Nice and Antibes--Day 3

This morning felt a little more normal, thankfully--no "jet lag" to speak of!! The day began with breakfast--and I've always loved what the Swedes do for breakfast--I say we're going to start having their kind of breakfast every time we go over there. Coffee--strong, of course; yogurt; bread--NOT a loaf of Mrs. Bairds, but a baguette or something fun; butter; sliced cheeses; maybe some sliced meat; something green--spinach, sliced cucumber, watercress, or basil; maybe some cereal.
(Morning view from kitchen window)(Me leaning out of the kitchen window--what I wouldn't give for this window, this view in MY kitchen!)

(The guest house--where Russ and I stayed)

(The walk from the guest house down to the pool--can you smell the roses and rosemary?)

(View of St. Paul de Vence from the villa.)

(View from my pool chair!)(Thomas with a Kronenberg.)

We spent the early afternoon by the pool and planned to visit Lotta's mother and step-father at their apartment in Antibes. They lived in Sweden until April when they retired and bought this place close to the ocean in Antibes.

(Margaret, Lotta, and Thomas)(Tiffany, Margaret, Dick, and Anna)(Dick and Anna)

We enjoyed our visit (and Margaret's hospitality) and walked to the old town area of Antibes. Our plan was to just walk around until we found somewhere we wanted to eat. Hans (Margaret's husband) gave us a mini history lesson along the way. The part that resonated with me was that this town is 1500 years old.

Then we notice that a street is blocked and there are security guards around. Someone asks what's going on and we hear that there is a Universal Studios party at a restarant (Michaelangelo's). There isn't much of a crowd, but a few people are gathering on both sides of the street. We hear Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, and John Travolta are coming to this party. Tiffany and I decided to wait while the others found a place...and a table. I could be hungry a few minutes longer to see Brad!

(Security, paparazzi, and the guy in white is the owner of the restaurant.)

Many black cars came and went, but no familiar faces. Then, out popped Quintin Tarantino (to the right of the car)!

Russ came to inform Tiffany and I that we had a table and I handed him his video camera, just in case. A few moments later...

(That's my shot of Angelina, but you can't see her unless I zoom in! The paparazzi flash from the other side blocks her out.)

(A picture of Russ' video camera screen--he got a great one!)

(And the back of Brad's head-a photo from Russ' video screen again!)

Then we were off to eat Thai food!

(I loved this green door!) (We saw Napolean's home!)(And he was actually there!)(Margaret and Hans)(Thomas, Lotta, Me, and Russ)
(Lotta and I)

As we walked down these narrow cobblestone roads through the town and along the Mediterranean Sea, I was in awe. Words and photos don't do this place justice. We looked at apartment windows with clothes hanging out to dry and wondered who had lived there in the past--imagining the stories that each window held. They seemed so tiny too, Russ and I wanted to see inside one of them.

Along the way, we ended up getting separated from our other half and met them at this bar/lounge. We sat outside and really enjoyed our conversation over mojitos and espresso--Russ and I had coffee. Russ was sorely disappointed in the tiny cup of American coffee he received. We're so used to a venti sized serving, 6 swallows just wasn't doing it for him. I actually ordered two espressos myself!

(Tiffany)(Lotta) (Dick and Anna) (Russ with his tiny coffee!

(The Picasso Museum)

We headed back to the car and passed the road where we had our celebrity sighting and had to just get a glimpse of the restaurant. It just so happened that the staff was shutting down and leaving for the night and asked if we wanted to take a look around. Well, of course we did! There were many photos of the owner with celebrities inside on the walls. Next time we're there, we'll have to try out the food!

(The espresso bar was beautiful!)

Antibes took my breath away. My favorite spot so far on this trip--and it had nothing to do with Brangelina either, I promise!!

Nice and Cannes--Day 2

I woke up with the sun...and the landscaping crew, thankyouverymuch. Russ managed to sleep through it all!

