Days 48, 49 - vendredi et samedi

Chissa, Grasse, and Antibes (Picasso)18, 19 mars 2011

Friday was a morning to study, then to school in the afternoon. It was a lovely, sunny day. A number of people were not in class, likely enjoying the sights of the area and beginning their weekend early. In the Intensive Course, we played Taboo, the game where you describe some thing, person, or place to get the others to guess the word. By the end, we were doing quite well. And Eric changed the rules a bit, letting us use the related words on the card. Normally these words are to be avoided. It was fun to play, and we were doing quite well determining the answers.

Chissa was leaving Nice Saturday morning, first to Paris for a week, then home to Tokyo, so several of us went out with her to the oldest Japanese restaurant in Nice. It was very good. We were an interesting collection from around the world: Japan, Hong Kong, southwestern China, US and Britain/Brazil. One would think that French would be our common language, but it is still English. We had a very nice time. I got home about 10:45 p.m.

This morning, I arose at 5:35 a.m. in order to meet Rose at the train station by 6:40 a.m. to visit Grasse and Antibes. Grasse is known for its perfumeries and Antibes for its beautiful water, the old city and the Picasso museum.

We arrived in Grasse just after 8 a.m. and took the bus up the hill to the old city. Our stop was the Fragonard museum and perfumery. The scent of the city is not like any other. Since the museum opened at 9, we walked a little ways down the narrow street of the old city for a little breakfast: orange juice, a hot drink, and two Viennese pastries for 5.50 Euros.            

At the museum, we saw the old machinery used for distilling the scents for the essential oils used in the perfumes. There were many beautiful containers, some very tiny, that were used to hold the oils and beads. Most were small enough to wear as jewelry. Some box collections, for travel, were quite extravagant, including a tea set and hairbrushes. On the lower level, the factory is now producing jasmine oil and making their scented soaps. The jasmine oil is produced the “old-fashioned” way because the petals are fragile. In a glass box, animal fat (20% pork, 80% beef – also aromatic) is spread. The flowers are placed face down into the fat. This is left for a month, so that the fat absorbs the flower’s oils. Then the fat is “distilled” just as if making beer and the essential oil is the result. It takes tons of flower petals to create a relatively small amount of oil. I’m not one to wear fragrance very often, but this was so gentle, I purchased a set of sample fragrances for women and another for men.

Next we visited the Fragonard Museum – Grasse’s museum of the art and history of the province. This was simple but interesting. The house was built in 1769. It was turned into a museum in 1918 that shows the lifestyle of those who built the home. The furniture displayed has never been re-covered – it looked quite worn. Very little remains from the original owners, but one gets a sense of the extravagance. There were rooms dedicated to the people and culture of those who lived in the Province before modern times, and displays by a German artist who teaches sculpture in Nice, as well as everyday items used in the region, like an (olive) oil press and barrels.

Next we had to return to the train station for the afternoon adventure in Antibes. It took us a little while to discover that the bus makes a loop through town, so we had to walk to the station up the hill a little ways to catch a bus that would head downhill to the train. Once on the train, in less than 20 minutes, we were in Antibes.

The sky and water were very blue green today despite the wispy clouds. At first it didn’t seem that many people were around; many boats were in the harbor.  We reached the ramparts of the old city – a deep and tall barricade to the town – and entered through the portal. That’s where everyone was! It was teeming.

We made our way towards the Picasso museum, stopping only to down a sandwich – mine was ham seasoned with oregano and Camembert cheese – so-o-o good.

The museum has a broad collection of modern art. Picasso stayed at this former home for a few months in 1949, which is why it became a museum dedicated to his life and work. Seeing a collective body of an artist’s work gives one insights into the person and his/her style and thought. There were no “famous” works here, but it is a significant collection.

We made our way back to the train station. We had to catch the 16:37 to Nice. Because we arrived earlier, we were able to take the 16:22. There were signs all over the station telling riders that the last train for Nice was leaving at 17:16 as there is going to be maintenance work on the track until late Sunday evening. It was good to get back to Nice shortly after 17:00 (5 p.m.). I know that I am tired.

Enough travel for me for until next weekend. More about that tomorrow, Dear Reader.  Also, Mom is home and doing well. With gratitude to all for your positive thoughts and prayers. Have a good night.

