A Day in Grasse

On the final proper day in France during my visit back in June, I had made plans to go up to Grasse to see an English/Scottish couple I know from work.

Situated about 20 km. north of Cannes, I had been to Grasse on a few occasions to eat but always only to go to the restaurant and straight back.  I was looking forward to do a proper visit.

After having done one meeting in Cannes, I was picked up by my friends and we drove up to Grasse.

Before reaching the town center, we stopped by Molinard’s perfumery/perfume museum, Grasse being famous for its perfumes.

Scenes from around the town center including a stop at the Fragonard Museum.

My friend Kathy recommended me this book (and which was made into a film) which takes place in Grasse.  We found it as a display in a shop.

 

Time for lunch.  Great food.

An after-lunch stroll.

And found a cat!

Wanted to go into the cathedral but there was a wedding going and we were not allowed in or so we thought but we probably could have gone in.  It was a beggar at the entrance that was “guarding” the church from people entering.

Time to hit the road.

Three Days in Cannes

My annual trip to Cannes, France lasted from Monday to Friday during the first week of June this year.  On a couple of the days I wasn’t exactly feeling well so skipped dinner and just sat around in my apartment at night after doing a series of meetings during the day.

The convention at the Palais des Festivals

Lovely lunch on the beach on Tuesday with a German friend

Tuesday dinner with Chinese friends

Relaxing lunch meeting on Wednesday with an American friend

More lunch meeting on Thursday with an American lawyer couple

Retail therapy thrown in inbetween meetings

The general view during the day

My first ever soft-serve in Cannes.  I shall make it an annual thing.  It was good.

A friendly early evening meeting on Thursday with a lovely bottle of rose by Ott shared with a Finnish friend in my apartment.

 

From Marseille to Cannes and in Mandelieu-La Napoule Twice in a Day

The drive from Marseille to Cannes was uneventful except for the fuel stop we made along the way where we struggled with the gas pump but we weren’t the only ones which kind of made us feel better though less so for my friend who actually had to feed her car.

We had decided to have lunch before getting to Cannes and Mandelieu-La Napoule was the perfect stop and the lunch was beautiful.

After lunch, we drove to Cannes and I checked into my wonderful apartment.

I picked up my badge for the convention I was attending.

And had time to shop for some wines and grocery.

And then it was time for me to go back to Mandelieu-La Napoule for dinner for a very nice group dinner I have been attending for the last so many years.

The dinner.

Lunching in Marseille

I had made a lunch reservation well in advance at this elegant one Michelin starred restaurant in Marseille to eat there the day after we arrived in the port city.  It was very much worth the effort.  Everything was perfect including the restaurant’s modern take on Marseille’s signature dish of bouillabaisse.

The entrance is next to a loud souvenir shop and is quite inconspicuous in contrast if you don’t know it’s there.

My view

A modern take of the rouille sauce and bread combo normally soaked in the bouillabaisse.

More of the view of my rose wine ^^

The bouillabaisse

With three kinds of fish

My friend’s dessert

 

Walking in Marseille, France, Part 2

From the Marseille Cathedral vicinity and still within a very easy reach, we went to check out the Saint-Laurent Church.  There was a service going on so we sat in the congregation listening to the French sermon.

Anna, my friend.

Orange lifejackets that save arriving refugees.

More exploring.

From my hotel room…