Rainy Day Blues

It was a rainy day — our first in Antibes. We got a bit stir crazy being in the house all day. 

Antibes, like Miami, is very oriented to the outdoors. Everything is open to the outside. I remember giving a tour of the UM campus to someone from the midwest who said all of our buildings appeared to be half-built. I asked him what he meant, and he pointed out that our hallways opened to the outdoors. Many of the places in Antibes are like that. They count on good weather all year round; their establishments just pour out onto the squares and sidewalks.  We’ve benefited greatly from this outward orientation. With three active (read: hyperactive) boys, we need to be outside.

We started the day at the movies. I’m not sure if all French cinemas are like the one in Antibes, but it was a bare-bones experience. No concessions except some vending machines— imagine our popcorn, only more gross. They don’t even pretend to pop in on premises. The theaters and screens were small by American standards— in fact, I’m sure there are some home theaters in the burbs that are bigger. Kids talked throughout the movie (another commonality with Miami). My kids were great; they enjoyed seeing the Lego movie in French. They had already seen it in English, so they didn’t get lost with the rapid-fire dialogue. 

This ain't no fluff-n-fold; hanging out our laundry in my "charming" house.
Cooper complained today-- "agh- mom! why are my socks so stiff??"
I said "Well, they've been hanging out to dry."
"Oh-- that is AWFUL!" he said.
Perhaps I should splurge and go to the fluff and fold- just once -- for soft socks.

The cave kitchen- on the ground floor.
Behind me is original hearth, now a stove.

The boys did pretty well, and I rewarded them with a day of videos and video games inside. All of this time cooped up gave me more time to consider our housing situation. Not that I am complaining….I selected this house because it was a charming old house in the center of the old city. Everything is so close. We are situated between some of the greatest pedestrian lanes in town, lined with boutiques and restaurants. I googled a restaurant recommended on trip advisor and it was 223 feet from our house.





















The kitchen of our house is cave-like, with a barrel ceiling and rock walls that end in a large fireplace that, even though now houses a modern stove, still features the hearth and chimney from its fire-burning days. We have charming wood-timbered ceilings and a small roof-top terrace. We open our windows to open air in the daytime and cover them with shutters at night. It is very, very charming. 

This little area at the back of the livingroom
is perfect for homeschool.

But after a day stuck inside, this house is losing its lustre. Of course, it’s not very spacious. It’s hard to clean; and you can’t really tell what’s clean and what’s not. The charming rock-lined walls drop sand and mortar dust into the kitchen all of the time. The tile floors and countertops have a patina. Nuff said. There is no corner nearing a 90 degree angle as far as I can tell. And I need a little more space, especially on a rainy day. With three boys.

Front half of living room--
an extra desk for homeschool.

Stairs up the back of the living room to the bedrooms,
one on the third floor and one on the fourth floor. Cooper hates these stairs
because they are hell with socks on!

I am done with charming. I am so happy I haven’t booked our place in Florence yet. Taylor and I were looking at some very CHARMING homes, but I can tell you that now I am hoping to book an ultramodern flat with clean lines and frankly— clean. 

With five travelers, we need to go with apartments; hotels are mostly out. Now I am on a mission to take a break from charming. Sorry Taylor. 

So — kid update. We went out to dinner tonight. This is big. My kids usually cannot handle late night outings. I prepped them a bit— perhaps a little too much, because Samuel was totally anxiety ridden when were seated and it took a bit for him to settle down. They were great. 

They made a few noisy outbursts, and the older couple seated directly behind my boys turned around to make overt gestures to alert me to their noise— thanks, because I hadn’t noticed. Anyway, I thought they did great, despite the looks shot my way by the older couple. When we left I turned to the couple and apologized for the noise and wished them a good evening. The lady said, “of course, they are just being boys. You have a good night too!” This has happened a few times when I make an effort to apologize for my boys’ behavior here. I guess if I had not apologized, they would have thought I was just being rude, but once I acknowledge it, what can they do? I’ll take their kindness, whether they are sincere or not. It’s true, they are just being boys and maybe I need to lighten up on them as well.