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Frenchay Community News

Life on Côte d’Azur 

2/5/2014

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I’ve  just been watching “Who wants to be a Millionaire?” I do! I knew all the right answers which has never happened before. If one of the questions had been “Which bird eats primroses?”, I would have known that, because I’ve just seen a blackbird on our lawn enjoying some for his lunch!

During the recent months of dreary weather several people asked me if I miss the sunshine of the Côte d’Azur. Of course I do, but here we really appreciate the sunny days. In France we took them for granted!

January was the only month of dubious weather. Life was one long holiday! The days started with breakfast in bed or on our bedroom terrace overlooking the sea. Then a stroll to one of the markets. Twice a week there was one on our port, which took place in the car park. It was strictly forbidden to park, of course on market days. One day in August when our son and family were using our private parking space, we completely forgot. We arrived at the market to find our car surrounded by stalls. Normally the Police would have been called to tow it away, but luckily the market traders knew us. We were greeted with hand clapping and whistles and they often teased us about it!

We often lunched on the beach at a café called “Helios Plage”. The tourists had first sitting and the locals arrived about 2pm. At 3.30pm the tables were cleared and the card mats came out. We played for about an hour or two and then strolled back to the Port along the “planches”. These wooden walkways were first installed between Deauville and Trouville in Normandy. The impressionist painters often featured ladies walking the “planches” in their elegant gowns and using their parasols.

Home, it was time for siestas before dinner. We very often dined on friends roof terraces, or they came to us. Our friends were all French. There was only one other English couple living on the Port and they weren’t on our “wave length” and not popular with most of the residents, so I felt sorry for them.

I hope that you all have had, or will have, such incredible experiences. On May 1st we will be in France where friends give each other bunches of “muguet” Lily of the Valley. Enjoy May         

Esmé
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    Esmé Feltham

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