My Francophile Year: Biot before Christmas

My mother arrived a few days before Christmas to spend the holiday with us in France, then we took a trip to England together for a week. She flew into Nice and as it was a gorgeous day, I claimed it to be a sightseeing day before her arrival time.
We headed to Biot, a beautiful town, famous for its blown glass. i am sure you have seen it- it is the stuff with all of the little bubbles in it. First stop was to a bonsai museum that I knew the kids would enjoy and as they had steam to burn off, chances were good part of the exhibit would be outside therefore they could do some running. much to my displeasure, winter hours had it closed until the afternoon. Oh well, it was right into the adjacent museum of Fernand Leger, well known modern artist of the 20th century. I always think the kids will love modern art as it is often so bold, but they move through museums at a pretty rapid pace. I try to pique their interest with some interesting fact. I ask what they think and discuss that liking something and finding it interesting are not the same thing. It was a very good exhibit, but kid were complaining about what they often do- being hungry.
We headed to the center of Biot where we wandered the pretty streets lined with glass ateliers. I wanted some glasses to bring back to America so badly! I talked myself out of it easily with the usual excuse of how will I get them back without breaking. After another totally average lunch, we stopped at the Biot Museum where you can watch the glass being made. It was a very good attraction that anyone passing through Biot should see.
Off the Nice we went. We took a slow route along the Promenade- a wide path along the sea full of pedestrians, dogs, roller bladers, bicyclers. Friends and neighbors were visiting full of Christmas cheer. Lampposts were strung with huge wreaths and the feeling of Cote D'Azur Christmas was fabulous.
While waiting for my mother to arrive, I coerced 2/3 of my children to take a photo with the Santa at the airport. As it was free and he had plenty of candies to share, they agreed knowing very well that a photo with Pere Noel in the Nice airport could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Oldest Child refused- she was there in spirit....