It was Cecily’s dream vacation: she and her family had rented an ancient stone farmhouse near St.-Paul-de-Vence on the French Riviera. Recently renovated to luxurious standards, it stood between an olive orchard and a lavender farm, strolling distance from the sea, and it came with a Renault.
For their first morning, coffee, baguette, and fresh farm butter had been delivered by the agent. Cecily feasted lightly on the terrace, then drove into Nice and shopped for groceries. So far, excellent. She loaded the Renault feeling spiffy, pleased with her success, and rather… je ne sais quois. Perhaps rather French.
Just as Cecily got into the car a nice-looking man approached and asked her something: where could he buy a newspaper? where was a petrol station? Cecily’s French had rusted since high school, but she struggled to understand.
“Don’t worry,” the man said in English. “I am not going to steal from you.”
What? Cecily swiveled in her seat just in time to see another man, a partner, dash off with her purse which, sadly, still contained her entire family’s passports and return air tickets. The nice-looking man at her window was gone.
Cecily had spent weeks researching French villa-rental companies and poring over their offerings. After deciding on the 400-year-old farmhouse, she read up on the nearby perfume factories, the Musée Picasso, and where to tour an olive oil processor. She compiled a list of every enticing restaurant she’d read about within a hundred-mile radius of the farmhouse, whether Michelin starred or a village secret. Crime reports were the furthest thing from Cecily’s mind. She’d focused on weather reports.
Excerpt from Travel Advisory: How to Avoid Thefts, Cons, and Street Scams
Chapter Two (part-a): Research Before You Go
5 Comments
Hello,
I’m French so sorry for by Bad English…
French Riviera (Nice and Cannes) have always been a good place for criminals… You have sun, heat and lot of tourists from all the World, and a lot of Money ! In Cannes for the Cinema festival you can find a lot of thief and from few years they come from Romania and we call them “Romes”… I know you know the little Romes girls in paris or Barcelona with their City Map in Subway…
In reality in France from few years, the thief in street are immigrants and not French for a Big part… French prefer sell Drug, Prostitution, Racket, etc. In South in France you can find a Mafia called the “milieu” in French and it is a mixe of persons from French Ghetto, Corsica, and few from Albania, etc. They attack blinded trucks, sell fake money, prostitute girls, racket, sell drugs (especially Hachish from Morrocco), etc. They do everything which give Cash ! LOL
I know many time France has a Bad image in the other countries and especially USA with French Rebellion in Ghetto in 2005 if I’m not wrong… I remember the Americans News Telling “France Burning”… It was really too much and not appreciated by French themselves…
France is a very Nice Country where I Love to Live !!!
For finish, I’ve seen your documentary on Nat Geo in Naples and it was Excellent ! I know very well Italy because I travel 2-3 times per month in all Italy. Thank You for your good Job Bambi and Bob !
David in France
You’ve got her focus just right, the same as most travelers. No wonder there are so many successful crooks.
Yes, as windy said, feasting is not defined by quantity. Perhaps it’s a female thing… Imagine one perfect croissant, or a chunk of baguette with the ultimate crust-to-crumb ratio, sweet fresh butter, thick fruity preserves, café au lait, maybe a bit of just-picked fruit… Add the view (country or seaside), the air (fume-free), the company (loved and loving), and you’ve got a feast.
Ahhh, but the feast here is in the quality, taste and dream location–not necessarily in the stuffing.
How do you feast lightly???