The chaps visit

Mike, Jeannie, Emma and Marie.

All 3 of the Chaps came over for a good week. This is the correct amount of time, as there is heaps to see. It's enough time to relax on the beach for a bit too.

Mike and Emma.

On Thursday afternoon, I ducked out of work early for the second time this week, and picked them up from the train station in town. I took Friday off. So we had a nice relaxing day, as the boys were in school. We headed up to St Paul de Vence, which is one of the nicest perched villages around.

Saturday we went to Coursegoules, which is a tiny village up in the hills, well outside of the towns. It has almost no homes around, v. picturesque. Then we went to the beach for a swim.

Special guest appearance by me, photo by Mike.

Sunday, we went to Nice to the look out over town. We picked them up, and had 7 people in the car. The Municipal police told us "it is forbidden!". So we stopped, let the kids go nuts in the park, and walked it from there. The views are the best for town. Followed this by a swim in the kinda frosty water.

Monday, they had the day off to do their own thing. Tuesday everyone got on the train to Antibe, and I met them on the beach for dinner and some drinks for Jeannie's birthday. Wednesday was at Eze, and Thursday, Marie took them to the airport for a eye watering 7am flight.

Tour de France

Italians trying to run me over at speed.

Lying on the grass next to the race. As close as it gets.

We had two, yes two, stages of the Tour de France for their very special 100th running. I simply had to get out of work early to see the time trial stage of Nice. We headed to near the airport averaging about 29km/h, which is faster than normal for me. Turns out the pros, who have to keep it up for 25km around a circuit, are averaging 58km/h. So on the Promenade des Anglais, where we are, they are surely punching in around 60 to 70 clicks. We did the old, get on the road, wait for all the honking to clear a little bit of space for the riders to get through. It's very French. On the return trip, the road is only one lane, so I could lay on the grass and snap them going by very closely. What a top afternoon.

Our main st, the Bord du Mer, and Ollie flying along after.

The world's most famous team bus safely parked. 

On the course, and being cheered on by the crowd.

The following day, they set of from Cagnes sur Mer, my home town!! I got separated from Marie, refused to be allowed to cross the street by the police, and ended up cycling 4km around the horse track to get back to a furious Marie and 2 crying kids. I wish I had have thought to go the other way which would have been only a few hundred metres. I had to keep going, then a bit further etc, as I had no idea where the barriers were. This day was a pretty sh88house experience. At least we all got to ride right down the main street after it all. That is the best fun of all.

Barcelona

Barcelona!! My new greatest city ever.

This weekend, my work buddy Juan was getting married. He's from Barcelona. His wife is from Venezuela, so we didn't have a lot of family, since it's a bit hard to travel this far.


 Marie gave me the weekend off to enjoy the place, so I landed on Friday night. I started off by wandering around at the airport, looking for the bus. I found one little post with an tiny sign that was the bus stop, and was going the right way. Then got the subway the rest of the way, after 10 minutes in front of the maps and the ticket machine.

Barcelona is a serious city, with a metro, intercity train, buses, trams. It is bounded along one side by hills. Wide treelined avenues are basically laid in a grid, with a historic centre of winding alleys.

The following day, I hired a bike to see the famous bike city that is Barcelona. I roll out of town first towards the hills, stopping to buy a bag. It's nice to have this mobility which extends my shopping range.

Erika walks down the isle in the heat.

This is what I love, getting out of the tourist strip, getting some nibbles, feeling like a local. Then 3 girls wander past saying like, yah, he's like and like then like, I mean like. Bah, you ruined it!

Getting some directions, I head up toward the telco tower and the park along the heights with great views of the city. There are groups of cyclists rolling all around the area. I check the map and am pleased to be off it.

Descending into the town, I find La Taverna de Jon after a few laps, which is perfect. I understand nothing on the menu. Turns out the meal of the day is a big plate of beans with a few bits of pork, then steak in a tasty potato sauce with veggies. The moto GP is on TV. There's a report on Assen, which apparently has 145km of bike paths, and heaps of bikes. I can't believe I was worried about leaving here hungry. After all those beans, I'm glad to be in the open air for the afternoon.

Getting across town is easy and fast, so there's lots of different stuff on the same day. The pride parade is in town. The beach looks nice. This place is so cool the parliament is in the middle of a huge park.

The historic centre was a Roman city. The walls from the 4th century AD are some metres thick and 5 odd stories high.

Eric from work, + his Mrs.

Next day , and the wedding was great. The family connections are strong. The mum and dads are on the table of honour with the bride and groom.

The brother of the groom, the sister, mother and father of the bride all give tearful speeches. Dinner is 3 courses after we'd been snacking on paella, risotto, cheese, meat and a dozen other things, with beer, a few beers and some photos in between.

Trying out some matchmaking, I head over to Victor the triathlete. "Ah yeth, Loreena, I notith herr the firtht time we meeet." Sadly Lorina sits on the girls who went to uni with Erika table, while Victor sits with the scruffy buddies of Juan. It seems the mystery of romance will not be resolved tonight.

After a few drinks, some more drinks, then Orujo, which seems to be straight from the dentist mouthwash collection, they're all on the dance floor so it's time for some of the biggest gin and tonics in the universe, followed by the bus trip back to town.

What a wonderful town.

In the morning, some local is walking up the street yelling out "Wake up!!" It might have been wake up tourists, but I was too sleepy. I think there were some more firecrackers out there last night too. I spent the day doing laps of the old town, trying to spend money, but arrived during lunch for some places, couldn't find others the second time around, or couldn't find the front door. Picked up some stuff for Marie and the boys. Am loving every minute even if the waiter for lunch is from India, and only 2 out of 6 customers speak Spanish.

It's nice to be home.

Sharn and Bill visit

Snap happy in Eze

Cros de Cagnes, near us.

Bill and Sharni came in Saturday morning. When they came throught the airport doors, and we started chatting, it felt like we were just at home again.

Cagnes sur Mer old town.

Dinner Cagnes sur Mer

They told us about the ordinary weather they'd been having. Luckily, it's been hot with blue skies here.

Day 1 we went to Eze and the old town of Nice.

Picnic near Col de Vence

Day 2 was a nice picnic near the Col de Vence, near Saint Barnabe, followed by a trip up to the old town of Cagnes sur Mer.

Bill and Sharn 3 kids were being looked after by the grands. Nice!

Petanque

Hugues snaps, Louis runs for another go

They've done up the local walking path along the beach. Two car parks have been removed, and now we've got a great petanque patch.

Learning how it's done from a pro

 Lots more fun than the old car park.

The walking path is fantastic, wide and safe too.

Now summers here, its perfect for a picnic dinner, then a few rounds after the hoardes have gone home.

The boys, Leonie and Hugues.

Medieval festival Villeneuve Loubet

Important people wandered in groups.

The guy from next door Jean Louis in t-shirt and white hat.

We went to the medieval festival at Villeneuve on the weekend. There were parades of kings, knights, and lepers normally, but today, it was the women of the night. There are lots of swords and armor for sale, demonstrations of fighting, cooking, music and games for the kids. Lots of fun. We rode out our front door right there.

Even the olden womenfolk talked too long on the phone.

They have these kinds of festivals all the time. Costumes can be hired and lots of people wander around in character.