Done like (Thanksgiving) Dinner

Well, the vacation is nearly over; I fly home tomorrow. I am really missing the sun and azure blue of the Med, having traded it for the cool, grey weather in England. I know it will probably be like this when I go home and, even though fall has only just begun, I'm already done with it.

However, it is also Thanksgiving Monday and I'm feeling grateful for so many things including this vacation.  I spent 2 1/2 outstanding weeks in the very beautiful Côte d'Azur area of France in a fabulous apartment; after not seeing him for three years, I got to spend time with my cousin, Paul, whom I adore; I was joined in Villefranche by three good friends and we had lots of laughs, new experiences, tasty food, and delicious Provencal wine; in England, friends graciously opened their homes to me and I have wonderful memories of my time with them and their families in Birmingham, Derbyshire, Wendover and London; and, finally, I was blessed to experience the overwhelming poppy installation at the Tower of London.

And, the good news is, after all this, I get to return to Victoria to my friends, family and home, all of which I love.  Now, I just have to start planning the next adventure!  And, a final thanks to my friends, John and Pedro, who just hand over keys to their flat in Maida Vale and let me treat it like its home!

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red

As you may know, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI.  To commemorate this, an extraordinary art installation at the Tower of London pays tribute to 888,246 British and Commonwealth soldiers killed in the war.  The installation consists of a blood red sea of ceramic poppies spilling out of the Tower of London into the moat around it.  I had seen TV coverage of it when it first opened with Pronce William, Kate and Prince Harry placing their poppies in the moat.  Since then, it has grown to where poppies almost completely surround the castle.  This will only be in place until November 11th this year so, if I did nothing else on my visit to London, I was determined to see it.  Thankfully, it was a sunny day here Friday so off I went. It is easy to get to.  You take the Tube to Tower Hill, come out of the station, go down some stairs and through and tunnel and there it is.

It is difficult to put into words the feelings you get when you see it. It is overwhelming, poignant, emotional, stunning, etc.  I am at a loss to explain it.  I spent a few moments in silence honouring those who had fallen, not just in that war but also in wars since then.  It is such a fitting tribute and, after it is over, the poppies are being sold to raise money for charity which gives it an additional  purpose.  Poppies are still being added. There was a large number of volunteers installing them while I was there.

After I left there, I took a short wander out onto the Tower Bridge for a view of the Thames before heading back to Maida Vale.

Derbyshire Days

I arrived in Derbyshire Monday midday and have been staying in Wessingden with my friends, Pat and Rob Makin.  Today, I am heading to London.  Unfortunately, the weather has been total crap the last couple of days so, while we've been "out and about", it was certainly not conducive to taking photos of the beautiful Derbyshire countryside.  So, all I have to post are pictures of buildings.  Such a shame!  Tuesday, Pat and I went with her friend, Sheila, to Hartington near the Staffordshire border for a pub lunch. Later, we visited the famous cheese shop there.

Yesterday, Pat, Rob and I drove around a bit and ended up having lunch in Matlock. The weather turned really dreadful with heavy rain and thunder and lightning.  There was even a tornado in nearby Alfreton which ripped the roof off a building and overturned two cars. Guess I shouldn't complain.  We just got a little wet.

Last evening, we had dinner with Abi (Rob and Pat's daughter), her boyfriend (Jordon), Melissa (a niece) and her husband (Adrian).  What makes all this special for me is that I've know these young people, including Clair and Darren, since they were very, very young. They have all turned out to be such lovely and interesting people.

Ear Worms

I spent Sunday in Birmingham with the Giles family (Clair, Gavin, Harriet, and Esme) along with Clair's brother, Darren, his wife, Katie, and their 9 month old son, Jonah.  In the morning, before we set off, Harriet, Esme and I were talking about music (actually we were putting together a Jibjab video) and I was telling them what an ear worm was - those songs that get stuck in your head and you just can't stop hearing them.  One of theirs was "Let It Go" from the movie, Frozen.  Later, as we were wandering around central Birmingham, we went into the new library to see the view from the roof, the Shakespeare Collection, and the children's floor where there are lots of activities for kids to do.  So often it happens when you learn about something for the first time shortly thereafter you hear about it again. So, the irony that there was a woman there on the children's level "bottling" ear worms was not lost on us.  The idea was to record your ear worm onto an audiotape and then the woman cut that portion of the tape and put it into a bottle and labelled it.  Any other person with the same ear worm would have their tape added to the same bottle. Esme, Harriet and Gavin recorded their mutual ear worm, Gotya's 'Somebody that I Used To Know', chose their bottle, and watched the woman seal the ear worm in it.  It was just so strange that we'd just talked about ear worms and here was this woman creating this ear worm depository.

