Cabby

Hmmm lots to tell. I have been having a good time here enjoying the beautiful landscapes and playing with Marine and Manon. Boy have they taught me lots - and not just french! We are quite close now and are quite accustomed to each other's habits. Playing with Barbie, My Little Ponies, Playmobile, and Lego and watching the Barbapapas is pure nostalgia for me and hardly seems like work sometimes. Dora l'Exploratrice and the Teletubbies however are getting on my nerves a little. We go out to the playground and the pool here in the village, or out to the beaches (no - you girls don't want to set up next to those kids, how about over there by those hot guys...). The beaches here are gorgeous, the swim trunks are not ten sizes too big (not too tight either - just more flattering), and it's ok if you forgot your bikini top. In fact, it's even ok if you forgot your bikini altogether and just wear your thong (not that I have, but I have seen). During my free time I have been staying around here in La Garde Freinet, or going to the many nearby towns like Grimaud, St. Maxime, or St. Tropez for shopping, the beachs, the clubs... I have met many interesting people this summer. There are tons of people who vacation around here so there is always someone interesting to talk to or go out with. It is always sad when their vacation is over and they leave though! The only constants are the village folk - who vary immensely. Everyone knows each other - and it is not uncommon to have coffee with a retiree, some crazy guy, a 14 year old kid and a 23 year old rudeboy... always good for a laugh and an interesting discussion. I have to say though that this has been one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. Going to live in a place not knowing a single person and not really speaking the language has been - um - a challenge. The first month was the hardest when I couldn't understand french very well - but it is way easier now. Each conversation I have with a new person usually includes a "well aren't you brave" in there somewhere - which always makes me feel better. My job is not exactly the best for helping me to meet people here (it would be so much easier if I worked with people)- so I have had to learn to strike up conversations with strangers. This has worked surprisingly well for me (no one thinks I'm crazy - I think) and I have met lots of interesting people and made friends this way. Being here has done wonders for my shyness and my (over)sensitivity to say the least! Having wheels has also proven crucial to my social life (and sanity). It is so important to have a car (or a scooter) around here or you are stranded in the town you live in. Scooters are everywhere - you only have to be 14 to drive one, and you don't need a licence! This is most scary when you are a ped - particularly in the villages where the windy streets are so narrow that a car can just pass. Thankfully you can hear them coming - unlike all the new "silent" cars around here. No old cars here - it's weird (stricter safety and environmental standards). The architecture in this area still amazes me, but it is becoming "the norm" for me now and all the villages and towns are looking the same. It will be so weird when I go back to Canada. Sometimes I go to Toulon, which is an old port town about 45 minutes from here, to take the girls to see their grandparents. They have a big property and really cute goats! A few weeks ago I went there and saw Iggy and the Stooges with Jean-Jacques sister and her Scottish boyfriend (also Pixies fans!). The concert was just outside of Toulon on Ile de Gaou, this cool little island just for concerts and festivals... it was sooooooooo windy. I mean wind in general is an element I have had to learn to live with since I got to the Riviera - but I mean this was intense (long hair was a weapon if not secured). But I can't imagine a more gorgeous place to see such an act!! The concert was amazing. Iggy was well - Iggy - and he looked great. He was really into it and put on a fabulous show. One of the best shows I've ever been too. Speaking of music, I have no CD's with me (just music on my laptop) so in the 4X4 I listen to Riveria Radio - the english music station. It's so funny - it's like all this really cheesy / typical music from the last 20 years. I get to sing along to "smooth operator" and "karma cameleon" when I'm out doing the shopping in the morning, "stayin' alive" and "smells like teen spirit" at various times in the afternoon, and "I was made for loving you" when I'm heading out of the village at night (no joke - everytime). I think it's maybe more the mix that gets me. It's for all the rich British people here. There's also the BBC news, and ads that help me with my wealth management and tell me where to find the best yacht. The wealth here is sickening sometimes... and the prices for those who can pay (always better when someone else is taking you out). Translating lyrics has also been fun. I have friends here who can sing songs word for word but not know what they are singing. What? I am singing about starting a riot? Really?! I am getting used to life here. It's a much slower, relaxing pace. These people really know how to take it easy - it's so nice to see. Even the people who work (lots of people here don't need to or are here at their summer home) take there down time. Practically everything is closed Sunday, and most shops close for part of the afternoon everyday. No 24 hour supermarkets / Kinkos here. I miss a lot of the food I got to eat in Canada, but am also experiencing lots of new good stuff here. Freshly baked bread is a good thing. I have not, however, starting using little pieces of baguette in place of my knife to get the food on my fork! Wholewheat sandwich bread is available (although it is like Wonderbread and has "american" written all over it with american flags), and whole/sprouted grain bread is available only at night in my dreams. Chestnuts are a speciality here (not a pain in the butt to rake up off your lawn or to sing songs about at christmas) and I have been enjoying chestnut crumble and chestnut cream (kinda jam-like). The fruits and veggies are excellent, and I realize how much GMO stuff we eat in Canada! Stuff is smaller, looks better, and is tastier here - makes me suspicious. It's been a little hard as a vegetarian to find stuff at the markets and restaurants. I mean there is always something good I can eat but getting my protein has been a bit of a challenge. Veggie burgers have not made their way onto restaurant menus here yet... And not many vegetarians have made their way south by the number of questions / comments I get! No people, I am not going to die, and yes I eat more than salad. The family is respectful of this, and Jean-Jacques waits till after they have finished eating to tell me it was a horse or a rabbit. I doubt there is still anyone with me after this outpour of random tidbits of my current life - so I will end here, and hope the pics explain more...

