Clips from Nice

Views from an early morning run along the coast...

cycling team?

Rat-a-tat-tat

The girls thought an early morning swim would be better, hoping the air being cooler than the sea would make the water feel warmer.  So at 56 degrees they screamed through the waves.  People were up above watching and taking photos of them, probably in disbelief.  Even more funny was Annie warning that a big wave was coming but the girls thought she was teasing...... 

When you're 13 there are big decisions to be made.....flat ironed hair or natural hair?  I can't believe they let me post this picture.  They wouldn't be caught dead outside of the house with their beautiful natural hair.

                                                                                 

Annie is a great running buddy.  She has a light spirit and chats the whole time we run.  On the way home we went through the famous Saleya flower market that sells much more than flowers.

While touring a candy factory in Nice we learned that this candied fruit sits in a sugary syrup for 45 days.  The little orange balls are mandarins and cost about 75 dollars for eighteen.  They look so beautiful but do not taste good.  The factory also makes sugared rose petals and chocolate with rose petals inside.  Now I know what I can do with all the rose petals in my yard!

Olives are grown in abundance in Italy, France and Spain.  The local farmers do not water them much to keep them small and then they retain a stronger flavor.  The different herbs they soak them in give them distinct tones.  The labels probably tell which herbs they used.  Annie just picked some and we got a little baggie to share.  We couldn't stop eating them!

This barrel reminded me of something my dad would come up with for the back yard.  Miss Fancy Hat was selling eggs like crazy.     

Dennis treated us to a three course french experience.  Our meal started off the with salad nicoise, which is named after the city of Nice.  It is a bed of lettuce with tuna salad, egg, tomato, and anchovi.  The next course was gnocchi.  They taste like a mixture of potato and pasta. They were dressed in a creamy goat cheese.  Yummy if you like that taste not so much if you don't.  The best was the chocolate mousse!

We giggled the whole meal.  We ate outside, right below our apartment.  The girls left the table to watch a man eat fire and then ran back to the table asking for money since he swallowed kerosine for them.  My answer, "No, we don't want to encourage that kind of behavior!"  When I was a kid Jason and I asked for quarters to play video games.  A man walked by our table and plopped all of his mahogany wares down and tried to coax us into buying some.  I think you  must have to say, "no" 10 times before they pack up and leave.  What ever you do, don't show one ounce of interest if you're not going to buy.  I made the mistake of mentioning how cute they were.  Next, a man came by and laid an orange, flashing pumpkin on our table and walked away doing the same to the tables behind us.  We all just stared at it in silence trying to be respectful of this person trying to earn a couple euros.  A few minutes later he came back and picked it up.  We couldn't help but burst in to laughter after he left.

Raleigh sitting next to the most wonderful windows.  We will all miss looking down on our little street and listening to the accordian play, "those were the days my friend, I thought they'd never end......"

A little boy with big decisions.