A week in the French Riviera

We looked forward to our week of vacation on the French Riviera. This was to be a "go and be" vacation instead of "go and see" trip. We wanted to soak up the sights of the Mediterranean coastline with the smell of the salt water and the sound of crashing waves while dozing in the warm sun. 

Driving through France

Doug and I drove from Geneva to Nice, France on a gorgeous blue sky kind of day. We left Geneva just after 6 am for an early start toward the French Riviera. Google maps said the drive should take about 6 1/2 hours but since we hadn't done this before we weren't sure what to expect in terms of traffic delays or road construction. The toll road was not as scary anymore. We had figured out the toll signs on previous trips so I was less anxious about getting in the wrong lane, having the right change or my lack of ability to read French.

Lavender fields near Provence

We headed south and traveled through the hills of the Pre Alps, the valleys of farmland and small towns, the cliff mountain ranges and finally to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It was a beautiful drive filled with hills and gorges, fields of corn and wheat, small herds of cows and sheep, mile after mile of vineyards and then as we got closer to Provence, the hillsides were abloom with rounded purple rows of lavender.

The Mediterranean Sea

As we approached Nice I stared out the window waiting for a glimpse of the Mediterranean Sea. I was not disappointed. The anticipation for the week was building an excitement within me that matched the beauty I saw before me.

We had not experienced much traffic so we arrived in Nice just after noon. Our apartment was ready at 4 pm which left us with time to explore our surroundings, have lunch on the beach, and grab groceries for the week. We knew the unfamiliar surroundings would not stay that way for long but driving in this city took defensive driving to a new level.

The Route de Bellet on our way to the apartment

Doug drove to our apartment located on one of the hills of Nice. The drive was filled with sharp switchbacks, steep inclines, and cars parked on both sides of the narrow two-laned road. Every car we met meant I sucked in my breath somehow thinking that would make us smaller as we squeezed past them. There was not always enough room for both cars to pass so one would have to dart to any piece of road available. I'm so glad Doug is a great defensive driver. This did reaffirm to me there is absolutely no way I will be driving in Europe. 

Our balcony view

We met Florence, the owner of our apartment, who showed us everything we needed for our week. She was so kind and generous, and made us feel right at home. She told us about herself and her family, spoke French, English, Italian and Spanish fluently and even told us about places to visit while in Nice. The apartment was gorgeous with an amazing view of the Sea from our balcony. We ate all our meals there appreciating the lovely view.

The beaches of Nice were pebbly, made of smooth flat stones. They were surprisingly comfortable to lie on though. The water was aqua blue changing to a brilliant blue as the Sea deepened. It was so clear and clean we saw our toes even neck deep in the water. I loved the Sea. The water was warm, the waves gentle, and floating in it was super easy.

We spent the week with a beautiful rhythm of breakfast, time at the beach, lunch, time at the pool, dinner, time for a walk. The walk to the beach was only 15 minutes down the hill on stairs that cut a path through the hill. 

Monaco 

We also took in a few of the sights while we were there. One of our days we went on an adventure as we figured out how to grab the bus to the center of town, (it actually came up the switchback road to the apartment, yikes!), transfer to another bus, then find the train station, and buy tickets for the day trip to Monaco. 

The train sped along the coast through the mountains which provided the opportunity for both of us to enjoy the scenery. The French Riviera is absolutely gorgeous with the azure blue sea hugging the rocky hills which rise up from the shore. No wonder people have been living here since the earliest times. 

The Streets of Monaco

Upon our arrival in Monaco we grabbed a map from the tourist center and the bus to Le Rocher, the name for old town Monaco. We visited the Cathedrale, saw the large palace with old cannons and cannon balls and walked through the lush green gardens overlooking the harbor. We walked through the narrow streets surrounded by buildings painted with pastel colors of yellow, pink, orange, and green. We had lunch at a cute sandwich and ice cream shop in the center of town. 

We watched people of all ages and nationalities and tried to figure out their story. Some were local and some were tourists like us.

Monte Carlo Casino

Yacht Club of Monaco

In the afternoon we went to Monte Carlo where we saw the infamous Casino. The guards on the stairs controlled the entrance. I am not a car person but even I knew these cars were some of the most expensive in the world. Maserati, Rolls Royce, Ferrari and BMW's were parked on the Place du Casino while their owners gambled inside.

Extravagant stores with exorbitant prices lined the streets. We walked through the gardens along the boulevard then headed down the street towards the harbor.

Monaco is built on a hill which juts out into the Sea. The harbors are filled with some of the most luxurious yachts in the world. We walked past some of them on our way to the Yacht Club of Monaco where we watched young children as they learned to sail, then took the 20 minute train ride back to Nice. 

Apollo at Place Massena

We got to see many things while in Nice. We went to a Music Festival on the Promenade Des Anglais with about 70,000 people. The music was fun, the crowd energetic, the evening weather perfect. 

We wandered through the streets of Old Town, saw the Flea Market on Cours Saleya, visited the Cathedrale Sainte-Reparate, and Eglise du Gesu (Church of Jesus). The famous fountain of Apollo in Place Massena was a gathering place for many. We tried ice cream at the famous Fenocchio's with its 94 flavors to chose from. 

White Chocolate for Doug and Yogurt for me

We climbed the stairs to Castle Hill with breathtakingly beautiful views of the harbor and the Sea. 

