A party over

 
 
Photo taken by Kate

For my own happiness I have decided that the trip I write about now is a trip of calm waters to avoid a delayed feeling of sea sickness, I just  happen to get very sea sick, goodness knows how I managed all those years at sea.

So this is a pleasant trip just enough wind to go sailing without the motor, steady enough to keep us slicing through the water, like a knife through butter. No heaving up and down or rolling from side to side, I don't know which of htose is worse. Just nice enough that we can have the fore hatch open and a breeze comes through the galley to soothe my feavoured brow. On a beautiful day sailing along the south coast of France, with the Alpes Maritimes as the back drop, I feel blessed with my lot. We stop for the guests to swim, the stewardesses lay the table and prepare drinks> I am happy with my buffet, all I have to do now is garnish the dishes, and the garnish is usually gone with the wind! Clean up the galley and serve the hungry crew.

My sailing days are a long time ago, but are vivid in my mind as an extraordinary experience for a London based chef and caterere. Grey streets and rainy days, dark restaurant kitchens with florescent lights, what a change then for this, azure blue seas and skies, mountains rising out of hte coast line, palm trees and white houses with purple, orange and pink bourganvillia stretching itself over them with such pleasure and happiness. Pretty beaches and near naked people, grand buildings exuding wealth and a certain contentment. whilst the guests ate their lunch I would sit on the bow of the boat and gaze at my surroundings literally pinching myself to see if it were true. Time now to sail back to port, say goodbye to the guests, clear up wash down the boat and get ready to go dancing. I am far too old to do it now nor would I want to , at least not all night as I used to in those days, dawn was often up to greet us as we made our way back to the boat.

I did not know then that I would settle and live in the South of France and it would become my home and my place of work.

Monaco, Cap D'Ail, Beausoleil, Villefranch, Nice.

Nice, ................a demain

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[elliebaker@aol.com]

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[elliebaker@aol.com]

Lovely to catch up with these posts...I love you xxx