This was my birthday. It started with champagne, then bottles of rose, then everyone getting thrown in the pool...  

Laurence and JJ's sister Michele having fun 

Even Meme ended up in the pool 

The happy goats at the grandparents. They have a huge yard to run around in and (I had to ask) are not for meat but to help keep the grass and weeds down.  

I have lots of pics of this guy - he likes to pose and make funny faces!  

At the port in Toulon... OK - this trip hasn't been about history, but if I have this right, this is where Napoleon beat the Italian army and got back Toulon in 1790-something...  

At the fireworks in Toulon... 

This is Ile de Gaou where the Stooges concert was... lots of big groups have played here. It was magnificent.  

Before the show...this doesn't demonstrate the wind factor as much as I had hoped, but let's just say I was afraid to get much closer to the edge and opened my eyes on the count of 3 for the pic 

Iggy... Got some (awful) pics of the Stooges - not worth posting... of couple of them were so out of it. They played well though. Wicked show...  

This guy is how old? His jeans were sooooo low rise... 

He invited people up on stage... Sorry blurry pic - complete with the token dork who takes off his pants... 

Even in France SOMEONE has to bring out the bongo drums at the party.... uh...  

People jump on beds at parties here... not just this party... And no - not with confetti - I really need a better camera... 

So you can't actually see it in this photo - but I am pointing to the most expensive bottle of import wine on the menu at this restaurant: Canadian Ice Wine - 90 Euros...  

Hanging out with Lucas, William, and Sandra. Yes mom and dad, they also think it's funny you have the same names! It's all about the chains...  

The girls had just watched Mary Poppins and brought out the dusters. Before the questions came, I told them Mary was an exception and not all nannies clean.  

At the beach...  

Manon (and the Franklin she won) on the carousel at one of the village festivals. There have been a few festivals here... this one had an 80's cover group that changed costumes each song! Soooo funny...  

Walter. No - they promised me he will never be dinner.  

Glamour girl. Marine is at that age - getting into hair and make-up... 

And I'm the lucky model who gets a new hairstyle and sparkly make-up.  

My housekeeper. Manon likes to hang out in my room and clean with her little broom... I wonder if I actually liked cleaning at that age...  

At the beach for a picnic dinner 

At the lantern festival with the girls 

Camouflage trees! OK - this is funny. When I first arrived I thought these trees were painted for fun!! But I saw them everywhere and then learned they are platane trees... naturally like this.... oops 

There are always cats chilling in the streets here. I always take the streets where I can see lots... 

My birthday present to myself was a little trip to Nice. I dropped the kiddies off at the grandparents and then spent 3 days on my own there. It's only an hour from where I live, but it was amazing how different it was. More English people and more modern. There are still tons of nice old buildings, but there are also many newer ones in the mix too - and somehow they did it all without being tacky. The French have this great way of combining the new with the old. I stayed at a beautiful old hotel and made some new friends. I met a few guys from London at the hotel who had friends in Nice. It's always cool to be with people who know the city and where to go. And it was so nice to be able to speak my own language (at Cabby speed) and be able to say what I wanted to say effortlessly. And of course listening and understanding was a passive rather than intensely active process which was a really nice break for me. The last couple weeks all the huge sales have been going on here - so I shopped my butt off and got some new clothes! Yay! I was getting so tired of what I brought with me. I went to the Henri Matisse museum (very cool), and then the rest of the time I was at the beach or the bar. It was a very relaxing weekend...

The beautiful old hotel I stayed at  

Swimming in the sea. There's no sand on most of the beaches in Nice so the water was really clear with no floaty sedimenty stuff...  

you can lie on the rocks (it is actually kind of nice not to deal with sand getting into everything) or grab a comfy chair in the private areas and order a drink.  

the beautiful promenade along the sea that goes on forever 

At the bar. This was the beginning of the night. Think I was just excited to be able to really express myself in my own language. 

random bar shot 

mmmm beer. so elegant in a glass the size of my head. 

