Nice NICE

Find a hotel about four blocks from the old town where we stayed last time.  Nothing fancy, but the A/C in the rooms makes up for the heat in the windowless hallways.  The place we stayed last time is avalable for $ 45 a night, but too small for three.  Go to a restaraunt we ate at before and had a great dinner.  Donna had fish, Betty, fish soup, and I had carbonarra, which was fabulous.  next morning we headed out to the flower market tha Nice is famous for.  Only.............it has transitioned into an antique market, apparently for the day.  Not a flower in sight, so we head just past it to the Promenade de' Inglais.  This promenade runs the entire length of the city from West to East.  At the west end is the airport, and when the planes take off they come right a you before banking out to the sea.  Really cool sight.

Betty is doing fine and seems to be enjoying the walk.  We normally take our golf clubs as a way to "slow down"..................Betty and Julia compensate this trip.  I need to aplogize for a comment I made previously where i indicted that we are hoping for more help when we get back.  As it turns out, i was unaware of the many offers to help out. 

After Nice, we head to St. Maxime, which is about eight miles before St. Tropez.  Couldn't have found a better location---right next to the chuch in the center of town.  (good thing the bells don't ring between 10 at night and eight in the morning)  the street were on is a walking street around the church.  We set up our table and chairs in it and relax in the afternoon sun people watching.  This place gets three hundred days of sunshine a year............Our view is across the road to the marina and the sea.  We see cruise ships everyday unloading in St. Tropez, and feel fortunate to be here rather than there.  Drove to Aix in Provence for a little sightseeing and market walking.  From there we headed back to Flayosc, where we stayed with eric, Char, and Sienna 11 years ago.

We hit a "deversion" in the road and rely on Emily to get us straightened out.  She does, so we think.
Imagine if you will a twelve mile logging road that has been cut out once with a bull dozer.  Throw in some deep pools of muddy standing water, three or four tunnels with no lighting, and nothing in sight.  thats the road.  Run across three women hiking and ask if we're heading to Flayosc, which they say we are.  So we continue, until in the mirror I see a Gendarme van behind me.  I know I'm screwed.  I pull over to the side and they continue by with a friendly wave.  This assures us that there will be light at the end of the tunnel.  We reach Flayosc but the restaraunt is closed................

Yesterday we headed to Borme les Mimosas, which is named for a flower and not a champagne cocktail.  Hit a little bistro for lunch and are knocked out by the food.  Donna orders the menu, Betty has fish soup, and I had tartare.  Donnas starter is a THE freshest tomato ever, which has been blanched, then filled with tiny tiny mozzerella balls and basil and olive oil, surrounded by a basil infused sauce and a tomato infused sauce.  (She posted a pic on facebook)  It was amazing.  Bettys fish soup had a unique flavor that neither Donna or I had ever tasted.  Turns out it was finished with star anise-----which gave it an amazing layer of flavor.

Today is Saturday and we're leaving here to head to Collioure, but not until we watch the airshow that starts today at 11:00.  Stunt planes to military jets---they practiced yesterday and it looks amazing!