Joie de Vivre
We're continuing to enjoy life here in France.
One evening walking back from dinner I noticed a cute little art studio in Old Town Nice. I thought it might be nice to learn watercolor to paint some of the beautiful things I see here in the South of France. The artist who owns the studio has small informal classes; each person working on their own projects from beginners to the very experienced. Isabelle guides each person individually during the 3 hour class time making it a friendly setting. The first class was a bit overwhelming, learning a completely new skill and everyone speaking French. But it’s gotten a bit more comfortable the last couple of times. It’s been a good opportunity meet French people in a social setting and improve my language skills.
John and I have been taking day trips on the train to interesting places along the coast. Yesterday we went to Roquebrune Cap Martin, a medieval village perched on a mountain high above the Mediterranean Sea. It was an amazing place: a maze of alleyways and covered passages with people still living in these ancient homes. There’s even a 1,000-year-old castle! It was made more amazing by the lack of tourists and stores selling chachkies, probably because it's a bit of a difficult place to reach. (We had to schedule an Uber to take us up the mountain from the train station.) This village was a wonderful place to have lunch and explore!
Last week we went to the Ventimiglia, Italy where every Friday the largest open-air market in Italy is setup along the seafront. It’s got the energy of a big party with people selling all sorts of clothing at great prices along with leather goods, shoes, and household products. There, of course, were no dressing rooms, but people were creative. I saw older ladies trying on bras over their clothes. I found a couple cute skirts and John bought a beautiful linen shirt before we headed to lunch, delicious Italian food on the water. We’re definitely going back, but waiting until after the crowds and heat of the coming summer.
A few weeks back we went to Grasse, a historic hilltop village that's recognized as the world capital of perfume since the 17th century. This village has microclimate ideal for growing roses, jasmine, and tuberose. I would like to go back sometime and do a perfume-making workshop. You learn how perfume is constructed and how to select scents to include in the perfume.
Definitely lots of interesting activities to try and places to explore.