Day 41 - vendredi

11 mars 2011

            Class was in the morning, so I left the house about 8:30. At school, it was quiet in the courtyard.  A number of people depart today but only two that are in my classes. At lunchtime, I enjoyed peanut butter on a wheat baguette. Michele had the opportunity to taste this delicacy, but she flatly refused. This makes me smile, as peanuts are one of my favorite foods: an obvious sign of my American heritage.

            At lunchtime, I surfed the net for information regarding the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The images are unbelievable. I had a chance to speak with Chisa who is from Japan. Gratefully her family in Tokyo is fine.

            After class I took home my computer bag, then headed to the Orange.fr store to buy a cell phone, un mobil. Because I have several trips planned in the next month and then will be on the road to other places, it seemed like the right time to get one. There was a good sale going on for the simplest phone. It is all in French, of course, so it will take me a little while to get used to the nomenclature. If anyone needs a phone the next time you travel in this direction, the phone is yours to use. You only need to buy credits to be able to use it.

Friday’s are always nice, aren’t they? There is so much to look forward to, so much potential for the weekend. At 5:00, I attended a poetry reading by a friend of Michele’s at the grande bibliothèque downtown. Sophie read poetry based on short nature films made by her husband – he is also a painter. I am still only catching words, no, phrases, here and there – but by the time I “understand” (i.e. translate) what I’ve heard, the topic has moved forward and it takes a bit to readjust and “listen” again. Michele is lending me several of Sophie’s books that I will attempt to read. There might be a song possible for one of my composer friends.

Rosa and I will be leaving for Genoa, Italy early in the morning tomorrow, Saturday, and returning Sunday evening. (If there is a break in my “transmission”, this is why.) Rainy and cold is the weather forecast for our destination so warm clothes will be needed.

This evening I realized that the outer sole of my favorite pair of shoes is breaking loose again. I had them repaired before I left, but possibly because of all the rainy days that I’ve worn them here, they are coming apart again. Michele recommends that I look for a new pair in Italy – everything is cheaper there. Rosa said the same thing. I do have my white athletic shoes, which don’t have the same enduring comfort. If I wear them, though, everyone will know that I’m a foreigner for sure.

Well, that’s all the news for now, Dear Reader.  Stay tuned!

Day 36 - dimanche

6 mars 2011

            When I woke up a little before 7 a.m., I decided to “study” by watching a movie that Mariette lent me: Albert est méchant, starring Christan Clavier and Michel Serrault. This movie is very silly, but the plot is intricate enough that I was glad to have the subtitles in English. I’d like to watch it again without the subtitles, now that I know the story, to see how much of the French I can understand.

            Mass was as usual; Rosa and I met at 10 to walk over to Notre Dame. The organist there is quite fine. I recorded a little of his postlude with my camera for all my musical friends. Since Lent, Le Carême, begins this Wednesday, not only will Nice be quieter because Carnaval has ended, but I suspect the organist will select quieter music, too. I hope you enjoy it – there was quite a bit of chatter around me after Mass, but you can get a taste of this excellent musical treat. [The link to the recording and a few pictures of the day is at the end of the entry, below.]

            After Mass we headed toward the old town to see if we could get tickets for the opera. Today the opera house was offering L’elisir d’amore by Donizetti. Since no door was open yet, we walked along the Marché aux Fleurs until we found a spot for lunch. It was a very busy day for this street. It is the last weekend of Carnaval. Just like the other tourists, we sat outside because the sun was shining brightly and it was a gently warmer day. We shared a salad, a plate of cheeses, and some regional red wine. Delightful.

            About 2:00 we headed back down the street to the mid-19^th century opera house. We were able to get tickets for 12 Euros. On the ticket it mentioned that there was no promise of a view of the stage, and it was open seating. The seats were benches without a place number. I saved two places for us near a pillar. Indeed, there was no view of the stage. This meant that I stood through most of the 2 ½ hour performance, but it did not matter. The four main singers were from Italy and it was glorious; the staging was delightful, too. The orchestra and chorus were those of the Nice Opera house - beautiful all around. What a treat!

            Afterwards, Rosa and I stopped for a tiramisu and some coffee at our favorite Italian restaurant on Rue la France – the perfect end to a perfect day. Tomorrow school is in the morning, I think, so I will have to put in a little time to review tonight.

            Have a great week, Dear Reader!

Opera and Organ (LISTEN) in Nice

Days 34 and 35 - vendredi et samedi

Day 35 – vendredi et samedi

4 à 5 mars 2011              This entry covers events of the last two days.

