France

At the end of June, I went to Nice, then on to Provence. Sunny and hot, Nice offered wonderful food, beautiful architecture and interesting museums. People were welcoming and patient. We stayed in an expensive hotel across the street from the Mediterranean Sea, as my husband was on business.

Plage means beach, but Nicoise plages are nothing like NC beaches. The water is still and blue, and the shore is covered with smooth blue-gray stones. I didn't see any nude sunbathers there, but heavy and hirsute men in Speedos satisfy any voyeristic tendencies.

I had imagined Nice as a bouquet of flowers. Some residents grew bouganvilla and lantana in windowsboxes that overlook the narrow streets, but most public gardens have trees, shrubs and grass with wide concrete paths and classic benches and fountains. Someone advised me to see parc de la colline du Chateau at sunset; you take the elevator to the top of a cliff overlooking the Meditaranean and you can see all the way to Monaco, they said.

We started out at 7:15 and walked quickly in the 90 degree heat. When we reached the ascenseur, we found it closed, requiring us to walk a million steps in the hot sun to the top. Heat reflected off the stone cliffs beside the stairs. When we finally climbed to the summit, a policeman appeared and blew a whistle to announce the park was closing. Everyone out.

We made our way back down the stairs and ate dinner at the marketplace in midieval Vieux Nice, choosing a table near the old Roman arches. The breeze was refreshing. As we ate, French families arrived from all directions to eat at the cafes in the marketplace. As darkness fell, televisions appeared in the cafes, tuned in to the national soccer semifinals. The mood was light. We were hungry and the food was fresh. It was one of our best meals in France.