Côte d'Azur: Sainte-Maxine and Saint-Raphaël (4/3-4/1983)

Sunday, April 3, 1983

Happy Easter!

Another windy night with a clear sky full of stars. It was still dark when we woke up at 7:00, so slept in until 8:30.

Last night when I showered, Marsha hid chocolate eggs around the room, and this morning, after finding one under my pillow, I had to find them all! Since we had given up chocolate for Lent, we brought a supply of chocolate to break the fast on Easter Sunday!

We went to breakfast at 9:00 when it was sunny and clear. The old lady was shocked to see Marsha in shorts! Today we had to go around to the side door of the cafeteria, and had a long wait for the croissants. I decided to get hot chocolate this morning. We ate on the upper level instead of our usual corner table below.

We returned to our room to put on bathing suits and some layers. We left about 10:10 to walk to downtown Sainte-Maxime. We passed the Swiss seat bumpers and the “Czech” couple. We passed a yard full of sheep, goats, and chickens, and a few scrawny lemon trees.

Lemon tree

The lemon trees on the way to Monaco are nicely round shaped! We passed a bocce court filled with players.

Bocce players

Sainte-Maxime Casino

Place Victor Hugo

Marsha on Promenade Simon Lorière

We passed a bakery with lots of people walking off with a baguette under their arms. We arrived at the beach, which was empty.

Empty beach

The sun was warm, but the wind was cool. There were lots of racing and endurance cyclists pedaling by. We saw the tourist-trap shop-fronts, and the boats in the harbor.

Harbor

Apparently there was a kids’ regatta of tiny portable dinghies with sails. We sat on the beach and stepped into the Mediterranean Sea.

Hotel Maxima 2000 hillside

Hotel Maxima 2000 grounds

Hotel Maxima 2000 pool and restaurant

At 11:30 we headed back to the hotel, and changed for lunch at 12:20. We were seated with four French women who had just arrived. We started with an appetizer of a hunk of pale salmon with a large shrimp, a quarter of a boiled egg, and peas and carrots in mayonnaise salad. Next slices of a lamb roll and potatoes au gratin. Everyone else had Camembert cheese while I waited for the chocolate mousse dessert! Two of the French women did not eat their mousse, so when they left, we ate them!

This time when we changed into bathing suits and layers, we went to sit by the pool at 13:45. When the sun was out, it was nice and warm, but when the clouds covered the sun, it was cool! We bared our legs and arms. We had mattresses that we could lean on an upside-down V form, to sit with legs extended. (/\ \___ ) A couple people were swimming in the pool. At about 15:15, a big cloud bank rolled in and it began to rain. We returned the mattresses to the pile and went into the bar to sit. The rain never cleared, so we returned to the room to nibble on chocolate eggs.

Before dinner at 19:00, we were sent to the entertainment room for an aperitif on the house. We had to pull out our own chairs, while a waitress went around with a tray of screwdriver drinks where the rim of the glasses were coated with pink sugar. The M.C. introduced some of the staff, explained the meal procedure, and listed the entertainment available. I guess this was the weekly welcoming event.

We sat at our usual dinner table, and the waitresses appeared hurried this evening. We started with a choice of soup or jellied ham. I was the only one to have soup and served myself from the tureen. The French-speaking mother didn’t like her ham, so she took some soup. Marsha tasted my soup and the daughter tasted her mother’s soup, and everyone ended up having the potato-carrot soup. Platters of turkey roast, green beans, and a fluffy fried dough ball-like thing were set on the table. The others had a creamy cheese and I tried the yogurt. It was a Yoplait-sugar, and tasted like a creamy vanilla yogurt. Yum! Marsha tasted my yogurt and I got to taste her cheese. Dessert was banana cake, with a layer of mushed banana between two layers of cake. Rich! As we finished, the tour guide came to take the empty seat and talk to the old lady. Marsha sipped her wine and joined the conversation with Manuel, the tour guide. He hadn’t eaten, and was served right then. Everyone stayed until he was finished.

After dinner, the rain had stopped and the stars were out.

Monday, April 4, 1983

We were up when the sun came over the hill at 7:00. We brought our luggage to the top of the row of bungalows where they would be taken to the bus. We went to breakfast at 7:20 and had the usual. I noticed that everyone else had the same problem with the tea canisters dripping down the side as you poured.

It was cool but clear when we met at the group at 7:45, but there was no bus. Vincent drove in at 8:00 and we quickly loaded the luggage to leave about 8:05. We followed the coast with the sun reflecting on the water. Lots of pine and palm trees, and in the hills were the cork and chestnut trees. We arrived in Saint-Raphaël at 8:40 and were given free time until 9:30. Marsha and I walked down a street that was empty except for the street cleaners, and arrived at the water’s edge.

Marsha on the beach

We walked along the sand with a few people walking their dogs. Then we walked a couple blocks over to the Roman-Byzantine La cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Victoire/Our Lady of Victory Cathedral (1882-1889).

La cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Victoire

We walked along the sand with a few people walking their dogs. Then we walked a couple blocks over to the 12C Romanesque Église San Rafèu or Église Saint-Pierre des Templiers/St Peter’s Church of the Templars, formerly a fortress. Inside it was very dark with modern stained glass windows and a bright modern fresco of the apostles. The ceiling of the chancel appeared to be a mosaic. There were lovely flower arrangements. Outside we were going to buy postcards, but a guy was just filling up the racks. We walked along the beach in the other direction and sat on some rocks near a fisherman. When we returned to the train station, our bags had been checked en masse. As we waited on the platform, wagonloads of our luggage were brought to us. When the train arrived, everyone piled in, and it took a while to sort out the seating. We were in a new coach, and rode backwards. We had some wonderful views of the coast across the aisle over a smooching odd couple (small man, large lady). Also saw cherry orchards beginning to bloom. At Marseille we left the station traveling forward for views of the coast on our own side, before climbing up into the rock-strewn mountains. You could glimpse snow-covered Alps. Manuel, the tour guide, handed out the bag lunches that contained a single serving-size bottle of mineral water, chicken, three slices of bread, paté and cheese, an apple, potato chips, applesauce, and a couple packages of tiny muffin/cakes. Also a napkin and plastic utensils. I ate the chicken, paté and cheese, and chips. Manuel served wine, and Marsha was topped off two more times. She was pretty antsy from the wine and the kissing couple.

At 13:55 in Valence, we all piled out of the train to catch one to Genève/Geneva leaving at 14:00. This time we were in compartments, and we were accompanied by a tall bug-eyed bearded man whose eyes were bugging out at Marsha. There was also a French-speaking mother and son, and the mother spoke English well. Marsha borrowed a Reader’s Digest from her. I tried reading Steppenwolf, but then just dozed. The closer we came to Switzerland, the worse the weather became. We arrived in Genève/Geneva about 17:10 and Manuel said he could get us through customs faster. He opened up a gate, and we never saw customs at all! We rushed to catch the 17:26 train to Lausanne. It was so crowded we had to sit in smoking. In Lausanne we changed to the 18:10 rain to Biel, arriving about 19:20. It was pouring rain and cold, so we took the 19:40 bus to the Personalhaus/staff residence.