Start the day out right. Strong coffee and a chocolate croissant. Or two.

I have always thought glass blowing to be an amazing thing but I have never actually seen it happening. There is an ancient glass blowing factory in the town of Biot, which happens to be very close by. So we made a day of it, starting with breakfast. Cousin Bernard was our pilot again and off we went, first to watch the magic in Biot. A picturesque medieval village that dates back 2,500 years, situated 4 km from the Mediterranean Sea and nestled between Antibes and Nice, it was only about 30 minutes worth of driving.

We found the little factory with out much trouble and leaving Bernard and Denise

in the shade, we made our way inside.

There was a crowd of people watching several men of various ages, all dressed in shorts and sandals, working with long, hollow rods each with a molten piece of glass on the end. It made me wonder

where their work safety poster was hanging. Maybe in the lunch room? Without much fuss or fanfare, you could watch these men heat up and shape their glass into all sorts of different pieces. There was no fuss and little conversation but after a few

moments you become entranced by the dance they

perform. Afterwards, you can walk through the gallery and admire beautiful works of glass art from around the world. And each piece has a price tag, just in case you want to take some artwork home.

Back into the car, we are quickly off again. This time bound for a candy factory sitting along a river that bubbles under the remains of an ancient bridge that was destroyed by German invaders. All that's left to testify are the huge stone supports.

We had lunch in a restaurant a few steps from the candy factory. It would seem that the more you are willing to eat and drink, the more popular you become here. So I am thinking I may as well run for Mayor next week. After eating huge salads, drinking beer, wine and coffee and enjoying the local ice cream we made our way over to watch some candy being made and sampled their famous rose jelly. I was forced to buy some dark chocolate too.

The candy tour was fun. Although I had to wrap my mind around the fact that there are no screens on the factory windows and the workers don't wear gloves..of any kind..... Dennis says I need to live outside my American box, so I am rolling with it. No easy task for me, especially when we had to drive around for 30 minutes looking for a handicap friendly bathroom for my mother-in-law because the glass factory and the candy factory bathrooms were up 18 flights of stairs. Ok, only 2 flights, but the woman is 94 and in a wheelchair. Dennis says that change comes slow here and the people are accustomed to being uncomfortable. I can see that now. I guess I want to stay un-accustomed to that.

Off we go again, headed into more mountain passes. Suddenly Bernard stops the car and tells us to walk back to the "Cascade" because it is "varry beautiful and famous".

I don't stop to question but grab my camera and run to where he pointed. We were almost pushed off the tiny road by oncoming cars including a huge flatbed that became stuck going through the tunnel and almost caused a 3 car pile-up but the waterfall we found was worth certain death. Breathtaking. Of course, I learn a few minutes later, when we have literally run for safety back in the car, that for a single Euro you can walk on stone pathways carved along the waterfall...but who needs the easy way? Not us! Anyway, the life risking pictures look better in my opinion. We did decide to splurge and pay the Euro so we could view it from above.

Onward and upward, Bernard takes us to another medieval village, this one high on the mountain edge giving

you breathtaking panoramic views.

The Chateau

Gourdon awaited us with tiny shops selling all sorts of candy and cakes, soaps and perfumes. Another shop sold glass jewelry and another oil paintings of the local beauties. Several restaurants tempted us but we were too full from the salad and all that came with it earlier. Everywhere you look you drink in the spectacular scenery.

With so much to feast your eye on you start to feel full. Your eyes become overwhelmed by seeing so many things in one place.

This is the view from the Chateau and of the village from below.

At this point my camera battery dies :( We started heading down to the coast again and soon we are in Cannes, driving through the downtown area, right where to film festival is held every year. The buildings are a mix of modern and ancient with many famous hotels facing the ocean. We continue on through Nice, then Monaco and finally we are home again. All totaled we spend 12 hours enjoying the changing scene outside the windows of our borrowed car. The air was breezy and cool, especially in the mountains. But then a few minutes later you are by the sea and you can feel the warm sun on your skin. It felt good to be full. Full of the food and drink and full of the scenery.

Thank you cousin Bernard~