We had our most fun day trip so far. I will give a very brief highlight and then just post pictures, which sum up the day better than I could.

Highlights:

– We found our way perfectly by bus to the train station, bought tickets in French, and even got off at the right stop – since the train was going all the way to Geneva, Switzerland, thank goodness! AND we found our way back home.

– We explored and had champagne at the famous Carlton Hotel – where Cary Grant & Grace Kelly filmed “To Catch A Thief” [The champagne was a special type named for the Film Festival award – the Palme D’Or.]

– We saw where the Film Festival is housed and walked along the Cannes version of Rodeo Drive – Gucci, Armani, Valentino, Chanel . . . .

– But we LOVED best the Christmas Market – little houses with local craftsman or shops, including an oyster bar, vin chaud (hot wine), and lots of fun browsing – like a fancy French version of the Jr. League shops or Aiken’s Makin’. We even watched the local stars practice for their tree lighting, featuring ice skaters singing “Frozen” songs in French.

Bonne Noel!

We spent the last couple of days exploring our own hometown of Nice – although we forgot to take many pictures. I am proud to report that we can now navigate the bus system with relative ease and pretty much find our way home from anywhere in the city. Mom even buys our pain chocolat (croissant pastry with chocolate squares baked in) all by herself at the boulangerie – in French!

Matisse

A highlight was the Matisse Museum (the peach colored home in the picture). It is in a villa that Matisse lived and worked in while in Nice and is set in a very peaceful olive grove on a hill overlooking Nice. It includes a variety of works from the beginning of his painting, which was more realism, through his more Impressionist period to his brightly colored paper cut-outs. Even more interesting, they has several of his personal possessions, including the palette with which he painted. We loved it.

Daube a la Provencal

We also had our very best meal of the trip so far. We were trying for a lunch restaurant in Vieux Nice (Old Town) that was recommended in the guidebook. It was around 2:15, and some places stop serving around that time, so we were hurrying through the cobblestone streets in a cold drizzle. We spied the place, and it was full – whew. However, as we walked in, they rather snootily told us that we were too late and the kitchen was closed.

Defeated, we wandered around for a back-up and stumbled upon Bistro Marie, which was tiny and a little frayed, but looked open. Only a couple of locals were there, and they welcomed us warmly. They were featuring the plat du jour (plate of the day), which was gnocchi daube. We weren’t exactly sure what that was, but were hungry and tired and said ok. It turns out “daube” is a speciality of Provence – a beef stew cooked with carrots, onions, and red wine. The owner is Italian so his daube comes over gnocchi potato/pasta dumplings. He proudly served our daube in individual red Le Creuset pots, so it was steaming and smelled and tasted amazing.

Frank struck up a conversation with him (in Italian) and discovered both are Sicilian, so we were like family. The owner even brought out Limoncello at the end. We have decided maybe we are more bistro people than restaurant people.

[If anyone goes to Nice, remember Bistro Marie near the Opera. It only has 4 tables inside – more outside – and tres delicieux.]

Next Up: Cannes – Can they make it by train??

When we left off, we were headed to Cannes by bus. We realized that was a little far (better by train), so opted for Antibes instead, which is half-way. We loved it and were so proud of ourselves for finding our own way.

We took the #200 local bus, which winds through little towns and stops a LOT along the way. We did have a brief panic when we realized there were a dozen stops in Antibes – we expected just one stop with a big sign proclaiming “Antibes.” But Frank consulted with the bus driver, who let us off in what seemed like the middle of a town, but with no directions and no streets or landmarks that weren’t our guidebook. So we found a cafe to have some cappuccino and tea and re-group (and use their facilities – one of our very important strategies).

After walking in circles (just a little), we found our way and had a marvelous time. Antibes is a little smaller than the other towns (although seemed big to us), with ancient streets and little alleys that wind around with shops and cafes. There is a fort with amazing views back to Nice and to Cap Antibes (the cape of Antibes or the beach area). They also have a port with some very large yachts – bigger than Capri even!

Olives, Socca . . .

We found their open-air market, which is set up until noon every day, featuring mounds and mounds of olives. We even tried socca, which was on my “to do” list. It is a chickpea pancake that is typcial street food in this area – imported from North Africa. They make it in a wood-burning oven right there, and people line up to buy it as fast as they make it. We bought one for the group and all tasted. Yummy!

We settled down for a real lunch at the Brasserie Clemenceau in a square with a fountain and had 2 pichets (little pitchers) of local red wine and crepes with various savory fillings, like seafood and grilled local vegetables. Magnifique!

