Bla Bla Car gets better and better. This time there was air con, such a treat. My fellow backseat passenger was a ginger cat who looked most unimpressed at my arrival, immediately turned his back on me and, in the way only cats can, ignored me for the rest of the journey.
I couldn't tell whether it was my driver or the other passenger, but there was something ironic about going to Grasse, the perfume capital of France, if not the world, with a malodorous person in the car!
As well as the technical progress with the climate control, my language skills have improved slightly. I actually conversed in French, saying things that didn't involve ordering food or drink. I couldn't conjugate my verbs and it was messy, but my companions understood. Better still, my driver knew where my destination was. There was no need to fret this time.
On the motorway just outside Cannes, I spotted a motorbike, moving at speed with a female passenger on the back. She was wearing a white top and skirt, with bare, brown arms and legs. I thought that was adventurous enough considering her mode of transport, then as we got closer, I noticed she had accessorised with a baby pink helmet and six inch silver heels! I could hazard a guess at her occupation but that would be stereotyping.
Arriving in Grasse, I became extremely grateful to my driver. Grasse is laid out over a hillside and she very kindly drove me to the door of my next AirBnB residence, up more switchbacks. Climbing them on foot, with my rucksack, in the heat would probably have been worse than yesterday's switchback event.
The house I am staying in has panoramic views over Grasse, down to Cannes and the sea. My ground floor room has a sleigh bed, a traditional French style wardrobe and doors that open onto the garden. A family live here and there are assorted items of footwear and bikes strewn about, so it feels very authentic. I have no catering facilities so I've made my way down into the town for some food.
I'm not entirely sure yet if I'll like it here, but I think that may be because I loved Aix so much and now I'm starting over again, finding my way around somewhere new. I'm sure I'll relax a bit when I've got my bearings. There are a lot of families here, and I've heard more English conversation in 30 mins than in the whole of the rest of my trip, which is somehow reassuring.
I think I am going to take it easy here. I've crammed a lot into the last few days and haven't been sleeping too well because of the heat so I'm feeling quite weary. I'll probably spend the mornings exploring, when it is a bit cooler. Then relax in the garden in the afternoons. I've not done any sunbathing yet, almost a week into my trip, which is unheard of for me. I am keen to visit the perfume museum though, and maybe even make my own bespoke perfume, which will be quite energetic enough.
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