Pretty busy couple of days! First breakfast, then plan for you 1 1/2 lunch. As you are cleaning up lunch, start planning for your 2 hour supper starting around 7:30. That is when the Appetizers and pre dinner Pastis (a french liquorice drink) starts.
Then you start planning what you can fit between meal hours! I will have to buy new pants to fly home. 😢
We did a picnic lunch ( virtually unheard of in this family) on Sunday, to get to the Bull fight at Château Renard, which is 100 km west of Marseille. There we met my cousin Dany, and her husband Christian, who grew up in Port St. Louis. Christian trained as a razeteur but decided life had thrown him enough curves without running in front of 1500 pound bulls, with 3 foot horns! Hmm. Wise man!

This was the French championship finals, so there was a lot of excitement in city for this day. Three razeteurs were within 15 points of each other, and there were 6 bulls in this match. All the bulls had won many matches ( the razeteurs were not successful in cutting off the pendants attached to the horns, or ribbons between the horns). The 10 razeteurs march out, with two additional “Provokers” that try and steer the bulls into a corner for the attack. Thats a heck of a job, and no pay! They do get tips from successful Razetours. Hope they are big tips!
It was pretty crazy out there. Twice the bulls broke through the barrier boards trying to gore the attackers. One was run over by a bull, and 5 were head butted over the boards. Happily, no one was gored with a horn!
The favourite won, 3 matches, 1 bull won, and an underdog razeteur took home a prize. All round a great season ender!

Got home time to have a Nine o’clock dinner and in bed at midnight…whew, long day!
Today we went to Bandol, a seaside resort that my niece Christine has a condo. It is about an hour east of Marseille, on the way to Monaco. Beautiful seaside village. The beaches are all white round rocks, and pebbles. In France, this is considered top notch, as they don’t like getting sand in their bathing suites. You know what I mean! 😹


An interesting side note. Ladies in their 50’s + regularly go topless, but not the younger ladies. Apparently this goes back to the 1960s burn the bra movement and women’s lib. These ladies fought for the rights of women, and one of the laws they succeeded in striking down was HAVING to wear a top in the beach. So darn it, I can have freedom of choice! The younger generation has always had this freedom, and for the most part keep their tops on. Viva la France!
We went for a +- 6 km walk along the beach and cliffs to a Calanque. This are kind of like fiords. Steep cliffs overlooking the ocean. Fantastic view, and good hike, despite the 28 degree temperature and 70 percent humidity. I think I would like to do this hike again, but around 8 in the morning, not 3 in the afternoon! Not much left dry on any of us on the return trip to the condo! 😓
The big plus was the empty pool and cold beer waiting for us! Ahhhhh that was wonderful!


Tonight I made Quesadillas for supper. The family had never had them, so were totally interested in the construction. Made Hamburger, and Chicken quesadillas and the salsa, sour cream and avocado to go with them. I did a lot of shopping to find all the ingredients, but they all loved it! Always fun to throw a curve ball into the dinner plans, and come out with a home run!

Another thing I want to mention. At the bull fight no one wore masks. Everyone had a covid passport or had a pcr test within 72 hours. Dany and Christian don’t want vaccines, so took the test. At this time, in France covid testing is free, and 70 percent of France has two shots, with a third planned for this fall. The government is talking about putting a price on testing at month end, to help with the cost of testing.
I have now met at Least 12 people that have had covid. Results vary from a bad cold, to 2-3 months sick at home feeling shitty, to Intensive care and 6 month recuperation. Age and health, ie smoking, and physical condition are definitely factors on catching, and surviving. Everyone has said that it really beat the hell out of them. I mention this, because in Canada, I only personally know 1 person that has had covid, and he is still in intensive care. I guess it must be living on the Island, and our circle of friends.

Well, tomorrow I am off for my pcr test, to enable me to return to Canada Friday. Sure hope it is negative, or I will have to go isolate in the Bandol condo, on the beach, for the next two weeks! 😔🤷‍♂️