Before I knew it Wilson had left and I was back to the regular life on the mountain. It’s strange how much you miss the familiar and how much you realize it creates the fabric of your life. Cheesy? Yes. True? Absolutely. I miss her a lot. I miss going to class with her every week along with mlong and Andrea. From September to the last class we did together in January gave me something to look forward to every week, something I still wish I could be a part of from afar. But while I couldn’t hold her here it was nice to have her to myself for a week. The day she left was hard for a few reasons and it stuck with me a couple days.
The following week I had sort of picked back up again and Gunta and Janis were kind enough to take me out for a day trip to Eze and Monaco along with Belly, the dog. They knew I hadn’t been to either and I’ve been really longing to see the region. So we all hoped in the car and I sat in the back with the dog taking everything in hoping she wouldn’t get car sick from the winding roads. I still never believe it’s possible people actually grow up here, it just doesn’t seem real, even though inevitably we all have to grow up somewhere. We spent ages circling around Eze trying to find a parking spot, little quarrels breaking out everywhere between angry circlers but eventually we found one of our own and started along the narrow and slippery streets of old Eze. Thankfully, while streets here are forever slippery, in the best of weather, I have yet to land on my face, something I can be thankful for. We walked around, took in the beautiful little church decorated for Easter and ate lunch on a rock ledge with a view. After we’d stayed for the length of our parking pass we went on to Monaco. It seems we all seem to know the story of Monaco and princess Grace and the luxe streets of this miniature country. There’s no border, just a change in flags and everything becomes even more pristine, the cars more expensive and eventually when you find the main casino it’s surrounded by blooming flowers and fountains. Yet I think if I could describe it in any one way it’s not about the buildings or the plants but of an enormous amount of people who appear to be hiding behind sequins, makeup and over-the-top outfits you’d never imagine to see elsewhere. It felt like everyone wanted to be the image of utmost class to fit in with the scenery but the interpretation was all wrong. None of us felt fooled.
Regardless of the people it attracts it did make for a perfect afternoon promenade. We began near the casino, though with the dog, could not enter, took many stairs down to the water, through an underpass and alongside all the giant yachts, past a bike race and eventually up the hill toward the old city for the view and for gelato, the perfect treat for a day of wandering. We stayed just until the storm clouds overhead looked like they might break and hurried home to keep warm.