Vendredi, 4 mars

Fatima Sheriff celebrated her 19^th birthday on Friday. Her friends certainly made it special for her. Besides singing happy birthday and presenting her with flowers and cakes, I was invited to the lunch that Rosa made for her: a beef stew with rice and a Brazilian chocolate pudding dessert made with sweetened condensed milk and Nestlé’s Quik (I hope to get the recipe).

After school, I headed home for a little break, then came back for the 7:30 departure to Safari Restaurant on the Marché aux Fleurs in the Vieille Ville (Old Town). Fatima was dressed in a gown from Nigeria that was a birthday gift from a friend. She looks like an Egyptian goddess. Of course, the party did not begin to move out the door of the residence hall until nearly 8:00. Since Fatima’s dress was floor length, she wanted to take a taxi. Because the student residence is located at an inconvenient place for a taxi stop, we hoped to call for a cab from the hotel across the street. The receptionist suggested that we walk to the train station, just another five minutes walk since the cabs line up there. Rosa and I, and Corinne who had the cream cakes, went with her in the cab.

The rest of the students walked down to the Vieille Ville of Nice arriving shortly after we did. Mariette met us there, too. It was a treat to have her join us. I tried the alcoholic aperitif Pastis – it is an anise-flavored drink of a pale yellow color. I’m not a big fan of the flavor, but after a while, it was fine. For dinner I ordered Porchetta Niçoise. It was described as a stuffed pork roast. When it came, it did not look as I expected. The two very thin slices looked like a mosaic of pork meats with pistachios wrapped with bacon. It was a bit fatty, but it had a very good taste.

After we shared the cakes, the group departed the restaurant a little after Fatima's birthday and Citrus Festival in Menton - picturesmidnight. A number of us were heading back to the school/residence, while Fatima and the others were going to a discotheque. I, personally, was glad to head back. My group walked me all the way to the door of my apartment building. We arrived at 12:40 a.m. As most of you know, this is very late for me, but it was a lovely evening.

Samedi, 5 mars

Today I woke up before the alarm went off. After breakfast and cleaning my room, I headed to the train station to buy a ticket to Menton. This little town is east of Nice, along the coast, right next to Italy. It has a Citrus Festival that lasts for 3 weeks. It was a lovely day with the promise of warmth, so it was a good day to head out of town.

At the station, I attempted to purchase my ticket at the machine with my credit card. This is the second time that my Visa has not worked in a machine – I suspect because it is a debit card, too. Not a problem, there were several people selling tickets at the windows. The ticket I bought allowed me to depart from Nice at any time of the day – the same was true for leaving Menton later.

On the train, I sat on the “wrong” side – the sea was on the right and I was on the left. I determined that I would sit on the “sea side” for the return trip, hoping to get some pictures. The water was sparkling and a deep green-blue today.

Along the way, the train passes through several tunnels, but mostly one can view the surroundings. The Monaco – Monte Carlo station is underground, however. The train has a long tunnel just after Monaco. I could feel my ears popping along the way, so I knew we were changing altitudes, both up and down, as we proceeded.

Menton is pretty little town. A good number of people disembarked from the train along with me. Already at 11:30, the town was active. I first found the Office of Tourism to get a map. In the same building is an exhibition hall. On the first floor, the local agricultural organization had an exhibit of the past store fronts. Upstairs, they were holding a display of orchids and regional artisans were at booths with everything from honey to jewelry. If there had been a demonstration of ever-sharp knives, I would have thought I was at the Iowa State Fair.

With the map, I was able to work my way along the promenade. The sea was gorgeous today. Quite a few folks were sitting on the pebbled beach having their lunch. Others were at canopied tables being served their lunch – elegant – just like the movies.

In the old town, many shops had special displays. I worked my way uphill to the old basilica. It was not open, so I continued up the hill to a cemetery, which was on the site of an old chateau. Just like today, those who want the best view, build on the hills. The mountains are definitely remnants of early volcanic activity. Because of this, sometimes a hill can be relatively isolated from the mountain range. This is how I would describe the site of the cemetery. Every side provided a bird’s eye view of the area. The pictures show the splendid colors – the blue of the water, the whiteness of the beaches, the orange of the rooftops, the slate grey of the mountains, the green of the trees.

The cemetery is still being used today. There is no grass. As is typical of European cemeteries, the marble encasements and mausoleums pave every inch of the ground. But many graves are decorated with potted plants. The oldest grave I saw was from the 18^th century when the last chateau was razed. The Russians left their mark on Menton, too. Several Russian princes were buried here. One sees grave markers in French, Italian, Russian and English.