(Morning view from the inside of our guest house)

I checked the main house and the door was locked (found out later it wasn't, it was just difficult to open). I was starving because I didn't eat much on the plane and the last good meal I'd eaten was in Chicago at Macaroni Grill in the airport. All there was to eat were a few energy bars in my backpack from the flight, some Pelligrino, and some Cars (a Swedish candy that Lotta brought me). I was ready to find out what I missed last night--I needed someone to wake up too!

Day 2 started out with Tiffany needing some emergency care--the night prior she'd been mosquito bitten and was having a bad reaction to them. This morning, her fingers were doubled in size and her bites looked like burns that had turned into water blisters. They were on her face, her hands, her legs, feet, everywhere. They hurt. Turned out, the doctor seemed to think they were the bite of a jumping spider. Niiiice, right? Well, a few days later, we'd all been bitten but none of us had the severe reaction that Tiffany did. She got some potent bug spray and antibiotics to remedy the situation.

The rest of us spent the day at the pool. Ipods and an outdoor speaker saved the day--Bob Marley and Public enemy come to might right now. Rose (rose-ay) for me, Kronenberg or Heineken for Russ, and snacks along the way. Lotta's mother (Margaret) and her husband (Hans) would be joining us for some afternoon sun and dinner.

(Tiffany and Margaret)
(Anna and Dick)
(Marcus)

Anna and Dick went to the store to pick up dinner for all of us. They are amazing cooks, both of them. They got to cooking inside and Russ started cooking outside to prepare the feast!

(Russ)(Lotta and I)

(Patricia)

The guys moved a table to the roof of the poolhouse for our dinner--a perfect location. The view was stunning.

(Dick and Russ)

After dinner, we slowly progressed and prepared to go out in Cannes--my first night, everyone else's second! I was looking forward to it, not knowing what to expect.

(View at dusk)
(Russ and I)
(Lotta and Thomas)
(Dick and Russ)

Marcus, Tisa, Jonas, and Patricia already had this fabulous table at Mocca. There were 4 outdoor tables...and ours happened to be directly across the street from Cannes red carpet!
(Tisa and Lotta)

(I have no idea who this is)(Jamie King--it took us forever to figure out who this was, but Tiffany saved the day. Never heard of her, then we got home and she's in Gary Unmarried--I love that show!) (Anna and Tiffany)
(Russ and I)
(Anna and Lotta)
(Lotta and Thomas)
(Thomas and Russ--disappointed in his choice of girly drink!)
(We're on the red carpet!)
(Thomas and Lotta)

Marcus informed us that the first red carpet wasn't the REAL red carpet (though we'd seen photogs and celebrities on it taking their photos). He walked us to the REAL red carpet, which had a seated security guard, ropes, and a Rottweiler. Russ moved the barricade and stepped on it. Just as the security guard let go of his big dog and headed our way, I snapped a picture of him--not the dog, and we were on our merry way. Ugh.

Nice, France--Day 1

May 16, we left Austin for Chicago, London, and finally Nice, France. Chicago is a place we've both been anxious to visit, but this didn't count--it was beautiful from the air--I got some amazing skyline pictures and then accidentally re-formatted my memory card and they were zapped. Very frustrated, but at least it was on the way there and not on the way home!

Russ and I never really wanted to go to France--they don't have the best reputation here in The States, especially Texas! I was worried about how we would be treated, but was comforted in the fact that Lotta spoke fluent French (in addition to Swedish and English).

We got off of the airplane in Nice, grabbed our bags, walked through the doors, and there they were--our Swedes! It didn't feel like 2 1/2 years had passed since we'd seen them--there was so much to see and so much to say!

We picked up a rental car--a Picasso--and headed to the house. First stop was a bakery that a cab driver had told Lotta was the best in town.

We had one of everything--to go!
We continued our journey to the house. I'd seen pictures, but they just didn't do it justice. Mine won't either. You can't smell the roses, the lavender, the rosemary...or the wine!

