We discovered that "Nice is nice" is nothing but true. Our friend Kris hosted us in the antique "palace" of an apartment that his great-aunt has rented out to him. Within a short walk from the city center, we strolled down to the beach, ate Mediterranean cuisine (gnocchis, delicious salads, daube meat stew, and lots and lots of wine), hiked to catch a view of the castle that sits on the cliff overlooking the Côte d'azur. The Blue Coast is nothing short of a rich blue color unlike any you've seen - except for the faded brown spot where sewage had seeped out only a few days before.
Markel, Shannon, and I caught a train into Monaco to meet Kris and our friend from Madrid Dominique whose mother owns an Italian restaurant in the city. Filling up on the exquisite risotto and meat au poivre and catching a bit of sunshine on the terrace started our afternoon perfectly. Later with full bellies and lots of Vitamin D we wandered the streets of one of the wealthiest cities in the world. The following day the Toyota Yaris also carried us across the French border into Sanremo, Italy where we relived a similar experience on a terrace near the coast. Mussels and lobster laid on the plates in front of me, neither of which I dared to try.
The Provence region in southeastern France is nothing short of breathtaking. Green rolling hills lined with vineyards and small beige cottages and houses with blue shutters zoomed past us as we winded along the curving highway. Kris showed us a marvelous time with good eats at Grandma's house and with his friends, a challenging hike to see two amazing waterfalls falling over rocky cliffs, a short drive to see a lake that was filled with pristine green-blue glacier run-off water that flowed in from a nearby gorge, and a trip to meet his friend whose family owns a honey farm.
By the end of the week, we had forgotten the stress of work, the screams and the tears of children, and the busy bustling city life... A short pause in the quickness of our lives.
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