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A Month in the French Riviera

Nida Spalding loves to read, travel, and spend time with family and friends. She believes that curiosity and persistence are key to happiness and success.

February 6, 2017. The man at the front desk at Hotel Campanile in Nice airport had arranged for a taxi for pick us up at 7:50 a.m. The taxi driver was running late, arriving at 8 a.m. My friend Debra was annoyed, she hates being late. Today we start our 4-week French language immersion course at the Institut de Francais in picturesque Villefranche-sur-Mer on the French Riviera.

The taxi driver found the Institut and Debra and I were greeted with an enthusiastic welcome. As our suitcases were whisked away, we were ushered to the salle a manger (dining room) for breakfast. After class, we received keys to our fully-furnished two-bedroom apartment with a gorgeous view of the harbor. The kitchen came with a refrigerator, microwave oven, stove, and washer. It came with pots and pans, a kettle for boiling/heating water and eating utensils. Someone came on weekends to clean the apartment and change the linens.

Debra and I adored our apartment even though we didn't have heat or hot water on our first night. My cold, which started in Sacramento got worse. I lost my voice for two days and was coughing the next two weeks. I appreciated the folks at the local pharmacy.

On weekdays, Debra and I studied French at the Institut. On nights and weekends, once done with homework, we went on school excursions or visited the nearby stunning villages on our own.

Noteworthy restaurants abound in Villefranche-sur-Mer, along the water and around Rue Obscure and Rue du Poilu. In this little village I ate truly amazing French food, every day at the Institut or at local restaurants. At Le Serre, which specializes in Nicoise cooking, I tasted the best eggplant dish and red pepper dish. I tried bouillabaisse (fish stew) from La Caravelle, savored moules et frites (mussels and French fries) at Les Palmiers and enjoyed grilled fish at Cote Jardin.

 

 

A charming seaside village, Villefranche, is accessible. My mode of travel was by foot, by bus or train. The bus stop, train station, Catholic church, boulangerie, market, pharmacy, the local grocery Casino Shop and the many delightful restaurants were all within walking distance from our apartment. I didn't miss my car at all.

And I didn't do much cooking. At the Institut, Chef Natalie and her team served breakfast, a three-course lunch and afternoon tea to the students, all included in the tuition. Breakfast was from 8:30 to 9:00 consisting of croissants, pain au chocolat, cheese, yogurt, coffee and tea. This didn't stop me from going to the local boulangerie and patisserie for more treats. Debra and I didn't need much for dinner. We each prepared something light and easy, often sharing what we have. We became regulars at the Casino Shop, a French grocery chain where we bought wine, coffee, tea, produce, smoked salmon, anchovies, and sardines.

Every Sunday, I walked down to Old Town to attend mass at Iglese Saint Michel, a classic Baroque Catholic Church. After mass, I stopped by the farm stand just a few steps away to check out what the serious-looking man was selling. I picked up eggs, potatoes, avocados, tangerines, spinach or mesclun from him. One Sunday, I decided to buy leeks. His face lit up and he said, "Bravo."

I dream of moving from California to the south of France. My husband is not opposed to the idea. Dina, my friend from Stockton, tells me not to go; she'll miss me. Most of my friends say, "Great! I will visit you there." Someday…?

For now, I'll reminisce about having lived well for a month in the French Riviera.

~ Nida Spalding

 


 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 






 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

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