By the time I headed downhill, it was after 2:00 and time to look for something to eat in the old town area. I selected a crêperie. The 11 Euro special offered 3 crêpes: one with butter, one with ham and cheese, and one with jam. The first would have been enough, because they were large and filling, but I ate them all, along with a café crème – my new favorite drink.

As I was walking back to the train station, I stopped to buy 6 lemons. Michele would like to see if I can really make a lemon meringue pie. I think I’m up for it later this week, after I see that I have all the necessary equipment and ingredients. Lemon pie is one of my favorites, too.

In front of the festival entrance, a high school band with a very old man dressed in an all white suit directing them and the dance team with white pom-poms was performing. The large crowd was spilling out into the street in front of the casino. Everyone seemed happy for the performance, and the music was quite well played.

On the platform at the train station, there was no place to sit. Then when the train came, there wasn’t a seat to sit in. My feet were not too happy after all the walking and now standing still. But by the time anyone left the car, I only had one more stop to be in Nice.

This is a good time of year to visit the Coté Azur area of southern France since there are local festivals up and down the coast – a spill over of Carnival before Lent starts, and celebrations of local agriculture. Then, of course, there are the “famous” places to go, too, from Cannes to Monaco.

So this week, I made it outside of Nice twice. Once the bottle’s open, it’s hard to keep the genie inside. There are a number of other adventures ahead, Dear Reader.

Day 32 - mercredi

2 mars 2011

It was a long day, again. Before I left the house at 10:30, I hard-boiled some eggs for tomorrow’s lunch.

Then I walked to the “Post” to mail two envelopes and a postcard. As I was looking for the envelopes in my bag, a nice man came over and asked if this was all that I had to mail: “oui.” He led me over to a machine and proceeded to show me how to weigh the envelope, choose the destination and got me to the point of payment – then he left. Of course, I’m looking at a screen all in French. I attempted to use my credit card to pay, but it was refused. Maybe I had it in the wrong way, so I turned it around. The meaning of the message I on the screen was, literally, completely foreign to me. The machine would take coins, if I had enough. Miracle of miracles, I DID. After plugging in nearly the exact amount needed, the two printed stamps came down the chute, as well as my change. Whew! Then I found the slot that would take mail outside of France: étranger. It was a great accomplishment, but I was definitely the stranger.

School was it’s own challenge today. Even though I’m less experienced than the rest of my class, I think I’m at about the same level. Each comes with gifts and challenges of his or her own. Despite my personal weaknesses, I’m willing to hang in with this group for the next week. Then I will decide whether or not to return to the first group. Right now, I feel as though my eyes are being pulled out of my head. It makes me tired. At least I will sleep well. Tomorrow is another day to go forth with humility and a smile.

After school, Rosa invited me to share a pot of tea with her and her friend who has been living in Nice for five years. This friend from Brazil teaches Portuguese and English here. She speaks beautiful French; she apologized that she teaches written English, but cannot speak it. This meant that we spent the hour conversing (even though haltingly) in French. Rosa’s friend (I will have to share her name with you another day) was so good about correcting our French and explaining the rules so that we would understand. I hope that we can meet each other again soon.

I arrived home about 7:30.

I am waiting to hear whether or not my mom will be able to go ahead with her scheduled surgery tomorrow. She came down with an infection that is being treated, but it could postpone the surgery. I am grateful for everyone’s thoughts and prayers for her at this time. This is when it is especially good that the family is large and loving.

Good night, Dear Reader.

Day 19 - jeudi

17 fevrier 2011

Up by 7, the rain is still falling lightly, and it is an early day for school. By the time I finish breakfast and make my lunch – a cheese sandwich and homemade applesauce – I must hurry to get to class on time.

The day went quickly with lots of new vocabulary words and an introduction to future tense. We spent some time talking about the things one gets at le papeterie – an office supply store – naming each thing we could pull out of our school bags.

After class I chatted with Melodi as she was just moving in to the apartments above the school – it seems that things were somewhat unpleasant with the host family – I am most grateful for Michele, who is a great host(ess).

I connected with Rose briefly to determine a time to meet in the evening. Michele had told me about an open house at the Hotel Windsor. There was to be a big reception for the artist Ben who recently finished designing the lobby and one of the rooms. Ben (no last name) lives in Nice and is known internationally. I had seen some of his work, an installation, at the Museum of Modern Art just a little over a week ago. Elaina, Rose and I went. It was an artist’s affair. Ben’s room was very “dark” and he used the room for performance art – there was a woman on the bed who greeted everyone with a box of Uncle Ben’s Rice. There was a mannequin on the balcony, and Ben’s nude self was in a video on the television. It was unusual to say the least. I will add pictures for you soon. Please see the link for the Hotel; you can see pictures of all the artist rooms.