We said hello to everyone at the pool (Anna, Dick, Marcus, Tisa, Tiffany, Patricia, and Jonas), had a tour of the house, changed into our swimsuits, and headed down for pastries...and wine! I don't like chardonnay, but I apparently do in France! We hung out at the pool until the sun started to set, drinking, talking, eating those yummy pastries, cheese, bread, etc. And that is where my memory of that evening ends. Ha! Russ blames the wine, I blame jet lag!

(Lotta, Anna, Patricia)

(Thomas, Marcus, Russ)

(Tiffany) (Me and Lotta) Notice my empty glass!

The next thing I know, I wake up at something-o'clock, my husband is in bed next to me, I am wearing my bikini, with my cover up, and I'm wide awake. It's dark outside. My watch, which Russ set to France time, isn't right, I know because it says 8 a.m. I got up, took a shower, washed my hair, brushed my teeth, even shaved my legs! I sit down on the couch, check my phone for emails, and start going through the pictures I'd taken on my camera. I see these:

(I'll call this one Sleeping Beauty!)
(Tiffany, Russ, Thomas)
(Thomas and Lotta)

(Tisa and Marcus)

(Patricia and Jonas)

I missed all the fun! No, really I was thankful they let me be. Russ was worried about leaving me solo in a foreign country (but Anna and Dick were in the house and they shut me in pretty well too!). I didn't budge. So glad I didn't wake up all by myself!

Background Check

Before I start blogging my trip to the French Riviera, I wanted to give a little background information about how it came to be. I've had so many people ask I thought this might be helpful...and good for me to have written down as well!

Russ and Thomas were friends in high school. Thomas was an exchange student from Sweden...and landed in a small town in South Texas! They kept in touch and visited each other while Thomas lived in L.A. and Russ lived in Austin.

When Russ and I got engaged, he called Thomas to let him know and told him that he wanted him to come to our wedding. We didn't really expect him to, but we were thrilled when we got the phone call that he was coming and bringing his girlfriend Lotta with him. (I wasn't actually thrilled about the girlfriend part because Russ had mentioned that he wasn't crazy about his previous girlfriend. I would be spending the week of my wedding with an absolute stranger--it could go either way!)

They finally arrived and we immediately hit it off (whew!). Lotta fit in wonderfully with all of my girlfriends and out wedding festivities, luncheons, pedicure appointments, etc. We had planned to leave for our honeymoon a few days after our wedding so we could spend time with them. We said goodbye at the airport and flew away on our honeymoon.

Soon afterwards, we received a phone call that they were engaged and wanted us to come to Sweden for their New Years Eve wedding. We did and had an amazing time!

They came to visit again in Texas, we've been back to Sweden (as a surprise for Thomas' 30th birthday bash), and there was talk of our next meeting being away from either of our homes.

I receive an email...just a catching up, checking in email and at the end, Lotta says, "Oh, we're going to France to celebrate my brother's 40th birthday. Want to join us?" At the time, I thought there was no way. Of course I wanted to go! Just in case, I checked airfare and it was much more reasonable that I dreamed.

I obsessed about this for weeks. Went back and forth on whether we should go. Money. Riley. Really those were the only reasons not to. I could think of a thousand reasons to go!

I booked a flight, they made an error, a supervisor unbooked it. I let it sit for a couple of weeks, knowing that airfare would continue to increase. I was getting a haircut and Amy, my stylist and I were discussing the whole ordeal. She, of course, thought I should go and was missing the opportunity of a lifetime--I did too!! She said, "Go to Bunco tonight, ask your girlfriends to raise their hand if they think you shouldn't go...and see what happens." I did. Of course nobody raised their hands.

The next day, we'd booked our flight (and the price didn't increase one bit)! Riley would be with our parents and the only thing I was worried about was them spoiling him rotten while we were gone.