. . . And a Little Picasso

We ended the afternoon at the Picasso Museum, which is housed in a chateau that used to belong to the Grimaldi Family (who now rule Monaco) and where Picasso spent a few years painting. Some of his happiest times were supposedly here, with his paintings reflecting the simple foods and joys of Riviera life.

Finally, it was time to venture home, but we had no idea where to go for the bus. We have learned that bus stops are only good for one way – there is supposed to be a corresponding bus stop for the other direction. However, they can be blocks apart. So we wandered the town looking at all the bus stops until we found one that listed Nice – not the most efficient strategy, but thorough. We made it and were happy to see our home street – the Promenade des Anglais. (We live on a very well-known street – kind of like Pennsylvania Avenue – so lots of signs point to it, luckily for us!)

Bonne Nuit!

Christy, Frank, Edith & Sherman

We are getting settled into Nice and loving it. It has been rainy off and on, but our apartment has a wonderful view so fun to watch the sea no matter the weather.

My friend, Anna, also visited this weekend. She and I used to work together at Groom and have been friends for years. She is attending a conference in Paris so stopped by Nice beforehand. What fun!

Chez Freddy

We all met up (my parents, Frank, me, and Anna) in the famous Cours Saleya market in Vieux Nice (Old Nice) and searched for a good dining spot. We ended up at Chez Freddy (named after the owner, Alfred). We had a lovely meal that lasted hours and hours with laughing, talking, and excitement.

We tried our first:

– PASTIS – Anise liqueur that is served as an aperitif. It is very strong, but comes with a pitcher of water, so you can keep watering down (which makes it last longer, too).

– SALADE NICOISE – With lettuce, tomato, tuna, local olives, and hard-boiled eggs.

– BOUILLABAISSE – Fish stew that, to be official, must be made with 3-5 different varieties of fish, depending on whom you ask. They serve it with a basket of crusty croutons, shredded cheese, and a mustard made of olive oil, garlic, saffron, and cayenne pepper. You are supposed to smear mustard on the croutons, add shredded cheese to stick to the mustard, put the whole thing in your spoon, and dip into the broth. Delicious!

Soiree on the Promenade

The next day we hosted Anna at our apartment for a light lunch and visit to the Matisse Museum. Well, our light lunch (with a bottle of Rose – another specialty of Provence) turned into an afternoon (with another bottle of Rose) – but much fun. We never saw Matisse. Instead, we went exploring and wandered around the landmark Hotel Negresco. Its rotunda was built by Gustave Eiffel and features a huge chandelier (16,000 pieces of Baccarat crystal) that was supposed to go in the Romanov palace – ordered by Czar Nicholas himself. But then the Russian Revolution happened, so it ended up staying in Nice. We finally settled down to dinner at a french/itialian brasserie on the Promenade – and of course we started with our new favorite aperitif – Pastis.

Anna has left for Paris – and we have spent the last two days just recovering! It has been rainy and chilly with mistral winds and giant waves breaking over the sea wall, so perfect to stay in and read about what we want to do next. We did venture out to the boulangerie for little quiches and baguette, which we had for dinner last night. And to the market for eggs, cheese, and mushrooms for omelettes tonight. A perfect French life.

Tomorrow: Day trip to Cannes (by the #200 Bus – wish us luck!)

Sadly, we had to depart our wonderful floating home, the Queen Mary 2. We had a marvelous time dining, dancing – and becoming engaged! What a memorable week.

We have lost some of our travel savvy ways from being pampered on the ship and were a little out of practice on our flight to Nice. It seemed like the whole world was flying past us in a huge hurry. So we took our time and were all alone when we finally made it to baggage claim and customs (like our own private airport). We had arranged a taxi to meet us, and they were already calling the company to see if we missed the flight. Then we had too much luggage to fit in the taxi, so had to carry some on our lap, before, exasperated with us, the driver let us off (along with our pile of luggage) on the street corner outside of our building with no way in – not the most glamorous entrance to the French Riviera.

But soon our wonderful French contact, Anca, came and helped us into the building. We’ve rented an apartment for two weeks to live like the locals. It is in a Belle Époque building on the main strip – the Promenade des Anglais. It has many of the original furnishings, incuding a teeny tiny lift that can hold two people who stand very close together. Needless to say, if we didn’t fit in the taxi, we definitely didn’t fit in the teeny tiny elevator. We were like a comedy routine having to send a couple of bags up and send the lift back down while trying to understand that the “first” floor is really the second floor and ouvert means “open.” Whew.

