Visit from England

During our last visit to London, just a couple of months ago, we finally managed to convince our good friend Phil to come and visit as in France.

We kicked off the visit by whisking Phil over to Nice straight from the airport - he was just over for two days, so some degree of efficiency was required to make the most of his stay. Me and Phil kicked off with beers at Place Garibaldi, where we were joined by Mathilde. From there, we made our way to the port of Nice, where we were meeting up with Naim & Simon for dinner. We ended up in a great little unpretentious place called Pass'port (nice change from the trendy brasseries and bistros that we usually go to in this part of town), where they apparently serve the best ratatouille in Nice. Pretty much the perfect choice!

We started the next day in rather leisurely manner, by chilling out at the swimming pool. We then cycled our way to Saint-Laurent-du-Var, where we were planning to have lunch at one of our favourite eateries on the Cote d'Azur, Dame Nature. And as always, they didn't disappoint. Excellent food, excellent wine, excellent service. After enjoying the beach for a while, we made our way back home.

After dinner, we headed back to the seafront for the traditional Fête de Saint-Pierre. Cros-de-Cagnes, where the Fête takes place, has a long history with the sea - it is one of the oldest fishing villages on the Cote d'Azur (and also the last active one...). Things kick off with a ceremony in the church, followed by a procession where a statue of a saint is brought out on the beach. After some singing and a speech from our dear Mayor (who never misses the opportunity to make an appearance), they proceed with the highlight - the burning of an old, disused fishing boat. All kind of good fun, really!

The next day, we picked up Mathilde's nephews Paul and Lucas at the airport, and after a quick burger lunch by the seaside, it was time to take Phil back to the airport for his flight back to old Blighty... All in all, nice to have Phil over, even if it was a bit short...