Antibes, France

We flew into Nice, picked up our car and immediately were frightened. We had been in London for a few days and got used to seeing cars drive on the other side of the road. We had setup the rental car before we left the U.S., but didn't think about which side of the road they drove on or what the rules of the road are (traffic signs, etc). I'm a huge procrastinator and thought I'd learn on the fly. That wasn't too smart, but luckily the French do drive on the same side of the road as we do (only the English or old English colonies drive on the other side).

So, we figured out when we were in the car that it works the same as the U.S. and then worried about the directions and road signs. We did figure that out pretty quickly other than one or two. But, those one or two weren't critical - we just took a wrong exit here and there until we figured it out.

Right off the bat we wanted to get to Antibes to see the people we were going to stay with. We had setup to stay on some complete stranger's couch (via the great <a href="http://couchsurfing.org">CouchSurfing.org</a>). So, once we got into Antibes, we called Manu (short for Emmanuel). We eventually found their flat and met he and Estelle, his girlfriend.

We had only planned to stay one or two nights, but we hit it off so well during dinner and the next day, sleeping on their fold-out red couch in their living room, that we stayed at their place for the next 14 days. Estelle and Manu became great friends and we were so happy to have a place to stay. Additionally, they were unbelievably helpful in helping us talk to the people we needed to to get our place in Théoule Sur Mer.

In between trying to get my computer setup, my work contracts going again, getting our next place to stay setup, and simply adapting to the culture and location, we had to take a break. So, we heard Aix-en-Provence was cool, so since we still had the car, we figured we'd go check it out. If we couldn't find a flat in Nice, Antibes or Théoule, we found that the going inland from the Riviera things got a little cheaper.

So, we took the drive, and it the countryside was beautiful. People just stopped on the side of the road during lunch time, broke out their baguette and cheese and sipped some wine for lunch. You'd never see that happen in the U.S - ever! That's relaxed.

So we got to Aix-en-Provence, drove around for a bit and eventually parked so we could walk around the city center. Of course, I had to use the bathroom, and of course this was when we found out that the French really do not have good public bathrooms. It still boggles my mind that I had to use a squatter (just a hole in the ground) in a civilized country. But there we were. I even had to pay for it. That was so weird.

So, after doing a little sight seeing we decided it was about time to go home. On our way back to the car it started to rain - and I don't mean just drizzle. It poured and in about 4 seconds Tilly and I were drenched (check out the photo!).

Good times.

You know the deal with Van Gogh and that he cut his own ear off right? Yea, the thought is that he was drinking absinthe, which was a hallucinogenic.

So, even though Van Gogh was Dutch and we were in France, when Manu and Estelle put together a get together with other Couch Surfers in the area, we met at an absinthe bar. Oh my, that was fun.

Granted the absinthe is now legal and a totally different concoction than it was in Van Gogh's days, but it's still pretty powerful alcohol. It tastes like black licorice, which I'm not a fan of. But the company, culture and new experience was really fun. Even though the taste wasn't the fun part for me, Tilly absolutely loved the olives they had put out for appetizers. I think she and Estelle ate them all. And even 2 years later Tilly still talks and craves those same olives.