A Perfect Day in ANNECY, FRANCE

We drove 30 minutes from Geneva to Annecy, France. Griffin helped me make a list of all we did there. We walked by the lake, had a picnic, flew kites and ate ice cream. Griffy and Marley went on the merry-go-round. We walked around the quaint town of Annecy, bought French flags and took lots of pictures. The day ended with a farewell feast of shish kabobs prepared by Pat and Mary. We ate outside and then watched Griffy, in his full uniform, play baseball.

AU REVOIR to the Goodmans

We saw the sun rise in the bay, had a healthy breakfast( with a tasty French pastry!), took a swim in the pool that Philip had heated for us and said our good-byes with picture taking and a lot of hugs. We found "soul mates" in Philip and Dele and are already planning for our next visit together. We will miss them.

Seeing the sights with Philip and Dele

After a delicious breakfast on the terrace we left with our very expert guides, Philip and Dele, to see the sights. First we drove to Monaco and saw the Royal Palace and the famous Casino. The streets are very narrow and are the actual racetrack for the Grand Prix. Many of the buildings are quite ornate and beautiful gardens surround them.The harbor is full of expensive yachts, some as large as cruise ships. Next we went to Eze-Village, a town perched on top of a rock with far reaching views. The town dates back to the time of Caesar. Now it is full of quaint shops and restaurants. It was a long climb up the stone path but well worth it.
Philip drove along the coast where every turn in the road provided a photo-op! We went through Nice and saw all the beachgoers laying on the rocky shore; there is no sand. Nice is the fifth largest city in France and full of culture, art galleries and museums.
Our last sight of the day was the village of Saint Paul. It was once an ancient fortress and can be seen from miles away. The walls and stone buildings have been preserved and now Saint Paul is full of art galleries and French product shops.
Our dinner was another one of Dele's gourmet meals. We first had a French licorice drink that we tasted but didn't finish. We talked well into the night and appreciated every minute together.

Cote d' Azure with the Goodmans

We were met at the Nice airport by Dele and Philip Goodman who Patrick and I met ten years ago at a tennis camp in Florida. Philip and I have been in touch by e-mail ever since. We accepted with pleasure their invitation to visit them at their beautiful hillside home in La Napoule. The view from every room in the house is truly spectacular. A champagne toast to our friendship began our unforgettable stay. Dele prepared a delicious lunch which we happily enjoyed with wine and talk for FIVE hours! Later we drove into Cannes and walked by the beach in the warm night air.

GENEVA WAS GREAT!

A beautiful rainbow welcomed us to a week in Geneva with Patrick, Mary, Griffin, Marley and Piper. For three of those days Patrick and Mary went to Barcelona and John and I were official babysitters and house sitters. We are glad to say that we still can do the job! The hardest part was understanding how all the European appliances worked. The children were so good and we spent a lot of time reading books, doing art projects, looking at plane videos(with Griffy), and playing in the yard. Patrick and Mary loved Barcelona especially the music, dancing, food and wine and the cheap prices. Marley is a vision in her flamenco dancing dress. We are now waiting to board Easy Jet to Nice, France.





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GETTING READY!

JOHN AND I ARE GETTING READY FOR OUR TRIP TO GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, NICE, FRANCE AND A VIKING RIVER CRUISE FROM ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA, TO MOSCOW. WE LEAVE SEPTEMBER 18th AND RETURN OCTOBER 11th. WE WILL BE POSTING PICTURES AND COMMENTS ON THIS BLOG. HOPE YOU ENJOY IT. JOHN AND GAIL