Today defines paradise. We awoke to a beautiful day. The sky and the water were the blue that attracted so many artists to the Côte d'Azur. There was a slight breeze and the promise of sun all day with a high of 60 degrees. After our normal breakfast with the addition of delicious strawberries we purchased at the market yesterday, we studied some french. Then it was time for pétanque, but first we had to stop at the butcher, since he is closed Sunday afternoon and Monday. We got some faux filet for tonight and a chicken breast for tomorrow night. Fortunately, we had stocked up on vegetables at yesterday's market.
I was off to play pétanque and Jane was off to the Sunday antiques market. While my team lost the match, it was great fun playing an international competition - 2 Americans, 1 French, 1 Australian and 1 Canadian. Jane cheered us on valiantly at the end of the match, but we could not overcome the other team's lead.
As Jane and I walked back to our apartment, we realized that we had no dessert for tonight. We stopped by Marie Claire's patisserie just before she closed for lunch and got a religieuse. In french the word "religieuse" can mean a nun or a cream puff. We got the cream puff which we thought was appropriate since it was Sunday.
Our lunch included things from yesterday's market - wonderful lettuce, terrific olive oil bread, a perfect avocado and oranges, along with other condiments.
After lunch we went for a beautiful stroll along the beach. There were lots of young families having a picnic with children playing in the surf, people of all ages strolling along basking in the beauty of the scene and the heat of the sun. It is makes me forget for a minute all the ugliness and hatred in the world and gives me hope.
When we got back to our apartment, I took a few pictures of the bay. You may not be able to see all the little boats outside the bay enjoying a peaceful Mediterranean Sea.
Tonight we will have steak, fresh asparagus, potato (with crème fraiche of course), religieuse chocolat and a little red wine.
Life is good when you get to be somewhere that defines paradise.
Thanks for reading and please comment,
The Unabashed Liberal
