Whenever we want a nice long walk without encountering many people, we head for the rarified air of St. Jean – Cap Ferrat, a toney enclave of the international uber-rich just to the east of us. In daylight, it is a place populated by gardeners, construction workers, and household staff. At night, the private security guards take over. Once a for-sale sign goes up, we know that a property has been sold because the next notice we see will be a construction permit for a thorough tear-down and remodel. Apparently, the very rich don’t much care for the tastes of their fellow pilgrims, and they don’t mind spending two or three years and millions of euros to get their new acquisitions just right. Then they seem to sell them after a few short visits, and the cycle repeats.
We just arrived back in Villefranche sur Mer for a brief summer break. The streets and restaurants last evening were overflowing with chattering families and mostly happy couples dressed in splashy summer wear. Sun dresses were on display, and Jann was happily checking them out. Pizza was very popular, as was Italian gelato after. We went for the gelato (after some rosé). It was marvelous, and supposedly contains most of the essential food groups: cream; confection; coloring; and cone. I slept like a baby afterward… for about three hours. After that experience, we hit the local pharmacy today for some melatonin. If only they could save us the trouble and just put it in the ice cream. I’m sure we all could use it. Come to think of it, maybe a little Viagra in the champagne too.
The “not global warming” has had an effect here, temporarily good for vacationers, but long-term bad for everything else. The sea is at least five degrees warmer than normal, about 80 degrees F today. The oursins (sea urchins) have abandoned the shallows seeking cooler water. If they are gone, what else is happening under the sea? The Mediterranean has been on a half-century recovery plan for the last man-made ecological disaster. Is it possible it can do it again? I hope so.
