There is a predictable rhythm, but it does not play out with split-second precision. If you desperately need a red bell pepper at 1:10 in the afternoon and zip across the street to the vegetable stand, you will find it shuttered. For lunch. For two hours. The veggie peddlers need to eat, too, after all. And of course they open their stand well before 7 in the morning and keep it open until sometime after 7 in the evening.
A lot of Nice commerce works the same way. Department stores, tourist shops and supermarkets stay open all day. But the small businesses here (and France is a nation of small businesses), go with the flow of the sun, the heat, the sea breeze, and the tide.
That's how I lost all track of time when I went to the beach this morning. I knew I also had to get some groceries today. Sometime. Later. Eventually.
But it was so beautiful. The sun, the sea -- look at that azure water!
So, this afternoon, when it came time to do some grocery shopping, I had to hit Intermarche, a supermarket that's open continuously throughout the day. Luckily, they allow dogs (like most places here). That was especially important, as dog food was at the top of my list, and I wanted Honey to pick out what she thought she'd like.
As it turns out, she likes the cheap stuff:
I left with a handful of euros, so we can both enjoy a bit of gelato tomorrow. Good girl, Honey!
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