modern sculptures!

I thought the mirror in the shape of France you can see in the archway was rather cool!

The next day we took the train to Antibes to visit the town where JC would go with his cousins. We went down a little narrow street to the house near the remparts and an elderly lady at the window of the house remembered JC's aunt who lived there! Pretty amazing.

Here is a view of the house on the water side...left side of the photo. JC says he and his cousin would climb over the wall down to the rocks to go swimming...don't think he would do that today!

We took the train back to Villefranche-sur-mer later in the day.

The train arrives right on the edge of the water...you can see it in the far right of the photo below. You get off the train and can walk right onto the beach and set up for a day in the sun.

The beach JC would go to with his mom and sister is off in the back of the photo to the right of the palm tree. It is called Passable. Such a beautiful spot. 

There is a chapel in town entirely decorated by Jean Cocteau. I have been here before and wanted to go again...Cocteau is one of my favorite writers, poets, artists, but since it was a Tuesday the chapel was closed. Sigh. Even so I did take this picture. So "Cocteau!"

The late afternoon was spent strolling the little streets...the town is all on the beach and up hillsides with steep climbs. We then had moules frites in a bistro on the edge of the water before taking the late train back to Nice (10 minute ride!!!). One thing to notice in all these photos is color...such creative use of it and the great contrasts. Just makes you feel good.

 Train station...

Here is a view from the train platform with the moon in the distance! A bientôt!