But we were rewarded with a gorgeous wrap-around view of the Mediterranean and a very beautiful (albeit quirky) apartment. It is very Art Deco with many original antique furnishings, marble and parquet floors, and elaborate curved walls and built-in curio cabinets. We can just imagine the soirees that were held here in the day. Noticeably, the kitchen area is very plain, which we think was because in the old days, only servants went there. So a lot of character – we feel like we’re in a 1950s French film.

We haven’t actually made it very far. Frank and I ran out to a little market on the corner last night for bread, cheese, and wine – which was our Thanksgiving meal. And we had that for breakfast this morning (substituting coffee and tea for wine).

So stay tuned adventures from Nice!

We got a little behind blogging because we have been so busy relaxing.  We have had a very nice life on the QM2, but need to keep our wits about us because we land in Nice tomorrow, where we are on our own.

However, to catch everyone up, here’s a synopsis of life on the QM2:

TYPICAL DAY ON QM2

9:30ish (or wee bit later) – Wake Up

10:00 – Frank – Breakfast Buffet & Morning Rounds

10:30 – Christy – Breakfast at Tea Salon (sometimes with Mom & Dad)

11:00 – Frank – Gym & Indoor Whirlpool / Christy – More tea and catch up on emails

Noon – Captain’s Briefing & 8 Bells
Officer rings original bell from the first Queen Mary 8 times to signal noon.
We all advance our clocks forward 1 hour since we are moving slowly to GMT.

1 pm (which is really Noon) – Meet for Lunch – Anything from formal 3-courses in main dining room to sushi in King’s Court

2:30 pm – Depending on day – Planetarium, bridge visit, waltz class, Texas Hold ‘Em tournament – or just Commodore Club on the bow with good book and view of water

3:30 pm – Afternoon Tea (Frank discovers he loves scones; Christy already knew this)

4:30 – Frank – Nap / Christy Walks Deck – 3 times around Promenade Deck = 1 mile

6:00 – Rest / Dress for Dinner

7:45 – All meet for cocktails at Veuve Clicquot Champagne Bar

8:30 – Formal 4-Course Dinner – Table 31
We sit at the same table with the same fellow passengers and waiters every night, so we get to know them.

10:30 – Dancing to Big Band Orchestra in Queens Room

Midnight – Bedtime (unless we move to the disco for more dancing . . . )
NEXT UP: BACK TO LIFE ON LAND – TO THE FRENCH RIVIERA!

We have tried to update the blog, but the clouds and distance from land have kept us from being able to obtain a good connection. So a little late, but what a wonderful few days we have had! Our biggest news is that Frank and I are engaged! It was very romantic, and I was completely surprised (Frank did a great job putting all this together – especially at sea!).

We all had met for a fancy afternoon tea, where the waiters march in at the same time with teapots, scones, cucumber sandwiches, and tarts. Frank gamely attended tea with me and my parents but said he was tired and went back to the cabin while the rest of us walked around. I came back to our stateroom to find a huge bouquet of red roses and thought how romantic Frank was.

As we dressed for dinner, which was formal night, Frank told me he was having champagne delivered to our room for a pre-dinner toast. I thought that was a little unusual, but maybe he was just getting into the spirit of things and happy to go along. Then the champagne arrived. Frank sat me on the sofa, got down on one knee, told me he loved me, and asked me to marry him. I got a little teary and shaky and said, “Of course.” Then we laughed and kissed – and took a picture for the blog! We called my parents and asked them to join us for champagne and when they arrived, shared the wonderful news with them. There were congratulations all around, even at dinner, where all the waiters seemed to know, and my parents toasted us with more champagne. We ended this special celebratory evening with dancing to Big Band tunes in the ballroom. It was more perfect than I could have even imagined. The ring is beautiful, too – a platinum band with a classic and elegant diamond solitaire setting with diamonds all around the band – exactly what I would have chosen.

The next morning, we dialed up the ship’s satellite phone and were able to call Frank’s son, John, and my sister, Cindy. Then the clouds conspired to halt all access, including to Wifi (a news blackout so to speak), but we are closer to land with clear skies, so we are back online and sharing the news.

We will figure out plans later. Right now it’s fun to dream, be happy, and just enjoy the moment.

I will try to update the blog from the middle of the North Atlantic – but, as you can imagine, WIFI is a little slow here. So we will see how it goes.

We are having a marvelous time and getting used to our days at sea. The crossing to the UK will take 7 days. We lose an hour every day until we are on UK time so can gradually adjust to jet lag. They do this at noon, when they ring 8 chimes and everyone changes their watches. So all of a sudden it becomes 1 pm and everyone scurries to lunch.

