A Beach of a Day in Old Nice

It was a perfect day for a walk along the Promenade des Anglais, which goes beside the beach for five kilometres into Old Nice.  We walked it BOTH ways as well as wandering around Nice. There is a good reason why this area is known as Cote d’Azur.  The water is the most incredible colour!  There were lots of people out today; many were in the water and sunning themselves on the beach, though it is not sandy, but full of small stones.

Pour Graham & Everett:

Les “Flat Stanleys” ont visite la plage aujourd’hui.  Il faisait un beau jour avec beaucoup de soleil. Une plage est nommee Florida, qui est drole.  Nous sommes en France, pas aux Etats-Unis!  Dans la ville de Nice, il y a un marche avec beaucoup de legumes, de fruits, de fleurs et d’autres belles choses.  Les Stanleys aiment les mangues fraiches et les autres belles fruits.  Les Stanley ont passé une tres  bonne journee a Nice aujourd’hui!! J

The market in Old Nice was a highlight of the day.  There was such an array of all kinds of fresh produce and local items, like lavender.  Just beyond the market, the narrow streets were filled with all kinds of lovely goods, all expensive.  It seemed odd to see so much winter merchandise on such a warm, summery day.

John ogling the olives at the market

We walked all over the place, and finally came to a wonderful restaurant, facing the harbour, where Christine Onassis' yacht is docked.  We had a fantastic seafood lunch before walking the five Km back to the apartment.  I think we will have to treat some sunburn tonight, along with the sore feet.  Altogether, it was another fabulous day.  Yes, we are thinking of our friends and family back home, where it is getting colder.

Pictures - everywhere you look at Saint Paul de Vence

The bus took us up higher and higher, through twists and turns, to the most marvellous ancient town at the top of a mountain.  Not only is it picturesque, but the place is filled with artists, craft shops, and all manner of fascinating things to look at.  Several artists have their studios in the tiny shops that peek out among the thick stone walls of the fortified town.  The views from the wall are like those you see in books, with villas of Provence and snow capped mountains in the distance.  We climbed, took pictures, explored tiny lanes, took pictures, admired the flowers, took pictures....I think you get the "picture"!

One of the few times we sat today

It really was a picture taking kind of day!  John filled his digital card before we were done. It's a good thing we are not developing film. When you visit France, this place is not to be missed.  Thanks to our personal guide, Heather, who has been here often, and who led us through the labyrinth of loveliness!

Back at the apartment, we had some of these irresistable cookies with a nice cup of tea.

It is so beautiful out, we might just wander down to the beach before supper.

A Day in Aix-en-Provence

What a fabulous day we had, and what sore feet we now have!  It was an early start to catch the bus to Aix- en-Provence, a magnificent city about two hours away from Nice.  Our friend, Heather, had lived there for a year when her daughter, Zoe, was very small, so she was an excellent guide and shared her fond memories. 

Besides the wonderful narrow streets and enticing little shops, there  were beautiful fountains everywhere, music in the streets and an Irish pub.   That means there was something for everyone.  Not to mention the incredible lunch we had at a charming restaurant, with wine, of course. 

Every street leads to another amazing sight

There are lots of little cars here, with the narrow streets.  This one is an electric "bus"

One fascinating building in which we spent some time is the Aix cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur d'Aix). It is built on the site of the 1st century Roman forum of Aix. Built and re-built from the 12th until the 19th century, it includes Romanesque, Gothic and Neo-Gothic elements, as well as Roman columns and parts of the baptistry from a 6th century Christian church. It is a national monument of France.

The front is under some reconstruction at the moment, so we couldn’t get a good picture, but the inside was compelling with its obvious importance for so many centuries as a special place.

Inside the cathedral

Heather in the doorway of where she once lived in France

John admiring the beautiful fruits and vegetables available



We woke up to wind and rain, which is apparently unusual for here, but it was a good day to just walk around the neighbourhood and pick up some groceries.  The two “supermarkets” nearby were very interesting, with a huge array of fresh produce, cheese and wine.  There was very little in the way of pop and chips, but lots of fresh fish!   A feature this week was 2010 Marquis de Bolland Bordeau wine for 3.95 Euros. The deal was that if you bought one, you got one free.    We wondered if it would be any good at that price.  Oh My!  It was some of the best we have ever tasted.  We enjoyed it along with a baguette from the patisserie downstairs. Needless to say, the rainy day was not wasted, though I believe we almost were.

Grocery shopping in France

October 26

Today was bright, warm and sunny – a perfect day for exploring, so off we went to Cannes, which is about an hour away by bus.  This is the heart of the French Riviera, where the famous film festival is held, and the very wealthy go to shop.  It was amusing to see women walking around in furs and boots when the weather was 28 degrees and sunny.  They were very fashionable, though.

We climbed up to the top of an old fortress that overlooks the town and we walked around by the water where the most magnificent yachts were harboured.  John really liked that!  Outside the Cannes Film festival there are lots of blocks with handprints of famous people, and there is a park with movie themed amusements for children.  The beach was pretty active too, and they were definitely NOT wearing fur coats there!

It was a fabulous day for taking pictures, and the Flat Stanleys were with us, so here are a few:

Guess who this Jedi is?????

Starting the Adventure

Sunday was a frantic day of packing and trying to complete all the lists of things that needed to be done in the house.  We almost did it all.  Thank goodness David and Maryrose will be able to go over to our house and check things out. 

Graham and Everett’s “Flat Stanleys” made sure they were packed so they can go on our adventures too.

After flying all night, we landed in Heathrow Airport in London, where we went for breakfast.  John was delighted to see that they served beer with breakfast!  Turns out it was actually more expensive to have coffee, which I enjoyed. 

The second flight, to Nice, was uneventful, and Heather met us at the airport.  So here we are in the cute apartment where she has been staying for the past month.  The view is lovely, and we are up for some exploring of this magnificent area.

We are getting closer to the "big trip", but there have been some side trips and family visits recently that we hope you will enjoy sharing here.

Ian, Erica, Owen and William outside their home

While Erica was home this summer we had many opportunities to visit in Toronto and go to parks, having fun with the little ones.   The double stroller was a great mode of transportation, though Owen is an enthusiastic walker most of the time.

Gail, also known as Granny, had an opportunity to visit Charleston with daughter, Erica, when she attended a conference there.  Little William, (actually not so little for his nine months) was a fabulous companion for wheeling around the sights of Charleston.

Right after going to Charleston, Granny went to Kelowna to visit with the Phillips family. Papa John stayed home to look after things and assist David and Maryrose while baby Marlo was in the hospital.

Gail, Graham, Everett, Linda & Jeff



While in Kelowna, there was a surprise dinner out to celebrate Granny's birthday!  The boys enjoyed going to a real grown up restaurant, while Ava stayed with friends, which was more fun for her.

Ava loves to wheel her "babies" around.  She looks just like her Mom did when she was little!

Thanksgiving!! So much to be thankful for!!  Baby Marlo was finally home from the hospital, and everyone, especially Auntie Kathy, loved holding her.

                                                      Papa John with Marlo and Otis. 
The Ivanco family will have to come over often before we leave for our trip, so they can help to eat up all the food before we go!
Now it is time to go and pack, and think about all the things that need to be done before Sunday.