It was a lovely day so we wandered along the canals and squares before having a late lunch.  Back home, we said good bye to the Huckerbys who headed back to Sheffield and had a quiet evening. What a lovely day!

Monday, I take the train to Chesterfield where I'll be staying the friends near there until Thursday.  The days are flying by now!

Brothers from Another Mother

This post covers a slightly more serious subject. My friend, Gavin, here in Birmingham was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease when he was 12.  By the time he was in his thirties, it became clear that, without a kidney transplant, his life would be in jeopardy. So, the search began for a match. Unfortunately, no one in his family was suitable but, before going further afield and registering for an organ transplant, members of his extended family and some friends volunteered to be tested.  Quite surprisingly, the brother of Clair, Gavin's wife, was a perfect match. Now, I've known Darren since he was about two and he is a class act through and through, not to mention very intelligent and wickedly funny. There was no question for him what he would do.  So nearly 4 years ago, the guys went into the Queen Elizabeth Hospital here in Birmingham and Darren gave Gavin the life saving kidney. Since then, they set up a charity group called Organ Finders which aims to raise the profile of organ donation through sport.  Together with friends and family, over the last 2 years they've participated in various sporting competitions (running, cycling and swimming) and have raised over £35,000.  Gavin and Darren are both serious, avid cyclists and the best of friends. I know they would want me to mention the link to their charity and it is: www.uk.viginmoneygiving.com/organfinders.  They would also say it is very important to make sure you are registered as an organ donor.  Below are two photos: one taken when they were in hospital in 2011 and the second today after our walk around the city centre.

Getting my comeuppance

Well, yesterday was my journey back to reality - from azure blue to battleship grey.  Not long after sunrise, I left the beautiful apartment in Villefranche which, by the way, I found out is valued at more than €2,000,000 (that's close to $3,000,000 CDN!) and took a plane to London Heathrow where it was grey and drizzling. I had to take a bus from there to Birmingham and, as the bus was delayed, I spent over an hour waiting in the Central Heathrow Coach Station which, I have to say, was a very far cry from the "beautiful people", limos and yachts of the south of France!  However, it was worth it because I got to meet up with my friends in Birmingham and the sun was shining there.  I just would have preferred a more comfortable mode of transportation to get there.  So, the adventures  continue . . . . It is just that it is a little colder and fall is in the air for sure.

Packing up and moving on

Well, my wonderful and magical time here is coming to an end. It is rare for me to stay in one place for this long when I'm on vacation - I think the last time was 18 years ago when I stayed that long with my close friend in Alsace who was helping me during a difficult break-up.  The gypsy in my soul usually has me moving on much more quickly. Well, not this time!  Handing over the keys tomorrow morning is not going to be easy!  I could luxuriate on this balcony until the weather gets cold and crappy and, perhaps even then, not get bored.  However, that is not to be.  In the morning, I hop on a flight to Heathrow and take a coach to Birmingham.  I'll be in the Midlands until Thursday when I travel closer to London.

Last evening I met up with two couples I know from Victoria, Sandy and Don Taylor and Margot and David Moore.  Ironically, the latter couple used to live in my neighbourhood but I've only gotten to know them more recently. So, it was drinks at the Wine Bar at the Hotel Welcome before dinner (pour ma troisieme fois!) at L'Oursin Bleu.

Today, I was greeted by yet another lovely sunrise and a cruise ship in the harbour.  Tidying up the apartment and packing wasn't particularly onerous so I got to savour the day etching the view into my brain for future reference.

This evening, a couple I know through my friend, Mena, came for drinks before we headed down to the quay for one more dinner by the sea.  The only things that make leaving here a bit easier are that I'm looking forward to seeing my friends in England and the promise I've made to myself to come back here next September!  I'm so glad I found the place 35 years ago!  Regrets?  Only one: I might have been able to afford a flat here back then; certainly not now!  What's that they say about hindsight?

