My Francophile Year: Lost in Provence..Again

Last weekend we went off for another adventure. I am amazing at how much there is to do within a hour or so of our house. We were advised to check out a contemporary art museum in St. Paul de Vence, another beautiful, hilltop village walled in since medieval times. It is a very cosmopolitan town. There was more English spoken than we have heard since leaving the States. The museum was full of well known works by famous artists which always helps keep the interest flowing with my younger kids. Next, we headed to a French mall, in search of an Apple Store for a power cord, but when we arrived, we realized that everyone else in Provence was shopping at the mall, too. There must have been 1,000,000 people there, driving around in long queues, waiting for a car to leave in order to zoom into their space. I was searching for an escape route, but was trapped in this horrible cluster of people when alas, I got to a place that I could flee the madness of the mall. Thank God!
We kept going up the highway to Nice, since we were so close. Another difficult thing about getting around in France is the auto routes. Yes, they get you where you want to go fast. But, you can't make a mistake-like I do...continuously...because you can't get off. 30 kilometers will pass before you get to an exit to turn around. So, we were headed toward the Alps instead of the coast. Oh well, we made it finally and had a pleasant wander around the old part of Nice where there is an all day market of flowers and things. We followed our noses to the sea for a walk on the Promenade des Anglais which is a wide "boardwalk" along the coast that goes for miles. The beach is not sandy, but has large, smooth rocks, perfect for chucking into the water. We backtracked to a nice cafe for a drink before our trek home. After getting lost on these auto routes again on our return, going almost to Toulon, we arrived home late , tired and hungry, but satisfied with our day of yet another adventure. Getting lost is a drag, but also adds to the silly memories that we will reflect upon for years to come.