So, Where Did January Go?

January 2011 has come and nearly gone. When did that happen? And I haven't blogged all month? Truth is, I have no adventure stories and I have little news. I simply must get out of the house from time to time!

Nevertheless, all is well: We are happy, healthy and have been enjoying our fourth full month in Nice. I suppose we have gotten into a routine of sorts. I have been working steadily as an associate editor for Focus.com, and was recently contacted by an associate who needs another set of eyes for a travel book she has written. Five (sometimes more) days per week toiling on my computers may not be the path to adventure, but it does keep my bank account in the black. As any freelancer will tell you, it's an absolute thrill to be busy! And Vince is making daily sojourns around town, running errands, taking exquisite care of me and Honey (and devouring novels on his Kindle and in the old-fashioned, 'analog' format as well).

The big highlight since my last blog post on New Year's: I turned 45 on January 19th. Quietly. Carefully. One should tread lightly into what the French call "moyen age" (middle age). N'est-ce pas? Our friends Sonia and Olivier stopped by for champagne and nibbles, and we all raised a few glasses together -- good times.

They are wonderful company, and so thoughtful. They brought some beautiful roses that still look terrific after two weeks. Honey likes them too.

So, I have nothing earth-shattering to share, no madcap misadventures to report. We have decided that we will be returning to SF at the start of April, and are making plans to return to Nice from mid-July to mid-October. And we hope to spend a full year in Nice in 2012, with trips back to the US sprinkled throughout the year. That's the plan for now.

Meanwhile, we are very much looking forward to Carnaval de Nice. It's less than three weeks away, and parade bleachers are being put in place throughout town.

I'll certainly have plenty to share about Carnaval, and a post or two before then.

Bonne Année, Mes Chéris!

Oh my goodness! New Year's Eve snuck up on us. Have you popped your cork yet?


Today, we had lunch at our favorite Indian restaurant in Nice: Shalimar. The food is crazy-spicy and always delish.


The best part: We went with our dear friend Myriam. Have we introduced you yet? We met her soon after arriving in Nice. Myriam lives here at Le Metrople with her dog, Cipi. Honey and Cipi are engaged (we think). Here's a snapshot of Myriam and Honey when we went out for sushi a few weeks ago:


Honey is mad for Myriam, and so are we. Anyhow, lunch was fantastic -- and filling. So tonight, we nibbled on foie gras, salmon terrine, and marinated salmon and a little bread, a little wine, a little Sauterne. Just yummy. Good snacks, and a great way to greet 2011.


Happy New Year to all!

Merry Christmas 2010!

Just a little post to wish a very Merry Christmas to all of our friends, family and loved ones. Thinking of you all this Yuletide, and sending lots of love and our best wishes for a Happy New Year!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

As we look around, we're finding Christmas is not just around the corner, it's...everywhere! Vince and Honey and I are getting into the spirit of the season (in spite of the cold, misty, rainy weather).

Around the House
Vince always sets a lovely table and fixes something yummy in our wee kitchen. We have been "test-driving" possible menus for Christmas Eve, with previews of various dishes. So far, it's looking like oysters followed by duck confit will be on our holiday plates. The table's small, but you're welcome to join us!


We didn't have room for a tree, so Vince staged a festive holiday mise-en-scene on the shelf behind the sofa.


Out and About
The building manager put up a tree and decorations in the lobby; it's almost like having a tree of our own.


Around town, the Christmas Market continues, street performers are putting on impromptu shows (some with performing cats!) and a pair of very sweet-looking reindeer were hanging out on the main plaza this weekend.





No Need to Re-gift This Year!
Mornings are much brighter since our new friend and neighbor, Myriam, gave us this lovely pair of massive mugs. The perfect gift for coffee-holics like us. Cheers, Myriam! And merci beaucoup, cherie.


Vince's cousin sent a copy of Armistead Maupin's latest novel as well as a Kindle, and now we are both reading voraciously, in both analog and digital formats. Vince is quite mad about the Kindle. Thanks, Patricia!


What could possibly be in the battered box the postman brought today?


Yummy homemade cookies (for both humans and canines) from our dear friend and neighbor in SF, Maureen.




What a treat! Now we know what we'll have for dessert on Christmas Eve. If we can wait that long. Thanks, Maureen!

Oui Need a Little Christmas

I've had another long dry spell, as I have been busily working on a video chronicling the Yuletide season in Nice. The Christmas Market is set up every year on the Place Massena, just a few blocks from our apartment. Locals and tourists flock to the market to scoop up local crafts (Provencal pottery and santons), feast on holiday treats (spice bread and socca), take the kids to see Pere Noel (Santa Claus), ice-skate, and ride the ferris wheel.

The video has all of the above, plus a look at the village at night when it's lit up for the holidays. There's even an outtake at the end. Think of this as the 'Director's Cut.' Hope you like it. You can also see the a larger view of the video directly on YouTube by clicking this link.

Honey, Vince and I wish all our friends, family and loved ones the happiest of holidays!

Christmas Wish List

You may know about Groupon, the deep-discount daily email coupon with the social networking twist. It's a pretty nifty way to try out businesses and services in your town. Anyhow, I've been getting San Francisco-specific offers for a year or so. Even though I've never signed up for any of the deals, some of the offers have been tempting.

So, I signed up to get Groupon offers while here in Nice. No tempting offers yet, but some fun ones I wanted to share:

How Sweet It Is!
Get your body painted with chocolate? Maybe. But I'd be awfully tempted to lick it off as soon as it was painted on.

Go Fish
I love a good pedicure, especially when all of that rough, crusty skin gets scrubbed off my feet. Apparently, there are fish that can exfoliate for you. I hear it's not for the ticklish.


Fat, Fat, Go Away! Give It All to Doris Day!
It seems the French think that fat and cellulite can vibrated off with these crazy machines. There are lots of salons in our neighborhood that specialize in this quackery...er, revolutionary new weight-loss miracle.

Why LiveStrong When You Can LiveDumb?
These bracelets improve balance, energy, endurance and reduce stress. I'd be pretty stressed out if I bought one and found out it didn't work, though.


I'll keep checking out the Groupon offers that pop into my email box. But somehow, I'm suddenly feeling a little wistful for the days of the Sears Christmas Wish Book!

But, of Corsica!

Corsica was amazing beyond our expectations. We were only there for a couple of days (one sunny, one rainy), but Vince and I fell in love with Bastia. We expected an old, dry, dusty, rustic village -- quaint, careworn and charming. And that's what we found. Plus it was modern, young, chic and prosperous without being silly or overly tarted-up. A delightful paradox.


The gloomy day in Bastia (our second) passed without much fanfare. Mary, Mitch, Vince, Honey and I traveled up into the hills to explore a bit. Mitch and Mary smiled sweetly:

Trying to maintain my usual (!) sunny disposition, I decided to do a little Singin' in the Rain.


But, oh that first day of sun and fun. It was simply exquisite. Little churches had unexpectedly lovely frescoes:

The port was postcard-perfect:

And the older parts of town were perfectly crusty:

We were so enraptured that no one complained about the forced march up the steep hill to the citadel:


We felt utterly victorious when we got there!



Atop the hill, just past the citadel, we discovered a plaza with a great view. So great, we had to document what we saw in this video (pardon the weird angles - I'm still working on my cinematography). Many thanks to the Mary, for the wonderful narration. She's a voice-over talent just waiting to be discovered:



There were two other highlights on our final rainy day: lunch with Mary at Grazie Mille, where Vince had the "third-best pasta" of his entire life:


...And, of course, the night ferry back to our home away from home, Nice: