The Liberation Tour – May 2021

Buon week-end a tutti! I’m still struggling to find my rural legs in Southwest Francia. I spent ten well-needed, and selfishly well-deserved days, in the Côte d’Azur of Francia. I’m calling it my personal liberation tour from what was the wettest and coldest spring in Europa since the 1990s, only to be preceded by the worst f*%$ing pandemic in 100 years.

It started with a below-freezing coldsnap in late April and was followed by three solid weeks of rain and storms in May. I imagined the Universe was washing away the long months of fatigue and darkness after the latest confinement. It was a grand gesture of dramatic weather as only Mother Nature can provide.

By mid-May I was suffering the effects of sunlight-deprivation. It was difficult to be motivated and felt as if I was just clocking time until summer was here and the first of my guests arrive. I stared at the pool wondering if it would ever be ready. I longed to feel sun on my face, arms and legs.

The coldsnap also coincided with the reopening of Francia. That meant we were liberated to travel around the country without limits for the first time since January. Restaurants, bars and retail shops also opened on May 19th. They had been closed since November when the last lockdown officially started. It was a time to celebrate, but the rain and uncooperative temperatures threatened to spoil the event.

With the house complete and the garden prepared for spring, I realized I needed to go away for a bit. It was a proverbial “licking of my wounds” after so much work and isolation. There was a part of me that wanted to signal to the Universe, I am ready for a post-pandemic life. I want to live fully again. Cominciamo la liberazione – Let’s begin the liberation tour.

I opened up Google Maps and my weather app and thought, “Where can I find the sun?” The idea of drinking a Campari spritz on a beach or eating a real pizza in a restaurant seemed like a fantasy. It became my goal.

I needed to see strangers smiling and experience meeting people along the way. I wanted to feel the closest thing to normal that I have felt in 7 months. It was time for a personal liberation tour in a way that felt, well, liberating!

Liberation along the Côte d’Azur

Italia and Spagna are still somewhat off limits without a host of COVID tests, and so I have to keep my borders in check. Europa is still slowly opening, but at least the restraints of travel are improving. The big bang happens on June 9th, when Francia has said they will open their borders to international travelers and extend the nightly curfew to 23:00. Italia has recently opened as well, although there’s a host of confusion throughout Europa on where, how and when one can travel.

Ultimately I realized that the best weather and the best socializing would be in the Côte d’Azur, a beautiful seaside corner of Francia nestled between Provence, Monaco and Italia. It seemed like the perfect destination: clear blue skies, no threat of rain on the horizon and temperatures certainly acceptable for lounging in the sun while sipping a spritz.

If you’ve heard of Nice, Cannes, Antibes and St. Tropez, they all share the same identity as cities along the Côte d’Azur or French Riviera. Nice is the main city in the area with its major airport, but all up and down the coast you have some of the most beautiful towns you can find in Europa. Italia is only 20 minutes away, while Monaco can be reached by bicycle just pedaling along the coast. However for this liberation tour, I will stay in Francia despite my desire to revisit Monaco and put my feet on the ground in my second-home country of Italia.

So on a Thursday morning I began the 7 hour drive to the southeast. I had loaded my bicycle, luggage and of course Sofia..and off we went. I know the drive well. It’s the same one I have made several times between Francia and Italia, but this time I had different plans. Or perhaps, the point was, not to have any plans. My goal was to be open to where my liberation tour would take me. I booked three nights at my first hotel, intentionally keeping my options open. There were no limits. I knew I needed to free myself from all that was asking to be let go.

La prima destinazione, Antibes

I decided to begin in Antibes, about 20 minutes north of Nice. This is where I would first experience life after confinement. I had a few things on my short list: take a few long bicycle trips, sit in the sun, meet people and most importantly, find a good pizza and practice my italiano (Antibes is close enough to Italia..one can find great pizza and more italiani in this part of Francia).

I don’t profess to know all of the history of Antibes, but the city dates back to the 5th century B.C., originally founded by the Greeks as Antipolis. It’s always been a hotspot for barbaric invasions and it’s coastal location was quite strategic for sea-faring conquerors. I found this website quite interesting, click here if you want to know more about Antibes.

I spent the first few days mainly exploring the old-town “centro storico” absorbing all of the energy that a recently-liberated town generates. Despite the drastic economic impact, there were few empty storefronts or closed businesses. It seemed that first week-end that all of Antibes was buzzing with activity. If it weren’t for the masked faces and evening curfew, you wouldn’t know the world had changed so much.

One of the unique stories from my time in Antibes is the story of how I came about to visit the Picasso Museum located in Château Grimaldi (the same Grimaldi family that founded Monaco).

Picasso spent time in Antibes just after World War II, painting and living in a studio in the château. Eventually the city of Antibes bought the château from the Grimaldi family. PIcasso found his way there well before he was famous. After his death, the city converted it to a museum in his honor to showcase his works at the château. It was on my list for a visit.

