Work, life and things in between – Day 7: Heaven on earth!
Vacation is not a trying time. It is a good time. It does not count against the stress of being
unemployed.
The first three weeks were called the grace period in my book. They unfolded this way: A few days at “La Malbaie” on the North shore of the St Lawrence, roughly one and a half hour east of Quebec City. Anyone who has ever been there knows how beautiful and peaceful it is. It is a holding place for peace and serenity. I call it heaven on earth.
Then Tem and I (His name is not really Tem but I call him so as I always refer to him as The Exceptional Man. He is the significant other in my life) left for Europe. We flew to Nice for my niece’s wedding.
My daughter and I had been to Nice a few years ago. In fact she was sixteen and this was her first trip to Europe. This is when I first saw her as a young woman, thanks to the many Italians and French men reminding her on a daily basis! This is also when I first felt the men’s look shifting from me to her….all part of growing up I guess.
So we land in Nice, fight the jet lag factor all day and finally crash into bed for 15 hours straight before waking up late, very late, to pick up my other niece (not the one getting married, but the one flying in from Montreal for a summer vacation) at the airport.
We are then off to Parma, Italy, to pick up my son who has been there for the last 4 months, finishing a culinary school program.
As we pull into the courtyard of the restaurant where he works, I see this tall, slender young man, elegantly leaning against the wall, smiling broadly at us. I close my eyes and see his dad thirty years ago. After all that has been said and done, it is still a nice picture.
He takes us on a tour. The restaurant is of a Relais Chateaux caliber. We are shown to our room which is straight out of a movie set. I am half expecting King Humbert of the House of Savoy to ride in on his horse or something .
The owner is our host for the evening. Champagne is served on the terrace overlooking the fields in which the fowls and cattle graze into the sunset. The meal is spectacular and equaled only by the service. Above all it is wonderful to be here with loved ones.
The next day we head back to Nice after a copious breakfast. The wedding is in Mougins perched in the hills away from the Mediterranean. The site is breathtakingly beautiful.
The ceremony is outdoors at the foot of centennial trees where the scent of Eucalyptus is mixed with the aroma arising from the bed of rose petals we are walking on. Cocktail is on the terrace overlooking the gardens. The crowd is sophisticated, the caterer is outstanding and the day is one of great festivity.
Finally, two days later, we bid farewell to everyone and embark on the ferry that will take us to Corsica where we will spend two weeks touring the island.
Two weeks of sunshine, beauty, fresh air, rest, dining and wining until late in the night, star gazing and swimming in the turquoise sea.
So far, I do declare, unemployment is a bliss! and there is more…
Vacation is not a trying time. It is a good time. It does not count against the stress of being
unemployed.
The first three weeks were called the grace period in my book. They unfolded this way: A few days at “La Malbaie” on the North shore of the St Lawrence, roughly one and a half hour east of Quebec City. Anyone who has ever been there knows how beautiful and peaceful it is. It is a holding place for peace and serenity. I call it heaven on earth.
Then Tem and I (His name is not really Tem but I call him so as I always refer to him as The Exceptional Man. He is the significant other in my life) left for Europe. We flew to Nice for my niece’s wedding.
My daughter and I had been to Nice a few years ago. In fact she was sixteen and this was her first trip to Europe. This is when I first saw her as a young woman, thanks to the many Italians and French men reminding her on a daily basis! This is also when I first felt the men’s look shifting from me to her….all part of growing up I guess.
So we land in Nice, fight the jet lag factor all day and 15 hours straight before waking up late to pick up my other niece (not the one getting married, but the one flying in from Montreal for a summer vacation) at the airport. We are then off to Parma, Italy, to pick up my son who has been there for the last 4 months, finishing a culinary school program.
As we pull into the courtyard I see this tall, slender young man, elegantly leaning against the wall, smiling broadly at us. I close my eyes and see his dad thirty years ago. After all that has been said and done, it is still a nice picture.
He takes us on a tour. The restaurant is of a Relais Chateaux caliber. We are shown to our room which is straight out of a movie set. I am half expecting King Humbert of the House of Savoy to ride in on his horse or something .
The owner is our host for the evening. Champagne is served on the terrace overlooking the fields in which the fowls and cattle graze into the sunset. The meal is spectacular and equaled only by the service. Above all it is wonderful to be here with loved ones.
The next day we head back to Nice after a copious breakfast. The wedding is in Mougins perched in the hills away from the Mediterranean. The site is breathtakingly beautiful.
The ceremony is outdoors at the foot of centennial trees where the scent of Eucalyptus is mixed with the aroma arising from the bed of rose petals we are walking on. Cocktail is on the terrace overlooking the gardens. The crowd is sophisticated, the caterer is outstanding and the day is one of great festivity.
Finally, two days later, we bid farewell to everyone and embark on the ferry that will take us to Corsica where we will spend two weeks touring the island.
Two weeks of sunshine, beauty, fresh air, rest, dining and wining until late in the night, star gazing and swimming in the turquoise sea.
So far, I do declare, unemployment is a bliss! and there is more…