Promenade Des Anglais

We walked the Promenade du Paillon and the Promenade Des Anglais. The cool of the evening was our favorite time to walk along the shore. 


We talked, shared plans and dreams, and sat quietly holding hands taking in the beauty all around us.

Nice was simply all I hoped it would be.

Family and Friends

At the Geneva Airport

I had the opportunity to travel back to the United States for a 2 week visit and was so excited. Doug was traveling to Ohio a week later for business so I was flying solo. It had been a while since I had flown by myself and I found myself double checking my passport, money, and belongings frequently. I left my apartment at 8:30 am for my 11:45 flight. It was a little earlier than I needed to leave but I was ready. I had already double checked to make sure I had everything and knew it could take up to an hour to get to the airport depending on traffic. Plus, I wanted to be one step closer to family and friends.

I grabbed my luggage, took the tram and then the bus to the Geneva airport, easily got through the check in and security process and headed to my gate. I was stopped at passport control so I handed them my passport and was told my visa had expired. I tried to explain I had a 6 month family reunion visa. He pointed to an April expiration date and just took my passport to another agent. I wasn't anxious yet but I could feel my heartbeat pick up speed as they spoke to each other in French. I thought about what I could do and remembered my Swiss identification card. I handed it to the agent. He smiled (good sign) and said, "show this next time." My heartbeat slowed as I walked to my gate. I was on my way.

I met the most interesting people on the flights headed to Washington, D.C. and Dayton. One gentleman had been in Geneva at the United Nations for 2 days. He worked with a U.S. non profit agency and had been meeting with people from all over the world trying to help the African refugees. One woman was in Geneva for 4 days. She worked with the World Trade Organization and shared her story of many trips leaving a young family at home. On my flight to Dayton I met a man who had been in Turkey for 6 months and had been traveling for over 28 hours already. He didn't share much about what he had been doing but he was a civilian working with the military. He was moving from Dayton to Texas for work the following week and was ready to be home. I watched his joyful reunion with his wife and children.

I had prepared a list of things I wanted to do while in the States. It was a bit daunting but my priority was to see family and friends. My friend, Shirley, picked me up at the airport. We had planned to have dinner together and Chipotle was my choice. I slowly savored every bite as we reconnected and shared stories.

Welcome Home

As we entered my neighborhood I kept staring out the window anticipating the first view of my yard and house. The yard was freshly mowed (thanks Jeff) and was so welcoming. I walked into my house, set down my luggage, walked into the kitchen and enjoyed the sights and smells of home. It felt good to be back. I leisurely wandered from room to room, climbed the stairs, and fell into bed. It had been a long day.

The next day I went to Kroger. My father-in-law, Bill, was coming for dinner and I was making roast chicken with all the fixings for his belated birthday. I was unprepared for my reaction as I walked into the grocery. I stopped to consider why I had tears in my eyes. The familiarity. The convenience. The abundance. The colors. Row after row of items. Everything right where I knew I would find it. All in a language I could read. All this and more assaulted my senses and emotions. I had to keep telling myself I didn't need to buy everything even if it all looked so good. Later that evening Bill and I talked about the last 3 months while sitting at the kitchen table. Dinner was nice but time together was priceless.

Good times with Anita and Dana 

I spent the first week doing those things on the to-do list as I prepared to be gone for another 3 months; dentist appointment, hair cut, yard work, bills and mail, shopping for things difficult to find or expensive in Switzerland, yearly home maintenance jobs, etc. I am deelpy grateful for friends who are helping take care of the details while I am gone. I tried to connect with as many people as I could. My heart was full of thankfulness for these good friends. Having lunch together, kayaking on the river, time at the pool, going for a walk, and chatting over tea. I cherished every moment and every conversation.

Doug arrived in Mason for his business trip just as I was about to leave. We sat on our patio for a moment in the coolness of the evening and shared news and dreams.

The second week I traveled to Green Bay to see my parents and siblings. My sister, Debbie, and her darling 17 month old son, Dillon, joined Bre and I on our 9 hour drive to Wisconsin. Each city we passed brought us closer to family. Time and miles flew by as we shared our thoughts, stories, family memories, and plans for the future.

Debbie and Dillon had driven to Ohio from North Carolina the previous day and we were spending another long day in the car. We talked and laughed about who would need to stop first. It wasn't Dillon. He was an amazing traveler.

We arrived in Wisconsin, after only 2 stops mind you, excited to see everyone.

Family photo time

This was a very special time as all 9 of us, along with my mom and dad, were home at the same time. My brother, Ben, and his wife, Julia, joined us from South Carolina. What a blessing it was to all be together! We got to spend some precious moments together celebrating with good food, great fun and lots of hugs. We did miss my sister, Julie, who was ill at home recovering from complications after shoulder surgery. Thankfully she's feeling better and I saw her before we left.

I enjoyed playing and talking with my nieces and nephews, eating all of my favorite barbeque foods, and sitting around Josh's kitchen table with some of my siblings as we shared stories of our childhood.

crazy cousin fun

On our trip back to Ohio we remarked, "There is never enough time to visit no matter how many days we spend together." We always long for one more day.

I prepared for my trip back to Geneva with a few more visits with friends, a little more shopping, and a dinner with Doug and Bill. The two weeks had sped by. It was time to return to Geneva.

As I got on the plane I thought about how blessed I am to have such amazing friends and family.