I'm not sure what I did in my previous life to deserve to visit (for an extended period of time) the French Riviera for two summers running...but it must have been pretty good. What will I do next summer when I'm sneaking in to the Moody Gardens pool again...? It just won't be the same.
We've had a beautiful ten days off the grid in the gorgeous seaside town of Mentone, France. I'll update you quickly on the highlights of the goings on there: I officially became part of the family when Andrea and I had our first fight. Nothing big or ostentatious, just enough to make me feel like a sibling. Not to worry! We've since patched things up. We spent a beautiful day in Varigotti, on the coast, with Silvia's Z. We call them "The Z" because they are Zia (aunt) and Zio (uncle). Aunt Linda, from now on you are known to me as Zia. It's your new nickname. I don't particularly like using the term "The Z" because, you know me...I have kind of a thing for Zombies aaaaaaaaand... in my mind...that name is specifically reserved for the dead when they begin to rise. Silvia and I went running every other day while we were there. We usually stuck to the boardwalk, but Wednesday we ran a seaside trail, the Promenade Le Corbusier, all the way from Mentone to Monte Carlo. It took us an hour and it was pretty much stairs the entire way, but damn, I think it was the best run I've ever had. Definitely the most beautiful. Clearly, I didn't take my camera along with me on the sweat laden run through treacherous terrain, but click on over to
this little article to see a couple of the sights if you'd like to experience the coolest run on Earth. The website is in Italian but just scroll down a little for the pics. I did some (ahem, a sh*t ton ) of shopping in the touristy beach side shops, I couldn't help myself. I swam in the ocean. I sunbathed on the shore...topless and in Brazilian bottoms. It was glorious. There's something about Europe that makes me completely and unabashedly in love with my body. It's really difficult to feel that way in The States. I think there's an exorbitant amount of pressure put on the female figure in America, not so much in Europe. Bodies are beautiful and cherished here, even if they're not so beautiful by the media's standards. I'm going to try and bring this mental clarity home with me. I collected Sea Glass with the kids during one beach day in Roquebrune. We visited the mediaeval town of Eze where I wouldn't mind honeymooning one day, or...you know, whatever, taking a girls trip...*le sigh.* We ate dinner on the beach when we weren't enjoying the terrace view dinners from our lush apartment overlooking the sea. We kept up our daily lessons. And last but certainly not least, my host parents surprised me with an evening trip to Monte Carlo to, guess what?!?! WATCH FIREWORKS OVER THE MONTE CARLO BAY!!!!!!!! One of the coolest experiences of my life and most definitely the best and most memorable fireworks display I've ever had the pleasure of witnessing. The photos do not do it justice. You have to go see it yourself. It's thirty minutes of a spectacular display set to classical music. Speechless is an understatement. All in all it was a fantastic holiday, spent with a fantastic family, whom I'll miss, desperately, in just a couple of short days.
Last year I did a final post of the
Things I'd Learned Along the Way. Things haven't changed for me in the missing people department. But if there's something new I've learned this summer, it's to be patient. To wait on the one who created you. To listen with your heart wide open and to try to understand a little bit more every day. To grow in kindness, and humility by waiting patiently. To keep the ones you love and miss closest to your heart, but to leave room for the new ones that will come in and make a home there too. To thaw out. To let go. To relax into and enjoy life. To chew slowly, to savor each sip, to inhale. To reapply sunscreen to the white parts, and to love yourself wholly and to give up the plan. Live in the moment and wait patiently on His plan for you because you just never know what's around the corner or for that matter, around the world.
It's been a pleasure having you along with me. I'll be home soon.
Peace, Love, and Travel,
Reba
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| At "The Z's" house in Varigotti just...taking a shower...outside! |
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| Taken from my bedroom window at the apartment in Mentone. |
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| Foot Pic @ Princess Windowsill, Mentone, France. |
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| Best cheese I've ever tasted. |
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| Picnic dinner at the beach. |
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| Sibling love. |
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| View of Mentone as the sunsets. The beach is to the left of me, the mountains are to the right. |
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| I love it here. |
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| View of the boardwalk and beach at night. |
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| This is the sign leading to the beach at Roquebrune. it says something about not committing sex acts at the beach I think...also, dogs are welcomed. |
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| BWAAAAAHAAHAHHAHAHA!! Laura's homework. Sorry it's sideways but please note number 4. "I'm a mom and I have a nice husband with a big yacht (originally spelled jocht, which had me really thinking for a while...)." Oh what a week in the French Riviera will do to a girl!! |
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| Andrea's homework. That's me in the bottom right hand corner if you couldn't tell. |
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| Just hanging out by the Rolls Royce Dealership in Monte Carlo... |
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| EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! |
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| It's starting! It's starting! |
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| Awesome. |
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| I can't get over it. |
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| I'm a serious addict. |
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| Glitter is one of my favorite things on the planet. |
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| I have a problem. |
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| A stroll down the Monte Carlo Marina... |
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| These people have more money than they know what to do with... |
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| Shopping spree! |
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| Oh God. This is focaccia bread with cheese baked into it. I could eat it at every meal and never get tired of it. It's a staple in Varigotti. |
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| Sleepy after a day of fun and sun. |
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| Daddy and daughter out on the terrace. |
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| Foot Pic @ Mentone, France. |
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| This view. |
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| The stairway up to the old town from the shore. |
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| This was our view every night from the terrace during dinner. A girl could get used to this. |
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| A visit to Roquebrune. |
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| Silvia and I love this picture because we think the landscape beautifully portrays the dual sides of our personalities...The bougainvillea captures the essence of our beauty and gentility, while the cactus in the background reveals the deep, underlying ferociousness that we so "seldomly" show... |
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| Made it to Monte Carlo! |
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| I am runner, hear me roar. |
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| Eze. |
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| 'Merca. All the way in Eze, France. |
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| I found me! |
