Day 3/4: And I’m Doing Ironman Too!

Just returned from the local Farmer’s Market. It was my second trip down this morning: First time to get fresh produce and baked goods for our breakfast (which included… a quiche Nicoise (which is a traditional dish with tuna) as Julie exclaimed, “to die for,” a goat cheese and sundried tomato semi open calzone, fresh fruits, a pastry I can’t pronounce let alone spell but tasted better than it looked and it was a piece of art, coffee, orange juice. The night flew by as I had my first real full nights sleep. The purpose of this has nothing to do with jet lag. In fact, I’ve experienced very little disruption to normal sleep patterns. But what was causing the middle of the night awakenings were obnoxious buzzing sounds around my head. The first night after noticing several spots on my hands, that began to itch, I turned on the lights expecting to find THE culprit and get blood for blood (however his blood would still be mine) and came to realize we had been swarmed. That night began a two-night assault now known as, Operation Mosquito Storm; which on day one produced 13 kills and 15 bites. Thinking we knew the solution to the problem, the next day the door was closed during the early evening when they come out and reopened when we retired. But once again at 4am that familiar burning sensation on my forehead and buzzing ‘round the ears. Sadly we closed our sliding glass door and closed out the sounds of the gentle bay to once again go on the offensive. Day two total: 9 kills, 9 bites. Since then we have discovered closing the storm windows but leaving our slider open and as a result, day three; the war zone was silent.

Last night will go down as one of my favorite culinary experiences of my life. Feeling rather adventurous, Mel, Linda, Julie (who I picked up at the train station to a string of “WOW!”s ) Joy and I drove over to Antibes to experience the vibe that made this throwback port one of Picasso’s most productive locations.  I, not so quickly, found the cape port and Fort Carre' built to protect France form Italy. Here we discovered one of the most trendy and relaxed restaurants I’ve ever experienced. The Bastion, is not reasonable but it is worth it. Beginning with a complimentary Chef starter, salmon with olives, sun dried tomatoes and an infused olive oil that got us all excited for what was to come our evening was accompanied with a fantastic rose’ by Gynko and a superb Chateauneuf du Pape. Menu standouts were the Prawns in a gazpacho with cucumber sorbet and arugula, the “melt in your mouth” seared scallops, a crème foie gras with a spoon of Sancerre jelly… and a chocolate molten cake with a hazelnut ice cream that was so good I actually licked the plate… no joke! The evening was capped with again, complimentary lemoncello that set the mood for the night. The setting was amazing with the old fort lit up, the trendy setting against the bay and lighthouse, glistening from man made luminaries and moonlight.

Earlier I registered for the race on the Promenade, worked on my bike, and run… dialing in some bike issues that I hope to have resolved by tomorrow. I think I may have found the solution this morning.
Other than the typical American stupid things we have done like, going to the market at closing time and not knowing how to shop and taking all of our “unweighed” and “unmarked” produce to the check stand creating sounds and looks I can’t describe here, the people have been so accommodating and friendly. Especially the lady this morning who teared up when we spoke with her about her son, who lives in Virginia and who gave Joy an extra handmade towel with fondly saying, “I love Americans.”

... now evening... I still can’t believe we’re here. I’m still having a hard time focusing on the race because this is already proving to be a vacation like no other! However, Ironman is a major part of why we came here. So… time to get my mind and body into the race. Like heading into the hinterlands as they refer to them here for a sense of untouched Provence but really to scope out part of the bike course and give me a sense of the road conditions and type of elevation gain. Also, I needed to revisit a bike shop north of Nice to return a saddle that I thought I would need but turns out I don’t… which is good. Rule number one in racing triathlon, especially Ironman: NEVER race with new or different gear than you trained! And a different saddle is about as crucial as it gets; for 112 miles – I need not say anymore. While there we ate lunch at a very busy Patisserie with the locals and it was obvious this wasn’t a place that catered to tourists, but they were polite and we were grateful for Julie’s command of the French language. On another food note: Bakeries here; magnifique!  Bakeries back home; what the heck are you thinking?

   Afterwards we began our journey into the hinterlands… the roads were narrow and in good condition with moderate grade. Our first stop was Vence; a hilltop town (pictured above) that is known as an artist’s enclave. Henri Matisse designed and constructed a chapel for his nurse who cared for him in his waning years. Unfortunately, they close on Fridays and this we did not know. Walking the narrow cobbles of the old city from restaurant to gallery I had to chuckle when Joy turned to me and said, “I feel like we’re at Epcot.” True, it was almost too perfect in French ambiance but extremely real. Especially the elderly lady who just stood in her window, flanked by red shutters looking out into the 15’ wide street. Each time we tried to take a photo she just stepped back telling us in silence she wasn’t willing to go home with someone she’s never met.

   As we continued along the road to the west we came upon even more stunning and untouched villages like Tourrettes sur Loup and Bars sur Loup. These old villages are comprised of hundreds of stone houses that hug the hillsides like barnacles on a ship. The countryside is fresh with the sent of orchid and jasmine and green with lush produce known for the region of Provence. Soon we had made our way to Grasse. Known for it production of perfume, it is home to three main “parfumaries” and has been the center of the perfume industry since the 1500’s. It’s old and with modern sprawl nearly impossible to quickly navigate by car.

