Nice 2016 - Menton

Menton - 21 decembre

Menton is my favorite French town. It has the Mediterranean Sea. It has mountains. It has a microclimate so it is almost always sunny and warm. It is the perfect size - not too small, but not urban. It has a pebble beach and a sand beach. It has Italian architecture and botanical gardens. It's my paradise!

Blue skies! 

Grey-blue eyes!

Treasures to behold

Layers

Lanes

Nice 2016 - Marseille

Marseille - 9-11 decembre

We continuously find ourselves back in Marseille.

Train Station Stairs

Interesting Lamp Post

Market area

Liberte-Egalite-Fraternite

The Docks

Against a blue mosaic wall 

Reflections of sisterhood

When you can't find a playground, make one

Marseille at night

If and Frioul

Our first morning in Marseille, we took a boat to the islands of If and Frioul. 

Ile d'If

The only structure on the Island of If is the Chateau d'If, the prison that held Edmond Dantes in the fictional work The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 

It really had been a prison and an inescapable one

It took about an hour to explore the entire island

Frioul 

We loved Frioul, but didn't have enough time there. A good excuse to go back.

Fun hiking trails and great views

Nice 2016 - Skeletons

Look closely...

Beside Rivi's school, construction for a tramway has been delayed due to an archaeological find.

A huge ancient necropolis was found and each skeleton has to be removed as in tact as possible. 

It was fascinating to watch the progress.

Nice 2016 - Noel

Joyeuses Fetes 

Reflection of La Grande Roue

View of Nice from the Ferris Wheel

Santa on Skis

Santa at the bar

Nice 2016 - La Flute Enchantee

Night at the Opera - November 30

Third row seats to a very French interpretation of Mozart's The Magic Flute. Papageno wore white pants with the twitter blue bird stamped all over them. The Queen of Night and her three ladies wore white (not black) Napoleonic suits and hats. The servants were in Moroccan attire and the three boys changed costumes with each scene they were in (batman, pokemon, pinocchio, etc.). So while at first I was skeptical, in the end I left the theatre wanting to belt out the Queen of Night aria and very impressed with the performance. 

As we walked in the door, the girls were deemed Les poupées (the dolls) of the night. Surrounded by elderly attendants with not even a handful of kids under the age of 15, the girls received numerous nods and smiles. On their part, Rivi and Kyri behaved superbly and they loved the show. 

Nice 2016

Hanging out near the sea

Gathering debris from the storm for construction

Construction site

In the mornings, I often go for a walk after I drop off Rivi at school

It is so much quieter in the morning

Which allows me to get photos without crowds

The park transformed for the holiday - 

So much of the decorating is "snow" covered. 

La Grande Roue

Nice 2016 - Vence et Saint Paul de Vence

November 26

Vence is a mountain town just a bus ride away from Nice. 

We spent part of a leisurely Saturday strolling the small town. 

I love the backdrop

Smiles

Arches

Poiky

After Vence, we stopped at Saint Paul de Vence, just down the hill from Vence.

So many picturesque stairways

Walking the walls of the old city

Saint Paul de Vence is full of small art studios. Rivi was struck by this mosaic dress.

In the garden

A cool door

A cool kid

Nice 2016 - Yali and Suzanne Visit

November 19-25

Brothers

View of the Mediterranean from the Castle Hill staircase

View of Nice Vieille Ville (old town) from Castle Hill

The Mirror Fountain lit up at night with the colors of France 

Uncle Yali and Aunt Suzanne teaching the girls how to punch

Sand! At the beach in Monaco

Studying the art of Marc Chagall

Tea Time in the Chagall Museum Garden

Mr. and Mrs. Friedman X 2