After the hotel event, Elaina wanted to walk to the old town. It was a quiet evening all in all. On our way back along the Rue de la France, Elaina was hungry for steamed mussels, and I thought tiramisu would be nice. We moved into one of the many restaurants on the street. When we had finally made our decision – tiramisu and coffee – the waiter told us “this is a restaurant, for a meal.” So we were kicked out. I will have to inquire about this – but I think we experienced a cultural difference.

After this, we did not look for anything to eat, but headed back to the school. The Place Massena was busy with lights and smoke in preparation for the beginning of Carnaval tomorrow evening. We did pop into Le Havana – a bar with live salsa music and dancing – for a few moments, because Rosa knew the place. It might be nice to return here another night, but for now, it was time to get home and put up the feet. It had been an enjoyable evening. I got home about 10:15, ready for sleep.

I hope your day was a good one, Dear Reader.

Day 15 - dimanche

13 fevrier 2011

Today was a little cooler – the sun had a difficult time making its way past the clouds, and there was a steady breeze. I went to the 10:30 mass at Notre Dame de l’Assomption. Kate Wong (from Hong Kong) accompanied me. We met up at the school at 9:50 and made our way to the church. It is only a 15-minute walk from school, so we stood outside for a little while. As we sat down, another woman from the school sat down with us. Kate has met her, Rosa, because she lives in the dorms. I think the pastor of this little church is quite a good homilist. His face is kind and lively, and he makes the people chuckle frequently. The music was low key. The mass that they sing is mostly in Latin/Greek, so I’m learning the Kyrie, Gloria (refrain), Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. The even sang the Celtic Alleluia this morning, so I threw in the harmony the second time around – that always gets heads turning, but I’m not sure if they like it or wonder who is so bold to do such a thing!

Rosa is about my age or a little older. She is originally from Brazil but has lived with her husband in several countries around the world. Now she and her husband call England home. She is here for eight weeks. She has a good friend who lives in Nice, but she did not want to live with her because she did not want to speak Portugese, just French.

After Mass, we all decided to find lunch together. We walked down to Rue de la France, about 2 blocks from the waterfront. There are lots of restaurants there. Rosa knew of an Italian place there. It was very good, and we each took home the remaining half of our dishes – lunch tomorrow.

Kate and I worked on our dialogue for a bit at the student residence. Rosa made us Costa Rican coffee. It was a lovely afternoon.

At 3:30, Kate and I headed to the church of St. Pierre d’Arene to hear a recital of love songs. Now, I was hoping it might be more serious music, but in reality, it was the older, popular love songs. The church was abuzz with anticipation. The altar was set as a stage, the pillars were colorfully lit, and there was no place to sit. We ended up on the step-ledge of an altar alcove. Others filled in around us. We could not see the stage.

When the music began, the people were very happy. They were invited to sing along, and they did. There were a few melodies that I recognized, but the songs sounded so “natural” in french. After about 45 minutes, I knew I had to get up from my spot, and I was ready to go. The prête-chanteur (priest-singer) had a very nice tenor voice, but I had had plenty for today.

Kate and I headed toward the beach. The gulls were flying very low and close to land. There may be some bad weather coming. Despite the chilly air, we each got an ice cream cone to walk along with back to school, and then home for me.

It was good to get home to a warm pot of Earl Grey tea and a couple of cookies.

My evening task was to read/translate the story on the front of the church bulletin. It was lovely, and I want to share it with you:

This is a story of two friends who were walking through the desert. At one moment, they began to fight and one slapped the other. The other was saddened, but saying nothing, wrote in the sand: “Today my best friend hit me.” They continued walking when they found an oasis, so they decided to bathe. But the one who was given the slap began to drown, and his friend saved him. When he recovered, he wrote on a stone: “Today my best friend saved my life.” The one who had hit him and saved him asked: “When I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now you have written on a stone. Why?” The other friend responded: “When someone hurts us, we ought to write in the sand, where the winds of forgiveness can erase it. But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it on a stone, where no wind can erase it.”  (Learn to write your injuries in the sand, and to engrave your joys in stone.)

Dear reader, here’s wishing you a reason to engrave a stone today.