St. Martin Visubie

Around Nice the French Alps come close to the sea. It's not far to reach the snow and that's our mission. Through a narrow gorge and up the mountain roads leads us to St. Martin. Another 12th century town at the end of a high valley surrounded by white mountain peaks. Part of the river located near the town is diverted through the old main street. Constantly rushing down a gutter through the middle of the walkway, the icy water was used as a source of fresh water to wash and clean. Even while having lunch, the municipal workers came by with a 6 inch plastic elbow on a rope and a broom to clean the street. The elbow was used for diverting the water onto the side of the walkway and connecting courtyards. One man held the elbow while the other swept the grime of the cobble stone streets. Along the way the said hello to the shop keepers and gave the french kiss kiss - talked awhile and then back to work they went. The sun dried the streets in a short while and we used the man made stream to clean our slippers.

We drove to Borion which was further up the valley and started on a hike along side a rushing mountain stream. Quickly diverting away from the stream, the trail began to move up a steep ridge and toward a high mountain lake. At least that was the plan. Instead we ran into some deep snow and lost our shoes in the holes. After retrieving our foot wear, I tried to push further on like any man worth his weight. I didn't get much further as the snow got deeper and the top of the ridge wasn't any where in sight. I retreated by sliding down the snow in my shorts and wet shoes. 

On the way back to St. Martin we spocked a town high up on a ridge with the sun still highlighting the church tower. It was a 5 min. investigation into a beautiful town with a godly view of the valley and mountains. The mobile cheese and sausage van parked at the little town square and operated by a fat old man provided a good source of olive oil, sausage, and pasty provence honey. The honey on fresh baked bread with butter was a prize.

The drive home landed us again in Biot, Nicoles little hideaway. We stopped at the hotel, which in fact, did have the tables out in the street. The old man who owned the place chided us for not making reservations. "You were terrible" he sweetly said to Nicole. The church was having a musical event in it's spacious cloister and he expected a large crowd from it and the restaurant was already full. They found us a table and our waiter took our order on the table cloth, writing everything down according to the seating arrangement. I ordered rabbit and he wondered if Ava was going to have some as well. She said, "it's too sad". Off he went with our order written right on our table, and his high water pants jacked up his croch. Thankfully another gentleman came by to organize ordering of the food. He looked down at the table cloth and nodded his head in acknowledgment,  and reading off everyone's choices. It all ended at 11 and another hour and a  half drive. The cappucino  didn't help much, but my copilot helped through out the drive. She isn't a designated driver yet as the autoroutes left her quivering after a scant 10 minutes. She keeps me awake by talking sweet nothings.

Italy and Monaco

It's off to Italy since it's so close. Spaghetti in Italy. We found a small town on the coast with little alley ways with locals slowly meandering through. Not many tourists. Clothes hanging on lines from the apartments above and a enthusiastic Italian woman at the cafe serving us pasta with sausage and bolagnase sauce. 

We head back through Monaco to get a view of the Monte Carlo Casino and the Paris Hotel next door. Lots of Masseratis in the valet parking lot. I walk around inside since kids aren't allowed, but besides the main hall, there isn't much to see, most of the casino and hotel are close off. The harbor below is filled with a cruise ship and a multitude of yachts. The palace of the prince stands up on the promitory overlooking it all. 

We drive to a 11th century town high on a cliff called Eze and arrive at a sheik hotel at the top just at the end of a party. The manager arranges the terrace for us by pulling a love seat and sitting chairs out of the store room and we have wine, orangina, and  an apple juice while watching the sunset from 2,000 feet above the sea. We eat at the restaurant below with fine food, wine, and a creamy strawberry and crusty thing. With a 11pm curtain call, it's another hour and a half drive home.

Cannes

The film festival is on. We're a little late as it's the last 3 days, but Heath Ledger's last movie is on the slate - Dr. Parnassus. Johnny Depp, Colin Farrel, and that famous midget from Austin Powers are in it. We're hoping the red carpet premier will be star studded, since we missed Brad Pitt and Angela two days before. But there's not much of a  schedule for the event. All we know is that the first showing  is at 8:30 in the morning. It doesn't work for our European schedule - wine and cheese at 8pm and dinner at 9. Sleep has been coming at around midnight and the wake up call happens at 10 or 11. We make it out of the house early though, but don't get to Cannes until 11am. Taking the coast all the way up probably didn't help. Lot's of middle aged cyclists with yellow postal jerseys enjoying the view slowed us down a bit.