La Colline

"La Colline" is the name of the apartment where I'm staying. If you wonder why, it is also the French word for hill - or, for me, it means a damn difficult steep walk in the hot weather.  You start at the Bas Corniche which is the lower road running along this part of the Côte d'Azur.  (There are also the Moyenne and Grand Corniches, up way higher.)  From the Bas Corniche, you walk up a pedestrian alley my friends and I have called Ruelle Crottin de Chien because of all the dog poop on it. You have to be careful, particularly walking down the hill, not to slip on it. Lately, however, I have to say the walkway has Beene cleaner so maybe it gets washed occasionally.  While I have already whined about this "hike" in some emails and blogs, I thought a visual may give you an idea that I'm not overly exaggerating. This is the first bit and you can see the apartment up in the top right of the picture; it is the second down from the roof on the corner.  So, you walk up this part of the hill.  Then take a breather if it is hot to catch your breath.

Next you turn a corner and walk up some more, go around a bend and walk up to the road. But, you aren't finished. When you read the road, you have to walk up it, go around a corner where you are finally on the level and then it is a simple stroll to the entrance. It is actually getting easier to do but I also admit I avoid doing it if I can. Of course, the need for food and wine makes it compulsory sometimes.

However, when you get here, you are rewarded with the view; e.g. the cruise ships in the bay the other day! And, this apartment is probably only about halfway up the hill!  The other picture was taken from the front of the building looking further up la colline  The bad news is that the Bas Corniche is not at sea level. There are two similar walks to get down and up from the quay.  No wonder French women don't get fat!  I confess that sometimes after dinner, I've splurged for a taxi (€15) to get home!

"All alone am I,

since the Wendorfs said good bye . . . " (with apologies to Brenda Lee and anyone familiar with that song from the early 60s).  Well, Air France did it again!  It just seemed too easy Saturday when the "helpful" airline staff found a flight for Sue and Keith leaving Monday morning exactly when they needed it to.  By early Sunday, they'd received an email saying it too had been cancelled.  It didn't help that later in the day, the strike was called off; still no flight and they absolutely had to be back by midday Monday.  So, after eliminating various potential options one by one, it came down to an overnight train from Nice to Strasbourg leaving here at 7 pm. So, we had a late lunch down on the quay then sat on the balcony, enjoying some sun and that lovely Provençal rose wine before the taxi came. Good thing we had a late lunch as it turned out there was no dining or snack car on the train!  While we sat on the balcony, we watched a yacht in the harbour called Samar (it is worth googling). It charters for about €650,000 a week.  Gosh, I could sell my house, use the money to charter it, and be broke before the week was up!  There was a helicopter coming and going from it. When I sent a photo to my neighbour, a helicopter pilot, asking him if that would be difficult to do, his response was "easy peasy".  Well, maybe for him!

Yesterday, I just did stuff around the apartment: laundry, dishes, watering the plants, reading and, oh yes, watching more helicopters come and go from Samar.

Today, Samar is gone but now there are two cruise ships in the bay. It is always changing. Later, so,e friends from Victoria are coming by for drinks and appies before we all go out for dinner. I'm sort of loving this life!

An inland gem

In spite of all the issues with Air France and the bus drivers Saturday, we did manage to get to Saint Paul de Vence located in the hills above Cagnes sur Mer. What a great value that the bus ticket only cost €1.50 each way from Nice!  I'd been there before but wanted to return and share it with Sue and Keith. We got there about 2 p.m. after the chaos at the Air France counter in the airport. We had cheeseburgers (yikes!) for lunch in a cute restaurant on the ramparts then wandered around the village. Not sure if it is designated as one of Les Plus Beaux Villages en France and, if it isn't, it should be.  The little ruelles are adorable and the shops celebrate the products and art Provençal. It is worth noting (and I probably blogged about it last year) that Marc Chagall is buried here and the village is also home to the very famous Fondation Maeght, a major institution celebrating modern art.  This time, we enjoyed just wandering the streets, peeking into the shops and many galleries, and soaking in the ambiance which is so different from Villefranche sur Mer.