Me and Greg at Tapas - this great punk / reggae bar  

get together at some british guy's place whose name i can't remember but i should because we went to his place a few times... 

Tea / cheese party for the dolls... with plastic baguette and 5 varieties of cheese!  

I went to Cannes a couple weeks ago. So many beautiful old hotels and buildings... this is one of the most famous - the Carlton. Unfortunately the area has been modernized with billboards everywhere, but who am I to complain...  

Laurence in one of the pretty gardens by the sea in Cannes 

didn't see anyone famous... 

on the red carpet still in place after the cannes film festival 

So I am finally writing about life here in the town of La Garde Freinet. If you look on a map, I am just north of St. Tropez, about 9 minutes (not including the time to find parking). It is very quaint and very old - as you can see from the photos - with sites like bath houses, fountains, cork factories, and olive oil mills dating back to the 1800's. It has been very well preserved. There are many wealthy non-french Europeans who own property here and live here all year round and some just for the summer months. Apparently John Travolta and Jack Nicholson own summer places in the forest surrounding the village – wanting their privacy. And privacy is what they have – I live in the forest too. The other day I was tempted to scream my head off to see how long it took someone to come! Many French people live here of course – but I have been told the property is so expensive that many just rent houses or flats. Almost everyone here speaks French and most know English, but still they still only speak French. It has been working out fine for me with my broken French. I get my point across and understanding the response has been a bit challenging, but good for me. It is not like Paris (the only other French city I have spent time in) in that the interest in practicing in English is practically non-existent. In Paris I would speak French and everyone said oh your English and would try to use English. Apparently I sound a bit British when I speak English? Not the first time I have heard this when I’ve been abroad. Maybe it’s the pitch of my voice, je ne sais pas. Better than at home where everyone just says I sound young! It’s kind of like in Canada here where we all learn French but don’t care and don’t remember. A lot of the young people here who aren’t from a big city learned English for like 5 years but don’t know it – particularly the girls. I’ve been told they do understand and not to be fooled though! Being stubborn just runs in the French blood I’ve decided. There is lots of summer staff here. Lots of people come from Paris and other places to work here till September (like me). Living outside the village in the forest can be a bit of a drag sometimes as you have to drive everywhere and I’ve always been a walker if possible. The roads through the forest are a bit crazy, windy, and narrow and you just pray you don’t run into someone as you turn a corner. You’d think these roads plus crazy French drivers would equal lots of accidents – but it doesn’t seem to be too bad. Yes – people drive faster here, but everyone is courteous and will pull over first if possible to let you pass (as long as you don’t take too long – then the friendly wave turns into a “move it” wave). I can walk to the village during the day, but at night it is too dangerous due to the wild boars that live in the forest. Seriously. My second night here I was leaving the house to walk to my suite (like 8 metres) and I didn’t worry about turning on the light outside before I left. I heard all this weird snorting and saw something moving nearby and ran for my life. I actually saw them for the first time a couple nights ago when I was driving out to the village. I had to hit the brakes and wait for one to cross the road. Then her little baby ran after her into the bushes! It was actually really cute. But I was glad to be in the truck!! There are also tons of bugs: mosquitoes (a pain but so far only one has tasted Canadian blood and must have told the others it sucked), bees, butterflies (everywhere - they are so beautiful), spiders (you just deal), and all sorts of crazy colorful bugs that I am tempted to look up. And there are cute little lizards everywhere too! Anyways, the highways and roads that I take to all the other towns are easier, but still very narrow and sometimes with no dividing line. They all have beautiful views of mountains, valleys, or the sea - can be distracting! A little different to get used to with all the round-abouts and signs and stuff, but I think I’ve got it now (less people seem to be honking at me – what’s with priority on the left??). There are tons of beautiful beaches nearby (most are less than 10 minutes). And ritzy towns like St. Tropez for (window) shopping. Totally unaffordable – but still really fun. The prices are so high because of the people who go there who can pay. It is really showy with people in their huge yachts wanting everyone to check them (and their 6 foot tall TV’s and other toys) out. You can’t see any of the water in the harbour of St. Tropez, only the yachts! I read about that before I visited this famous town – but didn’t actually believe that you could not see ANY water. Great nightlife though, but haven’t gone to any of the clubs there yet. For now I’m just adjusting to the new way of life for me. Working on my french and my tan (in no particular order). It’s weird – no deadlines, no commitments, no phone calls to answer – at first I was totally freaking out but then remembered oh yeah – I wanted a change for a while. I am getting along wonderfully with Jean-Jacques and Laurence. They are very nice and very fun. When Jean-Jacques picked me up at the train station within the first five minutes he said I hope you like to drink wine. I could write enough for a whole new blog about the wine here. I don’t know how I can possibly drink wine in Canada again (without going broke). The “ok” wine from here is exported and people pay decent money for it and call it good, or you can get it here for about $3 or $4. I’ve also discovered rose, which is very famous in this region. It’s not just half a bottle of white mixed with half a bottle of red in Provence – it is incredible. Great with lunch on a hot day. And the kids are really great. At first it was a game of charades all the time (hard when you are driving). Now they know if I don’t get it to say it different ways until I do. And if I still don’t well that’s ok because I’ve learned they have memories that last about 3 minutes, and if their thought lasts that long it must be important so I better get my dictionary or call mom (hasn’t happened yet). The language they use (particularly the little one) is simpler, and has been great practice for me. Ok I've blabbed on long enough... I'll keep ya posted!