We decide to drive to an old town Biot for lunch. Crepes and an old hotel where Nicole spent 3 weeks almost 20 years ago. The hotel is there and they still close the street to serve dinner as we'll find out a few days later. We work our way back to Cannes for the 7:30 showing and find ourselves in the midst of a mad crowd and lots of night gowns. It's exciting to see the red carpet being used and the way some wannabes try to work the crowd - blowing kisses and waiting for the next guest in order to stay in the spotlight a little longer. The big stars didn't arrive, only the Austin Powers midget, the director, and the main characters. Big fun. 

We end the day with a late night dinner at a small seaside town where the locals were eating. Steak tartar for me, and a beautiful cream sauce with steak for Nicole. Raw hamburger never tasted so good. Finished dinner at 11 and still had an hour and a half drive home.

Ava's blog: Then we got in the car and went to this town to look at old buildings, and we got ice cream. It was so good! After that we relaxed at the house for the rest of the day. The next day we went to a film festival. A film festival is just like the red carpet at Hollywood. There were red carpets but they were for movies. There were so many photographers! Well we couldn’t see the people with the cameras. We could only see the flash of the cameras. There was a big tv. So we could see the red carpet with the famous people. We saw the people that were in the movie Dr. Parnassus. Well it isn’t in the theaters yet but it will be out soon! This actor was in it and he was a super midget. I don’t know his name though. I am so sorry! The actors had to go on their knees to be the same height as him! The actors of the movie were last and mama was hoping to see Johnny Depp and his wife Vanessa Paradis, but sadly they didn’t come! We waited for hours! Well after that we went out to dinner. Oh my gosh! I have to talk about this dinner! I had pasta and Hannah had the same. Well mama had this fish I think it was salmon. Papa had raw meat! They both shared a salad and they said it was the best salad they ever had! That was the end of that day. The next day we went to the beach again! We played the tennis game again. We did went to another beach it was called Tahiti. We saw women in no top again.

St. Tropez

We arrived on a sunny afternoon into "Ville Toril", a small house with an extended area of relaxation: vine covered terrace, roof top terrace, sunny outside breakfast area, a sitting area outside of the master bedroom, a pool with limestone decking and pearl white tile through out, and a large backyard with a clothes line. The large umbrella pine trees stand tall in the back yard, watching over the view. Too good to leave, we spend the afternoon soaking up the sun and relishing the pool. Only after sunset, past 8 pm do we think about dinner. A little late as Hannah and I drive around for 45 minutes looking for a store. They're all closed. We settle for a pizza trailer on the side of the road. We've passed it 3 times looking for the different stores and now it's the only thing open. I park in someone's driveway and begin to get out as the middle aged pizza man motions me to move my car to the street. I only have 10 euros and hope it's enough for a pizza. His trailer is attached to a stone oven build permanently on the property and the pizza man begins throwing his dough as we decide what to order. We find a 10 euro ham and cheese pizza. It takes 15 minutes as he adjusts the coals and moves the pizza around. We leave with one medium size pizza.  Nicole's worried we got lost - which we did. Nicole calls the pizza the "best ever".

St. Tropez is an old small town kind of at the end of the road. The harbor is filled with luxury yachts and beat up fishing boats. There are small alleys with quaint cafes and high end designer stores for the rich. It's a great people watching place as the rich saunter by in all their finery, and the other tourists move about in wonder. We get a glace for the kids - nutella for Ava and cookies and cream for Hannah and walk the harbor. A large yacht maneuvers into a slip in front of main street and all the tourists, including us watch the 3 story, 80 foot yacht move into it's spot. A crowd gathers around taking pictures and the patrons at the cafes are in a comfortable place to see the spectacle. The yacht reverses its engines with a large wave of turbulence and the owner sits at the top deck looking down at the commoners as he taps on his laptop. His lady, with a large sun hat stands at a lower deck talking with someone. The crew is poised with bumper cushions to protect the ship while another stands ready with a rope to throw ashore to an awaiting harbor official. Once all is in place with outburst of energy, the automatic walkway is extended to the sidewalk, where a crew member puts out a stepping block and a pair of shoes. On this occasion a woman in sun dress and petit hand bag walks up the walkway, waits for a crew member to unlock the gate, and saunters on to the deck with a kiss kiss greeting from the woman in the sun hat, and they sit down for a little chat on the sundeck which is washed in cushioned couches and love seats.

French Alps

Leaving Paris behind in our Lancia, a Fiat brand (they'll be coming to America), we travelled through the French country side. 20 minutes outside of Paris and the farmlands begin with wooded forests preserved along selected stretches. Highway signs indicating cave drawings, castles, and villages whiz by as we drive toward Lyon. The rolling hills are green and the weather a bit cold at 12º, but the highway tolls make for great stops. The bathrooms are incredibly clean and each one has a beautiful picnic area. No stores or fast food joints - just forest along side the highway with picnic benches, bathrooms and playgrounds for kids. They were well used and we enjoyed them as Nani had packed us a picnic basket for the trip.

