Cote d'Azur!! Yes, the French Riveria!

Ok and so the journey continued… I caught the train the next day to Nice, from where I would go the 5 miles or so to Villefranche where my language school, and my home for the next month is.

I know you’re all thinking, the French Riviera is synonymous with wealth, how can Ingrid go there? Yes, for decades the haunt of movie stars from around the globe, high flying playboys and the ‘beautiful’ people the Riviera seems almost out of reach of the average Australian (public servant and all!). However, it’s not so bad, since the 50s when Bridget Bardot made St. Tropez her home away from home, and started the influx of the Paris Hiltons of the world, she also started another trend. Exclusivity. Stars want to be where all the rest of the world isn’t and that suits me just fine.

The Riviera is littered with small towns a stones throw (or a stiff hike) away from each other. So as long as you’re not staying in the largest town, Nice, you’ll find no trouble getting anything you need, but on a budget you may have trouble getting that room with a view. That’s why I like Villefranche so much my hotel, the charming Hotel Patricia, had a view of all the Riviera has to offer, the yachts anchored in the aqua harbour, and rocky cliffs littered with pink, saffron and vermillion villas.

A 50 metre walk up the road from the hotel and you’re on the main road between Cannes, Nice and Monaco. For only 1.30 euros you can catch the bus between these destinations. The buses are clean, comfortable and filled with locals. Locals, as local as anyone is on the Riviera, ex-pat retirees, Parisians vacationing, Scandinavian families, and probably, Brad and Angelina’s nanny.

On the bus route you’re on a cliff top journey that promises to show you the best of the Riviera from Cannes, to the sparkling beaches of the Promenade des Anglais and Quai des Etats-Unis in Nice, past the ancient citadel in Villefranche, past the cosy hills of Beaulieu-sur-Mer another small town close to Villefranche.

Yes, it’s pretty idyllic and sorry for rubbing it in.
In Nice however you can see the other side of the Riviera culture, something I have noticed. There are approximately three types of shops in Nice:

1) Veterinarians
2) Podiatrists
3) Grocers
And let me tell you the latter is far more uncommon than the first two. So it is – women, preferably bleached blond divorcees with heavily laden gold fingers and big designer had bags, and naturally, some form of stiletto, walk along with their little dear, precious, pooches.

So their pooches, in such an unladylike way, have to do their business on footpath. Oh dear, says the woman… where is my gardener I will not pick up my pooches stenchy, manky, I’ve feed her too much chocolate and she is sick, poop… non, non, non, zoot alors, I will leave it on the footpath.

Part 2, along comes second unsuspecting victim, much in the same manner as the first, though perhaps with Manholo Blahniks instead of Jimmy Choos. Oh la la, she slips in the previous doggie’s doo, and lands squarely, on her own mal-nourished petrified pruned pooch. So she has as twisted ankle, pooch on her Capri pants and her poop little puppy suffers some more serious internal bleeding. And as the French would say ‘voila!’ Ladies and Gentlemen, so goes my theory of why there are a strikingly large number of veterinarians and podiatrists on the Riviera.

Montpellier!

Well, well, well, where did I last leave you… I dunno, so let’s be clear… I’m on the French Riviera, yes, I know life is tough, but hey what can you do? As I mentioned after I left London I was with Lea in Montpellier… it was a while ago now so please excuse me as I struggle (n my old age) and try and recall what mischief we got up to. And yes, I will perhaps use photo recall, good idea me.

Ok, Montpellier, I arrived on a cloudy afternoon, but it was still a pleasant change after London and the Lakes District. We went directly from the airport to the beach so that Lea’s friend Jerome, and ???, could play some sort of beach badminton (ah the French) and Lea and I could catch up.

Later Lea showed me to her gorgeous little apartment in the heart of the city. In fact quite near a lot of kebab stores so I got to practice my Arabic too. Much to Lea’s surprise and exclamation!

Lea took me through a variety of tourist activities; all thoroughly appreciated by me let me tell you. We went around the old town in the evening and checked out all the magnificent buildings, we went for lunch in a French restaurant and ate three delicious courses… so the education in French cuisine began too… and of course we went to the Aussie pub.

Let me explain a few things first; because of the famous ‘greve’ on France’s transport (strike) my train was delayed a day. Right, got it? Yep, and because we showed Lea such a great time in Australia she is an honourary Australian and loves the place. D’accord. So anyway Lea had arranged the evening with her class (she’s social director for foreign students studying in Montpellier) for the day after I left, but alas no, I could not leave and therefore ventured to the Australian pub.

Now you must be thinking, why so much shilly-shallying dilly-dallying vacillation about going to an Aussie pub, you are after all an Aussie… this is the kind of ‘Australian’ place that spells Canberra ‘Camberra’ and thinks we all go ‘bus-waking’ for a hobbie.

So there I was the only Australian an extremely crowded ‘Aussie’ pub. Do you guys remember the first lesson of French you ever had… well I can guarantee that it probably went something like:

What’s the weather today?
Is it hot? Is it cold? Are you hot? Are you cold?

And you would’ve learnt as I did that you have to ‘have’ hotness or coldness otherwise it has very bad sexual connotations (Je suis chaud, Je suis Froid = I am horny, I am frigid)

Ok so… as I there standing in the Aussie pub, doing my best to look as un-Australian as possible so they don’t ask me to get on the bar and sing the national anthem or something, and fanning myself, well, because it was stinking bloody hot (something to do with the Australian theme?). And what should happen but some nice young French lad asked me if I’m feeling a bit over heated… well I would reply, naturally, Oh yes, I am horny!

Right. Quick exit s’il vous plait…

France, the French et Francais!

Well, yes, it’s been a while, but I make no excuses, I have really been super busy, and I won’t hear about it!! I know some people were confused… let’s be clear, I am studying French in France, and Eirin is studying Spanish in Barcelona, D’accord!

Well… first things first I guess that’s the way the story goes… sorry for the spelling and grammar of my last post, I don’t always have a lot of time for proof reading… there are better things to do right? Anyway I hope that it was a t least somewhat comprehensible.

Anyway from London I flew to Montpellier where I met up with the Lovely Lea… for those of you who remember she was our exchange student a few years ago, and we love her.

We spent a cool few days together in Montepellier and it was really fun. Including when we went to Aussie pub!

I'm now in Villefranche-sur-Mer just 2kms from Nice, and it's absolutely beautiful. Not a lot of details this time I'm afraiad, but you should know I'm speaking French ALL the time, including with my flatmates, Yuki from Japan and Jasmine from Norway.

Anyway I'll update you more with some delicious details, but my laptop is about to run out of battery!

ciao all!! love you!! xoxoxoxoxox