Nice

We made our way to the coast and took the highway lazily through Ventimiglia, Menton, around Monaco into Nice. Parked in downtown Nice and joined the crowds in a relaxing amble through the town, to lunch, to the Promenade. Found our way to the mall with the Starbucks (we accidentally parked in the mall's car park--oh, darn) and learned they had no more old-style Starbucks mugs but "the other Starbucks near the airport" still had some. Aha!

Picking up Alcalde at the airport proved more difficult than expected because of navigational difficulties, Nice airport complexities, Alcalde saying he was in Terminal 2 when he was in Terminal 1, and other things. The connection was eventually made and we were expertly guided to "the other Starbucks" near the airport by some darn good luck and solid, expert dead reckoning. Mostly the first. And there we found...

There is an interesting dimension to this trip/mash unfolding. One member of the Mash Club, who we would not want to name and shame, is not here and is spamming us with petty criticisms and inventing juvenile dramas about his home appliances. It's clear he is overwhelmed with guilt over his failure to join us. Too bad. For him, that is. He could be on another continent, far away from his homicidal washer, if he had simply allowed himself the simple pleasure of being here.

His loss. So sad. Meanwhile, the sun is slowly setting over the Mediterranean and there is a soft breeze in the warm air on the balcony overlooking the coastline. So what, exactly, were we talking about?

Note Jose in Ron Jon shirt that I gave him over twenty years ago at another Mash.