We packed up and left Aix-en-Provence and headed to the coast directly south where there are some port and fishing villages. We chose Cassis which was less than an hour away. On the highway out of town we saw the mountain Cezanne made famous in his paintings, and in the nearby landscape, interesting outcroppings and cliff formations that also showed up in the art.
Cassis is colorful, with a horseshoe harbor full of boats, both fishing and pleasure vessels. Along the shore are many restaurants, shops and of course ice cream opportunities . Rich chose a restaurant for moules (muscles) and frites (fries). He ordered them with a creamy mustard sauce, I must say was the most delicious sauce I ever tasted. We both enjoyed it not only on the muscles, but fries and especially with the bread.
Another hour to the east and north brought us to Contignac, a town of 1,800 in winter and 3,000 in the summer. It is where our friends Janet Leno and Peter Harold live .
Like so many other little towns in France, it is surrounded by vineyards. Janet lives in town in a house that is probably hundreds of years old, but renovated . It is roomy and beautiful with white walls, old exposed beams and a touches from their African house. We had our own suite on the lower level. A walk through the town was thoroughly enjoyable. The steep walkways are ancient stone paths that narrowly weave between abandoned ruins and refurbished medieval homes. We heard stories about some of the town characters and the town lore. The main thoroughfare is a 3 block wide alley of shops and restaurants with a parallel inner border of stately Plane trees. At one of the restaurants we enjoyed a dinner outside with organic wine from the Contignac cooperative and shared local dishes of gambas( prawns), duck, and an apple tarte. Janet and Peter know many of the people in town, and many came to say hello. There is a mix of foreigners, folks who stay for the summer months, tourists, and townspeople, restaurant proprietors and shop owners. At night the cliffs overlooking the town are dramatically lit up, which made for a beautiful walk home the few short blocks.We called Sarah for her birthday, who at the time was on a boat off the coast of Maui snorkeling.
June 9 Life in Contignac
We were anxious to see what Sunday was like in Contignac, so after a breakfast which featured delicious Greek yogurt and local honey made with lavender, we again made our way to the center of town. Today was an artisanal fair, and the cafes alongside were busy. Janet has a Dutch friend who has a shop of darling curiosities and we picked up a few items including some small silver pomegranite place card holders. Peter and Rich secured a cafe table and we made it our headquarters for at least an hour over coffee a lait. Janet introduced me to the honey store, and we bought some of the lavender honey we had for breakfast. A few more hellos to neighbors and a few more market stops for lunch ingredients, then we left the very pleasant center and walked home. Janet's house has several patios. We prepared lunch and carried it to what I call the grotto patio, a vine covered former religious cave like area, perfect for staying out of the sun. Not that there was any today. In fact, the inhabitants of Provence boast that they have sun 360 days a year. Funny that we have hit four of the five days without sun. There was even a serious downpour this afternoon, through which we all took photos and videos because it was curiously strong.
Janet made some calls to friends and took us for visits. The first was to Cathy and Jean-Claude. They bought a wreck of a heap and transformed it into a gorgeous bed and breakfast and well appointed home for,themselves worthy of being in Architectural Digest. They tired of the B and B and now just live there with empty apartments. She is an energetic and creative dynamo, and enjoyed showing us the before photos as much as we enjoyed seeing the glamorous results.The next stop was the atelier of Janet's best friend, a potter. She is married to an American from LA, and lives above her shop. We bought two small white glazed cups. Rich had a good time talking to her about different types of clay. One of the neighborhood dogs kept wandering in with a ball in her mouth to play with whoever would succumb. We noticed many other dogs running around loose in the town, as were cats. Many people had dogs on leashes however, and brought them to restaurants where they were well behaved under tables.
Tonight's dinner was at a red checker tablecloth restaurant next to the one from the night before,
The warm pizza smell beckoned and we sat until late enjoying each others stories.
June 10 Nice in Nice
It was so comfortable and natural to be with Janet and Peter. I feel we could have stayed all summer. They have carved out a lovely life for themselves and we feel honored that they shared a slice with us. Our normal early rising and get up and go energy kicked in and we reluctantly left Contignac by 8 am so we could get the car returned before the French siesta. On the way we saw signs for Cannes and noted that it was just off the A8, so we decided to take a look see. The film hoohah was over, so we figured the coast was clear. It would have been except for the road construction which made a short exit an annoying traffic problem. Eventually we got through the center of town where the pavilion is for screenings and events, the marina full of spectacular yachts, and the beach area. We didn't park, but agreed to come back next time by train from Nice to walk around. As we were very close to Cagnes-Sur-Mer where the Renior Museum is, we drove about 10 minutes to check it out. Unfortunately, it is being renovated this year, and the paintings and artifacts have been moved to another location.
The road along the beach in Nice stretches for a few miles. It is situated parallel to the beaches, along with a wide sidewalk and a two way bike path which makes it perfect for vacation strollers or bikers. Our hotel,La Perouse, is built into the cliffs, and is at the eastern end of Nice beach.This is our second stay here, and we again enjoy overlooking the very blue Mediterranean and the unique hotel pool with a cliff wall at one end. With our car dropped off " just past McDonalds" (what would we do without that landmark?) we set out walking to find a lunch cafe. Nice has many vibrant squares and long narrow streets full of stores of interest to tourists filled with products from the area. On the way back to the hotel we stumbled on a flea market! Of course I sniffed out some French textile samples and did a good job bargaining. This is in an area that is multi purpose. It is a wide pedestrian corridor and some days it is a vegetable market and others the antiques market. But late afternoon everyday it is cleared out and transformed into multiple blocks of cafes. There might be 50 different proprietors, each with their own decor; tablecloths, chairs, candles or flowers . The menus seem to be similar, although some feature fish specialties and some Nicoise or Italian. A lively musical trio serenaded us with some fun oldies as we shared a ravioli and salad with goat cheese, then took a stroll the full length of the cafe row.Tomorrow we leave. We decided that of all the travel we have done this year, Nice is at the top of the list as far as interest, culture, and manageability.
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