Making our way back to Theoule we dropped off Mel, Linda and Julie as Joy and I headed back to Nice for the “Carbo-Load” pasta party. I generally don’t like going to these things because the food is usually pretty bad and the speeches boring. But I needed something to get me in Race Mode so we decided to go. Thinking I could just drive and park at the pasta party location, I quickly got lost in the maze of Nice streets, avenues and tunnels. Best bet was to just go the expo and hop on a shuttle. We found parking in an underground garage, hopped on and ten minutes later walked into the Exposition Palace about a mile away. The sound system was pumping out techno-dance music and the buffet tables were crowded. Pasta, bolognaise sauce and salad were the main faire while fresh fruit and strudel, tiramisu, and a fruit tart capped the meal while they served non-alcohol beer. I told Joy the international race parties are hard to sit through because of the language barrier and they usually had some English interpreted for the foreign guests. But once the program began it was clear whether in French or English we would not be able to understand because of the horrible acoustics. They did however show a video of last years race that gave me a small idea of the crowds, the vibe of the swim start and the look on the faces of those riding and running (which can be pretty telling). But after that and they started to randomly go into the audience to interview participants it was clear they didn’t have much of a program so Joy and I decided to leave. But the busses would not leave until 9pm. We opted to walk back, which oddly gave us another look of the modern France that occupies a historic local.  Nice is a blend of French infusion on Italy’s coast (Nice was part of Italy until the turn of the last century) and Italian culture of an obvious part of France.

Still learning about the differences of our countries, getting out of the parking garage proved we once again were dumb Americans. Here you take your ticket, then upon leaving slide it in a kiosk to pay and clear that ticket. But we just sat at the gate trying over and over again to slide that ticket in thinking it would raise the gate… noticing a button with a phone on it, I pushed and only French, not a single “uhhh”, “yes”, “no” just a string of words quickly spoken and then a click. Shaking my head, Joy shrugged and soon a man walked out using hand motions to explain that there was a booth behind me and to peage… (pay) I got that! Then a word of English… “Leave” pointing to the car and then pointing to the booth. I smile… “Merci be coup!”
We got back and I sat outside contemplating the next day. Knowing this nights sleep is the most important and tomorrows will be futile with nerves keeping me up. I’ll be leaving for the race venue at about 4:15 am on Sunday… tomorrow I check everything in and try to do my best to keep my nerves in check. The next time I post I’ll be post race and I should have a detailed report.

Finally, (and sorry for the length of this. War and Peace could have been a shorter read) when out there, because it is a long day I’ll be thinking of many of you who have encouraged, shared or otherwise just asked me about this race and why I do it. When I feel like giving up and when the hurting becomes unbearable I’ll remember you’re watching and cheering without ever seeing or me hearing. I’ll think of those who’ve sacrificed for me to do this and those who benefit from me doing so.

Pray for my safety. Pray for my witness. I’ll be sporting FCA colors in a not so FCA arena. Also, pray for my Joy (as well as my happiness)… and Mel, Linda and Julie too. I can’t imagine a more boring thing to do than watch and Ironman… but then again, if you’re gonna have to do it… why not the French Rivera?

Bonne Journee

Comments

[Clyde]

Dan, glad to hear that your managing in a different culture and different language. Unfortunately it sounds like the mosquitos are no different no matter what the language...haha.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and Joy, as you race tomorrow. Be safe, have fun, and kick butt!!!

[elliej]

Really enjoying the updates. Guillaume and I were just thinking of you earlier and tracking the time here with you there... Look forward to hearing how it goes and how the rest of your time in France pans out. praying for you - and Joy.

[Mod]

Danny Boy!!!
Writin' ya'll from Atlanta...anxiously awaiting some race updates and info (I think it happened over this weekend????). My thoughts, prayers, and passion is with you partner!
Run Forrest!!!! RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love ya',
Mod

[Mod]

oops....my PLURAL actions and sentiments ARE with you (the South is rubbin' off on me with my "ISm"s!!!!!

[EllieJ]

Dan -- tracked your race through the Ironman site last night and today, look forward to hearing/reading about it from your perspective. Hope the race went well and you are recovery in just time...
The excitement for you at church this morning was fun -- people checking in with each other if they had updates, seeing the people with the little print outs from the athlete tracker, and people wondering at your sanity at your accomplishment -- but also so very proud of your perseverance and endurance...take care the rest of your time away...

[Jim Drake]

Dan
Thanks for the detailed post.. I love it. We were in Paris last June. We loved the sites..but the people were a little tart to us--so we didn't get a good "french" impression. But the food was amazing.

Blessings and keep enjoying the experience.

[angela Hart]

I hope it went awesome Dan. Can't wait to read your post about the race.

And France...I lived there for a summer. I GET it!! Sounds like you guys are having a "temps tres bon!!" (aka very good time!)