I had been trying to be so careful – wearing a mask when taking public transport, getting enough sleep, taking my vitamins – but fate caught up with me. Knowing that three of my friends in Vence had come down with a bad cold (they tested, and it was not Covid), I was wary of being around crowds, and even turned down an invitation to a party that sounded fun. But it would have meant being inside with a bunch of folks in a tightly enclosed space.
At any rate, after being healthy for almost three years, I started feeling fatigued (the day after said party – good thing I had not gone) and had a scratchy throat for a couple of days. I was in an Airbnb, yes, but had not cooked there much, because of all the utensils, spices, staples, etc. that are lacking in a strange kitchen. I have gotten into a rhythm of eating one meal a day out, usually dinner, and the rest of my meals in. Upon feeling like I was getting sick, I knew it was going to be hard to eat out, not only because I would not want to be in a restaurant, polite and patient, but because I did not want to infect anyone. To the rescue, Picard!
A friend in Montpellier introduced me to Picard when I was in that city this past winter. These stores exist all over France, with one even in small-town Vence. About 95% of what they offer is high-quality frozen food (for the other 5%, there are some odd, assorted things at check-out, like bottles of wine, crackers, cookies). At any rate, while I was still functioning, I went to a Picard store, masked, and picked up various frozen items that could be microwaved or baked. The next day, with my fever rising, I did a home test and was shocked to find it positive. But, I had my stores of food…which lasted a short while. Weirdly, my Airbnb did not have an oven, and microwaving a spinach tart did not work out at all well. So, at various times, friends would bring me meals, leaving them at the gate.
I was fortunate, in that it lasted only about a week, and then I tested negative. The fatigue hung on a bit longer, but then, that was it. I did go to a doctor, who prescribed a number of things, including cough medicine with codeine, several types of vitamins, tablets that you dissolved in water that had aspirin and Vitamin C. I am not yet in the French health system, so had to pay out of pocket. It was 40 Euros for the doc visit (20 minutes or so) and 37 Euros for all the medications. To have the privilege of being part of their socialized medicine, you merely have to live here for three months (at one residence). Then you get your card (Carte Vitale), and, voilà, you simply present it at any doctor or pharmacy visit, and you will be paying little to nothing, ultimately (in fact, evidently you pay at the time, but then are reimbursed).
Luckily I was able to extend my Airbnb stay in Vence for a couple of days, so, when I moved to Nice, I had enough strength to do so. Now I have been in Nice, at another Airbnb, for the past week, and am finding I am loving my new city more and more.
It continues to feel like the right decision for me! I met with a realtor (highly recommended) earlier this week and will see some properties in a couple of days. Phillip and I met at a beachside café and talked for an hour or so; he asked me what I thought of certain neighborhoods, trying to get a feel for what I was looking for. I said I wasn’t sure exactly where I wanted to be, but could we walk around, so I could get to know them? He agreed, and thus, we strolled the streets of Nice for another hour, with Phillip asking what I thought about this street, that block, etc. Along the way, he imparted some local lore. For example, Christian Estrosi, the Mayor (with his movie-star good looks) has been doing amazing things in Nice. Interestingly, in France he is viewed as Right-of-Center politically. He has a focus on law and order, for example. In the U.S., it seems pretty certain that he would be seen as quite far Left of Center, since he is an environmentalist and wants to make Nice not only a beautiful but a sustainable city.
I learned that he is not afraid to take on big projects. Phillip related how Estrosi razed a fairly dilapidated building in prime real estate, and built a park, taking on developers who had been salivating over the possibilities. Throughout the city, there are projects going on right now to replace two-laned roads with one-lane, one-way streets, with bike lanes and trees alongside. Almost all the buses have been removed to make way for the electric ones coming soon. Not too long ago a final tram line was built, making transportation within Nice easy and quick. At one point, I commented on the beautiful and complementary colors of a set of buildings. I was told that every building in the city has been color coded, so that when it’s time to paint, there is no question what hue it will be. This makes for a gorgeous city with a decorator’s touch! Evidently, for old buildings, there is even research done to see what type of paint was used back then, and to try to duplicate it. The photo at the top is of a building in the Place Massena (a major square) that was just recently painted. You can see the Italian influence here, with Nice having been part of France since only 1860. It feels like a vibrant city that is getting better by the day.
