A Pretty Perfect Vacation Week at Home in Nice and Provence

The whole company took a week off to rejuvenate and respect the French tradition of vacation—but it was only a week compared to the French, who take up to five weeks! Five weeks of vacation would frighten me! While I might find something to do for all that time, the thought of coming back to what’s piled up creates nightmares. So, what do I do? I work clandestinely to eliminate the work and the fears.

I had planned to spend a week on the Adriatic coast with my first cousin, Leslie (who lives in Perugia, Italy) in the tiny seaside village of Sirolo, but that got nixed when the herniated and badly ruptured disk started screaming at me. Travel of that kind was not in the cards, so she came to Nice instead for a week of fun in the sun on the Riviera. It was a way for me to take it easy and let this old back heal…not so bad, after all!

Now that another first cousin, Kim, lives in Nice, it gave us girls all a chance to spend some time together. The last time they connected was at a family reunion in Dallas 10 years ago! They are both daughters of two of my father’s brothers. He had seven siblings, so there is an abundance of first cousins, but none of him or his siblings are alive now.

Kim has taken to Nice and Nice has taken to Kim. She quickly became very entrenched in the American community and she seems to know everyone and everyone knows her. From what I understand, she’s like a butterfly having opened her wings in her new French lifestyle. When she first landed in Nice, it surprised her that it reminded her so much of New Orleans where we grew up—something I’ve said all along. The two cities have a lot of similarities in culture, atmosphere, and lifestyle. Nice has the Promenade des Anglais, pastel Belle Époque façades and Mediterranean light, while New Orleans has the French Quarter, wrought-iron balconies and a Mississippi riverfront. Both cities have iconic architecture and street scenes that instantly say “you’re here and nowhere else.” There is a deep French connection— Nice’s culture is tied to France and the Mediterranean, with layers of Italian influence and while New Orleans was founded as a French colony and still holds onto French language, names, and traditions, the Italian influence felt in New Orleans is undeniable. For me, personally, I think the playfulness of both cities, the need to just “have fun,” eat well and party (!!) make them totally sister cities. I understood immediately when she felt so at home in Nice, just as I had years earlier.

The quest for relief from my back pain, “thanks” to everyone being on vacation in August, was a big challenge. Doctors are on vacation, too, so getting appointments was difficult. The moral of the story is not to get sick in France in August. Ultimately, I saw three different osteopaths, two general practitioners, two neurologists, a chiropractor, a reflexologist, and the doctor who fixed me—a spine specialist practicing in Germany who is a friend of my daughter’s. He took a serious look at the MRI and X-rays, knew what he was seeing, and how to reduce the pain with the right combination of drugs…which was the third set prescribed! With a move back to my Paris apartment taking place the last week of the month, getting my spine back to form was a necessity. All of the other practitioners likely contributed to the reduced pain and increased mobility, but in all honesty, it’s hard to know what might have made the biggest difference, other than the drugs!

During this time of repose, mostly while on the beach, I’ve been studying and practicing for my interview for French citizenship coming up September 9th. The single most important aspect of the interview is to answer the question, “Pourquoi voulez-vous devenir Français(e) ?” (Why do you want to become a French citizen?). I asked Chat GPT to write it, then I rewrote it, then immigration attorney Daniel Tostado added his two cents and I rewrote it again. Then, I turned it into an audio file so I could listen to it in French and make it feel natural and unrehearsed. I hope some of it sinks in.

Meanwhile, I’ve been listening to and watching YouTube videos that offer up the most asked questions and provide the answers. Listening over and over again to the French is good for my comprehension and ability to answer in a way that sounds mildly intelligent. I am more worried about my ability to express myself well in French than I am in knowing the answers…although the answers could involve a lot of date-naming and that is not my strong suit…but cultural questions such as naming famous French authors or actors won’t be so tough at all. And I’ve been practicing singing the Marseillaise! Lord, I hope they don’t ask me to sing it. That will surely hurt their ears as much as mine.

After lunch on the Old Port one day with a Niçoise friend, we ferried across the port to the Espace Lympia to see the “Salvador Dalí: Divines créatures” exhibition. There is a free shuttle boat since 2012 that provides a link between the western and eastern shores of the Port de Nice. The original service was provided up until the 1960s and was driven by a retired fisherman. This free shuttle is available for four months over the summer, daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Learn more about the ferry shuttle.

When we arrived at the Espace Lympia, we learned that, like idiots, we hadn’t checked the schedule and it was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. So, off we went in the heat back to the other side of town. We never got back there, out of sheer laziness. Oh, to be on vacation!

Being on vacation in Nice is not my usual MO, but that’s what made it so special. We had the time to visit the Musée de la Photographie Charles Negre exhibition of Laurent Ballesta’s Mers et Mystères photos (on until September 28th). I promptly fell asleep in the 96-minute documentary film (playing 4 times each day)…”from Marseille to Monaco, a dazzling discovery of the 100-meter depth zone, thanks to a technological and human feat orchestrated by Ballesta, co-produced by ARTE France, Les Gens Bien Productions, and Andromède Océanologie.” The photos are worth a visit, however!

On “Assomption,” the 15th of August, or “The Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary,” a group of us got on the 600 bus headed to Cap d’Ail in the intensive heat to have lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant overlooking the water. The holiday celebrates the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken up into heaven body and soul at the end of her earthly life. It’s one of the oldest Marian feasts, officially declared a dogma by Pope Pius XII in 1950, but celebrated in the Church since at least the 6th-century. And while France is very proud of its “laïcité” (secularism), it continues to celebrate its Catholic holidays. This is one of their “public” holidays when banks, post offices, most shops and businesses close. This one was not, however.

