“La Fete des Voisins” (Neighborhood fair)

Running every Friday, from September through June, Cagnes-sur-Mer’s neighborhood street fair is a weekly event. As it was Mother’s Day in France this particular day (different day than in U.S.), there were stands selling jewelry and other ‘girly’ merchandise!
Local artisans surround the main, central square with their stands and happily discuss  their specialties, taking pride that it is made locally by hand:  jewelry, odds & ends, gift ideas, and other works of art.

I met the lady who was displaying her “Santons Ceramiques,” figurines of village life — a Provençale specialty (usually made of clay). She informed me that she does demonstrations by appointment in her workshop, located in the Var (in a small village outside of Nice) and kindly shared information about other local events.

As I wondered around window(less) shopping and browsing each stand, I took note of the “like a mother’s” pride that the vendors had for their products and their efforts in keeping the aspect of cultural craftsmanship vivant (alive)!

Top 5 in Nice — To do/see & To be street smart

5 Things to See/Do in Nice:

1 – Old Town: Cours Saleya daily food/flower Market (Monday is antiques) & Palais Lascaris

2 – Place Massena & its Apollo fountain

3 – Negresco Hotel: tourists are prohibited from the main entrance — but, you can have a drink at the hotel bar, called Le Relais (separate entrance on rue Rivoli next to the main hotel entrance) and then exit through the hotel lobby to see it and to stroll discreetly through the surrounding areas (i.e. Versailles Room and central domed room & shops)

4 – Fenocchio Ice Cream in Place Rossetti, with its 94 ice cream flavors (fruits/vegetables/flowers) to choose from (there are other ice cream shops that use a similar name, which can confuse tourists)

5 – Place Garibaldi: reknowned for its array of building frescos, outdoor cafes, and oyster bars; the nearby port has been revamped and is a lively area to stroll around, as well.

5 Things to be Aware of in Nice:

1 – Nice is relatively safe, but as in any city, be aware of your surroundings, especially if you must walk alone late at night.

2 – The area around/behind the Notre Dame church (situated on Jean-Medecin) can be disconcerting, especially at night.

3 – Pickpockets target foreigners, especially on crowded public transportation. Keep car doors locked and windows up while driving to avoid car theft, with someone breaking the window to grab your purse/bag and driving off (rental cars are especially targeted while stopped at red lights) – do not keep your purse visibly on your lap or on the seat!

4 – Taxi scams can occur when the driver discreetly resets the meter, just before reaching your destination; always look at the meter reading when you get in and immediately ask for a receipt, which is a deterrant. My personal recommendation is to use “Friend in France” – an English speaking, reliable, and honest taxi service.

5 – Avoid the unexpected: do your research/homework before arriving, to know bus/train schedules, museum hours, etc.

* If you have a specific question, feel free to add a comment and/or E-mail me.

French Pronunciation Lesson

I know a French person, who has a very thick French accent when speaking English — yet, French people can detect a foreign accent when he speaks his native French language (he had spent many years abroad) and have even asked him if he is, indeed, French.
Of course, it’s very difficult to lose a native accent, when speaking a foreign language; however, this video lesson on pronunciation can help !

“One of the Prettiest Villages in France”

As a weekend getaway, I visited the perched medieval village of Moustiers Sainte-Marie, situated in the Alpes de Haute-Provence and at the entrance to the Gorges du Verdon (one of the deepest canyons in Europe), and is a good two hours drive from Nice, on many windy roads.The quaint village is known as the “Capital of Ceramics” – famous for its porcelain, for its overhead/ suspended gold-leaf star (measuring 1.25 m), for pilgrimages to the Notre-Dame de Beauvoir 12th century chapel (262 stone steps to climb to get there), and the mountainside water cascade through the village.
The town, of about 700 residents, thrives on its ceramics industry and tourism, with its nearby lake of Sainte-Croix and the Verdon Regional Natural Park. The green/turquoise color of the lake and surroundings are due to the fluoride and micro-algae and the lake’s clay bottom.

The region is famous for its lavender fields, a source of flavorful honey, and also used to produce soaps and perfumes.

It turned out to be two rainy, low-cloud covered days – good for lingering over fabulous meals at the local restaurants:

Our first lunch was at at “Le Relais,” with its warm ambiance and welcoming staff. It was hard to decide, but I finally ordered the duck, which was served with veggie California rolls (a very unusual combination) — it was delicious! There was also a chicken with thyme dish, served with rice and ratatouille; after dinner they brought out homemade marshmallow squares (called ‘chamallow’ in French) – so a little bit ‘off the beaten menu’, so to speak, which made the lunch even more memorable!

For dinner that evening, since it was still raining and it was closer to the parking lot, we settled on a restaurant situated on the outer edge of the village — a mistake and disappointing: Le Cascade restaurant was ordinary and a little too bar-like in feel, but….we were there, and there were, indeed, dinner tables set up, so gave it a whirl.

However, after we had sat down and ordered an “apero” and had decided what we were going to order from the menu, we were told that the special priced three-course menu (formule) was no longer available — uh, why? The answer given was “C’est comme ca!” (It’s just the way it is!) (Beware — this tactic can be used to get tourists (including French tourists) to order from the à la carte menu, which provides more income to the restaurant). So, to compensate, we didn’t order any wine with dinner or any dessert, which obviously annoyed the (not so pleasant) young waitress. The rabbit I ordered was good, but overall, the ambiance (or lack thereof!) dampened our spirits, as much as the rain had dampened us!

I chose to stay at a three-star B&B called, “Le Ferme Rose,” having stayed there years ago; it’s only 1 km (0.6 miles) from the village center, and so, is quiet and peaceful. The owner is an eclectic collector, so it was interesting to look at all the various, fun oddities and antique pieces that he has gathered over the years: vintage luggage, giant Hollywood film set lights, mini-train sets, a theatre stage, just to name a few. It was an amusing and serene place to sit and play cards, or chill out with a glass of Provençale rosé and a good book, as the rain continued!

The hotel’s breakfast was wonderful, with a basket of viennoiseries (pastries/breads), yogurt, orange juice, and of course, du café – all presented with attention to detail and courteous, friendly service.

Even with the misty-like rain falling, walking through the village and browsing in the shops was enjoyable; the village was active and lively, as I searched for the perfect place for our last lunch there – and boy, did I find it – the restaurant “Le Treille Muscate” in the center of the village, with its superb service, lovely atmosphere, and excellent food.
To top it all off, the skies were clearing, through the low-lying cloud cover, ending the weekend on a good (and sunny) note!

All photos © France Forever
Stats source: Tourism Office
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