On my second night at dinner, while eating a pizza (yes, I found a few pizzas during my stay), seated next to me was a table of seven women laughing and enjoying each other’s company.

They all lived in Antibes and were speaking French. When they started talking to me, I just put Sofia out there like a sacrificial lamb. She got all of the attention while I avoided the complex conversations.

They were a diverse mix of women that had come from all over Europa and Africa. One was portoghese, another spagnola, and the woman on the far left in the photo, Habi, from Algeria.

Habi spoke a bit of English, and we were able to converse about our lives and work. Habi actually worked at the Picasso Museum. I told her I planned on visiting during my stay. She insisted that I visit as her guest. Of course, I said, “Yes!”

I went there the next afternoon and met Habi at the entrance. We spent about 30 minutes together while she told me the story of the museum, the history of Picasso’s works there and the history of the gardens. She had such an appreciation for the artist, the museum and city. It was infectious. I left her to explore on my own and had a chance to take in some of Picasso’s early works as well as the beautiful gardens. Here are some photos from my visit.

I enjoyed Antibes so much that I extended my stay there by an extra few days while I took in more of the city by bicycle. One day I decided to bike to Nice (about 20 kilometers/12 miles away). It was a beautiful seaside ride through some of the most beautiful scenery. There was an energy in the distance as I approached the city. I knew it would be someplace special.

By the time I arrived in Nice I knew I found the next stop on my “liberation tour.” So the next day I packed up my car, loaded the bike and Sofia left Antibes and off we went to Nice.

La seconda destinazione, Nice (Nizza)

If I had to describe Nice to anyone, in my opinion, it is the city in Europa that most reminds me of South Beach Miami or Santa Monica with Euro-flair and certainly better pastries.

The first day I took full advantage of the rooftop pool and terrace to just enjoy the sun and do some exploring around the area. Remember my goals: Sun on my face, Campari spritz (or maybe a rosé) in my hand and a real pizza italiana near my mouth..well Nice delivered on all fronts.

That first night I found Nice’s own “piccola l’Italia” where pizza was abundant, la lingua italiana flowed as much as the Campari and vino, and I finally found an excellent espresso from the coffee purveyors of Torino. I found myself here quite a bit in this neighborhood known as Masséna.

La terza destinazione, Cap-Ferrat

My most spectacular bike ride happened in Nice as well, as I was following the advice of my well-heeled travel friends who suggested I visit Cap-Ferrat.

Now I have seen some beautiful things in the world, but nothing could have prepared me for the bicycle ride from Nice to Cap-Ferrat. It takes about one hour, and it was one of the most magical hours I have ever spent in my life. I cruised by some of the most spectacular vistas that I have ever seen. I couldn’t take enough photos to capture the moments, but here are a few to give you a sense of what one sees along the way to Cap-Ferrat by bicycle.

Cap-Ferrat is the ultimate destination for the rIch, famous and royal. There are literally billions of euros of real estate within a tiny peninsula jutting out of the coastline. I couldn’t help feeling a bit sheepish pulling into town on my electric bike instead of a Lamborghini, Ferrari or Rolls-Royce. Once I arrived, I quickly found the Four Seasons, Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat. I forgot about my modest transportation with a glass of rosé poolside and a fabulously expensive lunch. Oh, and by the way, the hotel has a funicular to take you from the reception desk to the restaurant and pool area for guests who choose not to walk through the gardens. I did both..why not..this was all about living in the moment.

There was a part of me that felt like I was selling out my vision of a more-modest life by finding myself in such luxurious surroundings. My mouth dropped open upon arrival in Cap-Ferrat and didn’t close until I returned to Nice. So much of this reminded me of my life in California, but Beverly HIlls couldn’t compete with Cap-Ferrat.

After much thought, I know better now. As much as I appreciate the life I had, I really do like the life I lead now–and I appreciate the flexibility and the detachment from things. These things are always there if I need to revisit them. But I don’t need to surround myself with them to feel like I’m living my best life.

Final thoughts: OK Universe..I’m ready to play.

I know I dazzled you with dozens of images of what I experienced the last few weeks. If it does anything, I hope it triggers that part of you that is coming out of the fog–that part of you that is ready to play. I mean for you to really test what the Divine is willing to give you if you liberate yourself to it.

I approached this trip as a means to liberate the person that was locked away years ago when life was dark. It was also to liberate the person that was just finding their feet in Europa when the pandemic hit. Finally, it was to begin to free myself from those parts of me that I discovered during this pandemic that won’t serve me in the future. Those beliefs, habits and predispositions that perhaps I have since outgrown.

I don’t take for granted the life I have created. It’s been a difficult journey the last few years, but I’ve suffered far less than most. If there’s anything that I learned in these last few weeks, life is too short not to play. Whatever that means to you, and wherever you find your joy, dabble with it. Let the Universe know you’re ready to play..in our post-pandemic world be all-in.

Il tempo non aspetta per nessuno e la vita è troppo breve.

All of my love to you,

Luke