Grasse and Cannes, France

Before returning to Oklahoma, we decided to visit a small part of France near Nice.  We had to return our car to the airport in Nice and fly back home from there too. So we wanted to be close to Nice for that.  We found an affordable studio apartment in Grasse, the perfume capital of France and less than an hour from Nice.  Grasse is also a short bus ride from Cannes so that was another reason for visiting this part of France.  I’d seen and swam in the Adriatic Sea and now I wanted to do the same in the Mediterranean!    

One of the beach areas in Cannes

Huge fields of lavender, roses, and jasmine are grown near Grasse for the perfume industry there.  Perfume factories and museums in Grasse are open to the public so you can learn as much as you want about the perfume industry there.  We particularly enjoyed the Fragonard Perfumerie and their perfumes.  As with all of Europe, there is much history to absorb in Grasse too.  The Cathedral of Notre Dame du Puy has 3 amazing Rubens inside, along with so many other things worth taking the time to view in this Provencal Romanesque style cathedral.

We enjoyed walking around this small city and being surprised by what we found.  And the views were just spectacular.  You could see all the way to the coast from some places.  There are a few resting places in Grasse where you might be lucky enough to find an empty seat and feel the mist cool you that is sprayed every few seconds, along with the breeze.  What a great find that was as it was hot the week we were there.

One of the sculptures in Grasse

 

The only problem with Grasse is parking.  Arrive early to find a spot and leave the car and walk until you leave Grasse.  We arrived around 3:00 PM and drove around for half an hour before finally finding a spot for our car in one of the car parks.  We left the car there all week and took the bus to Cannes.  It was a great deal.  For only one Euro each we could ride to Cannes and not have to deal with parking the car there.  It looked like parking was at a premium in Cannes too.

      

This is a car park in Grasse!

In Cannes, we enjoyed the beach and swimming in the Mediterranean.  We also walked along the famous for shopping Boulevard de la Croisette and the Rue d’Antibes among other streets.  Along a side street we found a Chinese restaurant and took a chance…it was a wonderful meal.  One reason we chose it was that you could eat inside in an air conditioned room!  We wanted to explore the old  historic part of Cannes, but it was just too hot to do all that walking so we found this lovely restaurant, had a great lunch and took the bus back to Grasse.  This was after we spent the morning at the beach.

The Beach in Cannes

So, which is better – the Adriatic or the Mediterranean?  That depends on what you’re looking for.  The Adriatic has beautiful crystal clear water but mostly rocky beaches.  The Mediterranean in Cannes had nice sandy beaches but the water was not as clear or blue.  Maybe sometime I’ll get to other parts of the Mediterranean to see more and have more to compare…

We had a fantastic send off from France.  On our last night in the country, we got to watch a spectacular fireworks display in Grasse, complete with music.  This was to celebrate France’s Bastille Day which is observed on July 14^th. 

Almost time to return to the USA.

Enjoy more photos at the following link.

https://picasaweb.google.com/100390625521976559356/France2011

Homeward Bound

So many thoughts and emotions running through my mind while packing up all the last minute things.  I will write more next week about all that and our week in France.  I just can't do it now.  I need a few days to sort through my emotions and the laundry! ! !   And time to write it all down for you.  With photos of course.

                           In Cannes, France.  There is one for almost every country you can think of.


Thank you all so much for  sharing your thoughts on this trip.  I was very surprised at how many people read this blog regularly.  And encouraged by it too!  I hope you'll continue checking in here for further posts.

                       One of the many beach areas in Cannes, France

Till next week...

Our Last Week in Croatia

Our last week in Croatia was quite different from other weeks.  We had 2 days of rain which had never happened in one week before since our arrival.  But we managed to get in 3 days at the local beaches, 2 days for laundry, 2 days for packing and another spectacular dinner of Istrian specialties with our friends here.  We leave tomorrow for a week in France, and then on to the USA.  We’ve had a wonderful time here and are so glad we had this opportunity…but, after almost 5 months, we are ready to go home and get settled in there.  In less than a month after our return, the fall semester begins for Steve!

What things will I miss?  (In no particular order)

Location, location, location.  The Green Market with fresh fruits and veggies and the neighborhood grocery stores.  We could get everything we needed and it would only take about half an hour.   Where we live in Oklahoma, it’s a 30-45 minute drive, one-way, to the grocery store, depending on which store we go to.  There is a small grocery store a few minutes from the house but the prices are exorbitant and the selection is quite limited so I am really going to miss the convenience of everything being so close to this apartment.

Walking around Pula and seeing so much history.  Roman, Austro-Hungarian, Italian, Yugoslav and Croatian history right in front of me everywhere I walk.  Fascinating!  (to me anyway) 

Architecture in Pula.  So many buildings with so many architectural styles!  And then there are the buildings that have multiple architectural styles due to being rebuilt or added on to.   Living in a small town in a rural area in Oklahoma, the architecture is not as interesting so I’ve really enjoyed the buildings here in Croatia and the other countries we visited.

Gelato! Gelato! Gelato!

Apartment Living.  Cleaning the apt. is easy and doesn’t take nearly as long as cleaning an entire house;  no mowing the lawn or raking leaves here either.  Living simpler has it benefits!

The Adriatic Sea and its Beaches.  Just love it.  So blue, so crystal clear, so inviting…  We actually live near a big lake in Oklahoma but never seem to find the time to enjoy it.  But here, we’ve found lots of time for the Adriatic!  

The Idea of Living in Europe.  Going from one country to another is like going from one state to another in the US.  So it’s easy to travel around and experience the history and beauty of European cities and countryside while enjoying the people too.

What things am I looking forward to back home?   

Quiet neighborhood.  Our apt. here is on a very busy street so there is always lots of traffic noise and people noise, especially when the patrons of the café bar across the street stay too long there!  Also, the door to the apt. building slams shut all day and all night long.  Very irritating.

Air conditioning!  Ceiling Fans!

My kitchen.  I haven’t been able to bake any gluten free bread or cookies, etc. since arriving here.  The kitchen here is very small and did not include any baking dishes.  So, I am actually looking forward to baking bread!  And I’m very surprised to be saying that!

A Real Shower!  Not the hand-held shower head that is so common in Europe.

Wireless Internet.   It’ll be so nice to use my computer anywhere in the house and not have all those cables all over the place.  In fact, about 5 years ago I began to use only a laptop.  It saves a lot of desk and floor space compared to the tower/desk-top computers.

The Public Library.  I love to read and didn’t run out of e-books to read that I downloaded on my computer before we left the US.  But I miss picking up a book to read and getting comfy with it on the sofa or recliner.  Sitting with the computer on my lap to read…it’s just not the same as a book and turning pages.  I know there are e-readers out there, I just didn’t get one before we came here.  Maybe that would help, but I still think I’d miss the tactile-ness of turning pages and leafing through a book.

Shopping for Clothes on Sale.  Clothes are very expensive here and don’t go on sale like in the US.  I can almost always find something to buy that’s 50 % or more off the original price in the US.  Those kinds of deals are extremely difficult to find here.