Patty Sadauskas discovered the restaurant just by using Google maps looking for interesting eateries with nice views and came upon this little non-descript-bordering-on-sad little spot, “Nuit de Saïgon.” She warned us that it was a bit “funky,” not the best Vietnamese food one can get, but the prices were silly cheap and the view was fabulous. Five of us were game and set out as early as 10:30 a.m. to catch the various buses that would take us there. From the dining room, we marveled at the view of the port in Cap d’Ail and of Monaco’s Palace, laughed through the whole experienced, ate and drank more than we could, all for about 22€ a person.

Would I make a special effort to go back? Maybe not, and it seemed like an awfully long and hot ride to be basically nowhere, but laughed about it all, being so glad we went, even if overwhelmed by the heat of the blistering summer day.

Leslie broke her leg the last time she was in Nice…on Thanksgiving Day 2023. Thanks to an American couple living in the town of Lorgues in the Var, Gayle and Paul, who attended our Thanksgiving Dinner in Nice, said that they “were in for an adventure” and would happily fly to Rome with her to pick up her car and drive it to Perugia as long as they could stay in her apartment there! It worked out perfectly and they became good friends. (Read all about it in our Nouvellettre® from that event.) Coming to Nice now gave her the possibility of reconnecting with them.

Lorgues is a short ride from Le Muy, another small commune in the Var southeast of Draguignan and north-northwest of Saint-Tropez. It was one of the first places to be liberated in the Allied invasion of Southern France in August 1944. Gayle and Paul were planning on marching in the annual military parade to commemorate the 81st anniversary of its liberation and invited us to come to for the festivities. This past week from August 11 to 16th “featured historical reenactments, film screenings, official ceremonies, and festive events to pay tribute to the heroes of the past while bringing together the generations of today.”

How could we say no? So, we hopped an early TGV to Les Arcs – Draguignan to be there in time for the parade, have lunch, hang out at their pool and then head back to Nice. It’s about an hour on the TGV from Nice and was easy and inexpensive. We knew it might be fun, but we had no idea what an amazing experience it would be.

Arriving early meant getting a perfect café table at a little bar at the very corner where the parade would turn. We set up there for literally the next three hours as we watched the entire episode unfold—as the participants lined up and prepared for the parade, then not only did it pass once there, but twice. The café was a typical little village bar that couldn’t offer more than drinks—not even a croissant or “tartine” (baguette and butter), but it didn’t matter…we could have hung out there for days on water. Gayle and Paul went off in their period costumes to ride on one of the 250 vintage war vehicles that come out every year for this event.

Three tri-color red-white-blue flags were everywhere representing the allies: France, U.S., Britain. In addition was the presence of the FFI—Forces Françaises de l’Intérieur resistance fighters.

It was hot…very hot. Under of the awning of the cafe, the time spent there couldn’t have been more perfect. A lovely French couple happened to come sit next to us and that was the highlight of the day as the gentleman loved chatting about his three generations of war veterans (WWI, WWII and the Algerian War), being a native of the area and so proud to be there. His wife had little to say, but was quite beautiful. I translated for Leslie best I could, but in essence, the conversation turned to current politics (how can we help it?) and the open mindedness toward immigration and people who come from many different ethnic and social backgrounds. He was an astute retired plumber, also very proud of his beautiful son and daughter whose photos he shared with us. We never caught their names, but It was one of those moments in time that will stay in our memories forever.

Once the parade had passed, everyone disappeared into their own lives and you wouldn’t had known it had even taken place. We took a couple of photos, said our good-byes and headed off to lunch at one of Gayle and Paul’s favorite local restaurants—La Table de Mentone. In the heart of the vineyard of Le Château de Mentone, in the estate’s old farmhouses, lies the restaurant the locals have come to enjoy. Everything about it was perfect: the atmosphere, the food, the company. If you’re in the area, don’t miss it.

After lunch we went back to Gayle and Paul’s Provençal home for a swim to cool off before heading back to the train for our ride home to Nice. The adventure finding the home is a tale to be told. It’s no easy task to find the perfect home in the perfect spot in the countryside of France that meets all of the requirements. Gayle explained that as they visited more and more, their list got longer of what requirements the house must meet. Ultimately, their three-bedroom two-level house with lovely back yard, beautiful views and saltwater pool in Lorgues was quite a good find and they love, love, love living there; within a few minutes of a train station, close to two international airports and charming villages in the immediate proximity.

The Zou regional train took us home, stopping at every seaside enclave along the way, which offered up views of a coastline I hadn’t seen before. Cleary, the TGV tracks don’t go here. It’s worth a ride, just for the views. Back in Nice for a simple dinner at home on the balcony was the perfect end to a perfect day. And in truth, the highlight of the whole week.

This coming week will be quite a different story. As you read this, I’m on route back to Paris to prepare for moving back to my rue de Saintonge apartment. Tomorrow I’ll be practicing for the citizenship interview with Daniel Tostado’s team. Wednesday I’m visiting Saintonge and the new apartment for my daughter to see how things are progressing and making a trip to IKEA for the things we’ll need for the apartment. The rest of the week will be spent packing up and the week after is the big move…god willing!

For me the summer vacation is over, over, over. But, it’s been an adventure full of memories that will last a lifetime. Thanks to finally getting the right advice and drugs, my herniated disk is calm and manageable. Now, it just needs time to heal and get on a program that will strengthen my core. Stay tuned.

A la prochaine…