Finally today I was able to do something that I have been craving for weeks…….to go to the beach and swim in the sea! I’m a bit sunburned but it was worth it. The water was fresh and chilly and so salty that I could completely relax and float on my back letting the tiny little swells rock away any stresses that have built up in my body over the last 5 monthes. The air was whipped by a steady gusty breeze and filled with the fragrance of seaweed and ozone. The water was two tones of blue; a light milky azure where it was shallow and cobalt where the deeper bit began. The beach that we went is on the opposite side from Cannes of a huge bay at a beautiful seaside town called Theoule sur Mer. I think everyone was local and it was interesting to note that yes, it is true, going topless on the French Riviera is normal. However, unlike N America where the younger generation might be more likely to do it to rebel against the norm, here it’s the older women who do simply as the norm. This is because it was all the rage more in their time- in the 50’s and 60’s. So one sees elegant refined (and I must say fit) women in their 50’s (or older) tanning without tops. I was very impressed and decided that I should join in regardless of my age! Afterall, when in France…!
A Perfumed Pilgrimage 