Many of the houses in the village are owned by British or Swedish people - apparently they go crazy over the shutters. They always seem to have a fresh coat of paint... the rest is left as is to maintain the charm.  

The long and winding road... Me driving home through the forest - this is the easy part. No pigs out at this time - but I will try to catch one and post a pic. 

Everyone eats outside on the terraces - at certain times only! It seems no one eats before 20:00 here - my stomach still thinks it's in Canada and growls at 18:00 though... And yes I still have to do the math everytime I look at a clock... 

La Colombe Joyeuse (joyful dove) - my restaurant of choice so far (haha - haven't been anywhere else) for a late night drink. When the posh dinner crowd goes by 11 they turn on the hip hop and dancehall. The owner is a really cool Belgian guy - I haven't seen anyone pay for a drink yet (including myself :)  

Every shop and home has beautiful little details... and of course shutters! 

la mere et le pere - Laurence and Jean-Jacques are very cool 

The house with "my" CRV 

A view of my suite and the garage 

Marine at the pool 

Manon in my suite 

An old bath house in the village from the early 1800's 

Village street... I can spend hours wandering around 

THE bus stop 

The main street of the village with all the shops and restaurants 

The restaurant of Jean-Jacques and Laurence serving delicious Provencal cuisine. Yum!  

A typical scrumptious meal for me at the restaurant :) 

At the restaurant with the girls 

Manon at the playground. I wish I could always be so photogenic! 

Yay! I found a pool to swim at! Better than Britannia on Commercial :) No matter where I go there is always a beautiful view of the mountains... 

I am no longer in Paris.... but as I have just got myself set up here in my new home in Provence (you will hear lots from me later about this lovely place!) with an internet connection I will fill you in on my first week I spent in Paris. I loved it! Of course, how could one not. I stayed in a hostel which was pretty centrally located - which was a fab idea on my part. It was my second time there, so I have to admit I didn't really do a lot of the normal touristy sightseeing things - unless shopping counts. I did lots of that! There is a very complicated but effective metro system there - which was scary at first - but after a few days I was getting pretty good. I met lots of other travellers at the hostel and some cool local people and we went out together and partied and stuff, but I did lots of stuff by myself as I had already seen the basics (I never even went to the Eiffel tower this time) and there was stuff I missed last time. Like the Musee de la Mode et du Textile (fashion museum) and La Galerie des Bijoux (jewellery museum) which were both really cool. I also really enjoyed the Musee de la Publicite which showed really crazy advertisements from the last couple decades (like remember all those dramatic Benneton ads?). One thing I really wanted to see was the Catacombes - but for some strange reason - they were closed... All in all it was really fun and I spent lots of time just wandering through the streets and enjoying the sites. EVERYONE is wearing those cotton skirts (I think the longer ones are frumpy and remind me of that lost hippy year I went through) and Converse high tops. People do dress better here - the active wear so common in Canada is only for when one is being active. And all the strapless, crossback, one strap or whatever bras that North Americans spend money on so they don't show are non existent - here it is best to wear your low back halter top with a brightly colored bra. And it isn't really THAT expensive. Accomodation yes ($33/night for my hostel) - but other than that you just need to know where to go to eat and shop. I didn't have a student card for the museums and train, but I found just handing the student fare to the agent and speaking french worked fine. I have lots of new photos and stories and will post again soon!

View from Montmartre 

Sacre Coeur.... I did actually visit some historical sites while in Paris!  

The infamous clock.... 

Lots of cool stuff at the Dali museum...  

Not quite as romantic as in the movie.... 

Apparently, my name is french... And I have been reminded of this by many french people I introduce myself to. They think everything originated here!  

Me in the sun.... beautiful weather the whole week I was in Paris  

Who knew?? Parks and waterfalls in Paris?? 

At the park with my friend Walid and a really cute girl named Sarah who wanted to sit with us and try my sunglasses  

Different night, same Canadians. I still don't how we all ended up at the same hostel...  

The hostel I stayed at in Paris... party party party..... Good wine (for us Canadians) for $3!