cote d'Azur etc.

Cote d’Azur

I flew into Nice on Saturday 23rd . It was a smooth trip except for a slight incident. The attendant who came to help me off the plane at Nice asked me a question that had me floored. I have been to quite a few airports but this is the first time I was asked if I was grateful for the help offered me because I would’nt have been able to travel otherwise. I did not answer him , I think he thought I didn ‘t understand French neither. And when I said I was being picked up, he left me and I had to call Gianfranco on my mobile because apparently he left me at the wrong pick up place.

The weather was not great but Nice is beautiful. As we crawled along with the traffic along the Promenade des Anglais, with Gianfranco snarling at the traffic, I drank in the beautiful scenery and architecture. I could not help but make comparisons between Vancouver and Nice. The Pacific and the Mediterranean. Both had mountains and ocean. But the difference! I sense the joy in the architecture, the history and the terraced landscape. Nice might be much more inaccessible but I felt truly happy. Of course the fact that I am there just for a holiday and for a conference might have something to do with it. Gianfranco took the scenic route along La Grande Corniche and we stopped for lunch at Menton. He got me a hotel room at Santo Stefano al Mare. It is a lovely place and a garden room overlooking the marina where he has moored his boat. It even has a table on the veranda – it is a shame that the weather was awful. He took me to a wonderful restaurant though. I had squid and fish and a sort of white bait omelette – very interesting and washed down with a local wine. The next night I had some kind of roast rabbit with herbs. He told me that the pizzas there have no cheese. Just olives and tomatoes and sometimes with sardines he said. I also had some kind of bread called ‘foccaccio’ which is a sort of bread with olive oil and salt. And a ‘torte verde’ which is a vegetable tart with a strudel type pastry. I like Italian food. He wanted to take me sailing in his boat but we were there for sometime contemplating how to get me on it. I chickened out. It was blowy and cold and he would have to carry me on. We left it for the next time.

It was blowy
(Photo taken by Gianfranco)

The next day, we went to Monte Carlo and we had lunch at the Café de Paris. It is a city which seems to flaunt its affluence – I guess that’s what the municipality is about. There were many pictures of the Prince Rainier as he had recently died. We went to the casino but didn’t even play the one armed bandits. It is probably more casino –ish at night. It was time to leave and back to the Nice airport.

Lunch at the Cafe de Paris
(Photo taken by Gianfranco)

Centre de Réadaptation Fonctionnel Clemenceau, Strasbourg

I also started on my rehab program. I had sessions with the physiotherapist and swam at their swimming pool. It was lovely. It is called a day hospital – a bit like Outpatients Clinic I suppose. The doctor also said I should learn how to get exercises and maybe learn how to adapt better. I end up eating lunch there that means I meet up with other folks who goes there. After a few more sessions I might make a comparison between this and what I have experienced in Massacusetts.