Today we are passing the Grand Banks and will exit at the Flemish Cap – I recognize these places from “The Perfect Storm” movie! We will then cross the Gulf Stream, where it may get a little rough. The Captain announced that we will pass just north of where the HMS Titanic rests, but we are safe this time of year from icebergs. The Titanic sailed in April, when apparently icebergs were farther south.

On board, we have all been busy. It’s perfect because we split up and do our own things and then meet back for tea or dinner. Frank likes the pool and health club – and is watching a Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament today. My parents head to ballroom dance classes and went to a classical piano concert yesterday. And I have explored every inch of the ship and discovered that they will let you visit the Bridge (where Captain drives) all day long, which I find fascinating. I can also go back to my stateroom and rest throughout the day, which helps me keep going.

Last night, we all met for the formal Black & White Ball, the men decked out in tuxedos and dark suits and the women in black and white cocktail dresses. It was beautiful. We danced the night away to a big band orchestra and then, when they ended, moved to the lounge next door and danced to a fun band playing popular tunes. We went to bed at 1:30 am! (Which was really 12:30 since we had adjusted our clocks.) I mostly blame my parents for keeping us out so late – Frank and I will have to rest this afternoon to keep up with them!

I am about to have a light lunch and tea with one of my new friends – a very nice Scottish lady named Una, who has been back and forth on the QM2 about a dozen times and whose niece lives on a boat on the Thames. A perfect afternoon.

We are on board the Queen Mary 2! It is quite impressive, and we haven’t even ventured out of our cabin. But our cabin is very nice – with king bed, sofa, lots of storage, and even a big balcony that is protected from the elements (important on the North Atlantic). Our friend Janet, who has traveled the QM2 many times – and is also our housesitter – sent chocolate covered strawberries and pink champagne truffles, and the Captain sent a bottle of champagne – all waiting for us when we arrived. We think we’re going to like it here!

Our ship is docked at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Frank grew up in Brooklyn and is amazed to be sailing out of his hometown. And we will sail right by Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Frank’s parents came through Ellis Island from Sicily. Our travels will eventually take us back to their hometowns in Sicily (Canicatti & Castrofilipo). My parents are just a few doors down from us on the ship, and starting this journey with us. So we feel very connected to family as we start this new adventure.

We will be on the high seas for the next week, so it may be a few days before I post – I’m sure we will have lots of good stories!

Love, Christy, Frank, Edith & Sherman

We made it to New York City!  My parents flew up from Charlotte, and Frank and I took the train from BWI.  We were all a little bedraggled when we arrived – trying to pull bags, heads down against the fierce wind, and trying not to bump into the busy New Yorkers with all our stuff.  I had booked a promotional deal through American Express at the famed Waldorf Astoria.

In what was like a comedy show, we all arrived at the same time and almost literally fell into the lobby with all of our luggage and hugging each other.  My mother exclaimed in her Southern drawl thank goodness they made it and she always felt at home at the Waldorf.  She told this to the bellman, front desk clerk, and everyone in the lobby – if you know my mom, you know she makes fast friends of everyone in the room.  Maybe to quiet us down, they escorted us to a special hidden lobby, which turned out to be the exclusive Waldorf Towers.  While waiting to check in, we got to know everyone again.  Our rooms weren’t ready, so we decided to have lunch in the hotel (since, as we told them, we had finally made it to safety).  We dined on delicious Waldorf salad in the famous Peacock Alley.

Either we were so friendly – or maybe so entertaining (and there’s a chance my mother had explained to everyone at some point that I had breast cancer and was now traveling around the world) – but they upgraded us all to suites!  We went to Mom and Dad’s first – amazing.  They had a huge bedroom AND a huge living room with crown molding, antique furniture, and 4 sofas.  My mother exclaimed, “It’s as beautiful as the Vendue Inn in Charleston!” (which we love).  I think the bellman thought we were charming – he showed us all the sights from the windows – they can see straight down Park Avenue and also Radio City Music Hall.

Then to Frank’s and my room – even bigger!  We have 6 rooms, including a grand foyer with tapestries on the wall, wet bar that is actually its own little room, living room, dining room, dressing room, and bedroom.  We couldn’t even find each other at first.  It is so big that it takes up one whole side of the building, so we have views on 3 different sides.  My favorite (and the picture here) is the Chrysler Building, which we can see from 6 windows and even when lying in bed.  I could hardly sleep for watching it all night – like a movie.

Since we had such fancy digs, we canceled our dinner reservation and decided to stay in and order pizza.  We started in my parent’s suite for cocktails and then migrated up to our room for pizza and Chianti from room service.  What a night!

This morning, I got up early to see the sun rise over my new favorite Chrysler Building and guess what I saw?  Very small in the distance – the Queen Mary 2 has docked.  Our adventure has begun!