We stopped to stretch our legs at , an old monastic town from the 1400's which was famous for creating a hospital or care house for the sick. The monastary was recreated as it was used through out the ages. Th

e kitchen had been used to feed the old folks home up until 1985, so it was a large part of the community.

Our end point is Grenobe, where Emanuelle has been nice enough to ask her cousin for a favor to put up some friends from Hawaii. The drive to the south is a bit long for one day. So we will spend two nights here. It's a city really. Sitting at the base of the Alps, at a valley that runs at the base of snow capped mountains, Grenobe is the silicon valley of France. High tech with a large population to serve the industry. The 16th century town center is beautiful and the fort that sits strategically on the high ridge is imposing. 

Brice and Sylvia-Ann welcome us with open arms to their loft like apartment in an old warehouse from the 1800's. Their sons, Sasha and Noe are playing outside in the driveway, waiting to welcome us. We arrive by mistake mostly. Getting lost in the city, we found a street to make a u-turn, and it happened to be the correct one. One thing about France - the street signs are terrible. 10 signs will be posted on the corner telling about all the great things to look for in a certain direction, and the street signs will be plastered to a building, usually on the far end of the block and partially covered in Ivy. You don't know a cross street until you've past it. 

Brice and Sylvia-Anne took very good care of us by taking a day off of work and showing us the mountains of the area. He's a good cook and showered us with his cooking skills. Sasha played some guitar and Noe ran about with endless energy.

Leaving Grenobe we drove through the beautiful French Alps, stopping along the way to walk in a real "alpine meadow", eating our pastries and cooling our water bottles in the cold stream. The snow capped peak

s rose above us, and Ava couldn't stop picking daisies the seed stems to blow in the wind. 

By evening we had reached the rolling hills of St. Tropez. Dry and forested, it looked like Sonoma, but much greener. We found our little chalet, complete with a beautiful pool, tiled floors, shuttered windows and french doors that were screenless. No flies to worry about, just dry, warm, sunny St. Tropez with vines along the walls and wild gardens filled with flowers.

Paris

Hello from France.

It was a long flight to Paris, but we slept most of the way and tried to stay up very late once we got there. Luckily we found an easy taxi from the airport and made it to Nani and Joe's in less than an hour. Much easier than we thought. They welcomed us with open arms and we took a short nap before taking an afternoon excursion by way of the subway to the middle of the city. The subway turn stile kept most of us out the first time around as the the sequence of inserting the ticket and moving the gate was backwards from Hawaii.

We stopped at the wax museum, which showed the history of France and other notables and celebrities. It was all very confusing if you weren't french, but the French Revolution was pretty easy to understand. A lot of screaming and beheading. Ava ran through that part of it. 

Leaving the museum, our first meal in a next door cafe was very Parisian. A green salad with goat cheese on toast, olives, stripes country ham and smoked duck, the ripest tomatoes, and all lightly tossed in a mustard vinegrette. Very good.

We walked to the Louve with the glass pyramid and the old museum and then into the surrounding gardens with hedge row mazes and garden sculptures. Then it was back to the subway, which was by now used to allowing Hawaiians in, and on to our stop, the next one after Voltaire. That was our landmark Voltaire, we're the next one after that. Look at the map for Voltaire and go from there.

Nani cooked us a beautiful stew with salad. For dessert it was cheese or fruit. The kids declined. We didn't have much room for anything else as well. 

Museums filled the next day as we went to the Louvre and looked up at the 2nd century BC winged god that beautifully posed on the landing of the grand staircase. Near 15 feet tall and wings out stretched she bounded up and away. Michealangelo's "Slave" was opposingly tied down with arms constricted and face humbled and pleading. We tromped around to other paintings which were supposed to be famous, but found them all out on the museum circuit to Tokyo, Montreal or somewhere else. We did see the roving eyed Mona 

Lisa with a group of about 100 others. She kept watching us where ever we went. 

We next made a move to the Rodin Museum, which had a beautiful sculpture garden where we could size up the large hands, watch the gimmacing or forlorned faces and walk around the muscled statues surrounded by trees and rustling leaves.

We came home to another home cooked meal that 

Nani lovingly prepared. Ava fell asleep at the table as if she was putting her head down in class. We didn't last much longer.

Our last full day in Paris brought us to Nicole's old stomping grounds in St. Germain des Pres where all the richy riches lived closed to the gruffy college kids. The shops were beautifully French with great patisseries and cafe's. Nicole got herself a sweater to boot.

At night we went to Monmartre to have a look at the city all lit up under the darkened sky. It rained a little, but Ava got her wish to see the Eifel tower again. The first look a day ago was so impressive for her, she needed to see it again. Every hour at night they light it up like a Christmas tree, and Ava was enthralled.