And, finally, "Le Sud"

Monday, I left the hustle and bustle of London, headed for Heathrow and caught a flight to Nice.  It was a rather bumpy journey but, given what had happened on the Cote d'Azur over the weekend, it was nothing.  Cannes and Antibes and the nearby villages and countryside were hit with a very freak storm causing loss of life and a great deal of destruction.  The area received something like the same amount of rain in 3 hours that it usually gets in a year.  The floods resulted in at least 21 deaths and the area has been called a disaster zone.  Some roads are still closed and some trains are still not running.  So, I was very grateful to arrive to scattered clouds and 22' temperatures.

The apartment I've rented is on the 8th floor of a building just across the street from the seafront.  No hiking up killer hills for me this year!  That was a valuable lesson that I learned last year.  I am going to be on my own here until Thursday and, after the frenetic pace my sister and I set while travelling around the UK and Ireland, this is a very welcome rest.  It is tranquil here and I can hear the waves from the Med lapping the shore.  Okay, there is the occasional moped but that is nothing compared to the crowds on the London Tube or UK motorways.  So, last evening I sat on the balcony sipping a glass of rose and nibbling on a baguette and some French cheese.  I am so committed to coming here every year for the rest of my life.  I cannot explain why it is so special to me but it is!

The apartment living room

The Villefranche Quay
The tall apartment with the beige balconies is the building I am in - on the 8th floor

Today, I am going to rest and, except for doing some more grocery shopping, catching up on emails and blogs and maybe going out for dinner, I will do absolutely nothing!  I probably won't even do 5,000 steps today and I really don't care.  I need a break.

Thursday, John and Pedro are going to join me here and by then I am sure I will have lots of energy to show them why I so love this part of the world.