Le Trayas-Ste. Maxime

Continuing from yesterday, the road go through red mountains "Massif de l'Esterel", there are a lot of up and down. Cycling on such road is hard of course, but very exciting. The red mountains is right to me, blue sea and rocky coast, sometimes small beach, are left to me. On downhill, I have an illusion to dive to seawater.


A red mountain range

So I dived into sea actually.
Snorkeling in rocky coast. I can find some groups of the kind of sardine. On shore I can find some top less ladies taking a nap behind of rocks.

Peaple around here have a daily life with wearing swimming suit. Both young and old, men and women, grandfather and kids, beauty and unbeauty, Everybody wear swimming pants or bikini. Even If he or she doesn't wear a swimming suit, his wear is not far from naked.
Tough old lady jogging in the bikini is the spectacle often seen around here. Since it is such a place, youngvoluptuous girls wearing with bikini may walk around with no embarrassment. (In Japanese theory, boys feel sexy not for girls body but for girls shamming look. I don't know this is only in Ja pan or not.)
Of course I ride my bicycle wearing swimming pants. This is because I can dive into sea as soon as it gets hot. I don't know I have a sexal shamming look.


The middle aged looks at a menu.
Such appearance make them possible to save from washing clothes. French peaple are very clever.

What I need now is a gas cartridge of the camping stove. Without gas, I can not cook my dishes that are more delicious than French restaurant, and I must pay to a meal petty each time. It is inconvenient to camp. I must search it in France because I can not carry by airplane.
I can buy one in big supermarket in St. Raphael, and feels relieved. But when I use gas stove, it does not mutch my gas stove. Oh, God, I remain not enjoying shopping at fish markets, herb store, or cheese shop.

Taking advantage of yesterday's reflection, I bought maps around here. Moreover, whenever I was in a town, I went an information center to get a map. This enabled me to understand where the place I want to go is, enabled me to judge where I can go until today, and I can know where to stay tonight.
And it means I can concentrate my mind to go forward.


The circular stadium of the time of the Roman Empire. Cycling without any purpose, I can meet such a place.

Today's French lesson

La Carte, s'il vous plait./ L'addition, s'il vous plait.
A menu, please./ Check, please.

I'm trying to ask in French looking at a conversation dictionary for travelers. Yes, they seem to understand my French! I asked them in French, and they answered me in French. But it does not mean conversation was made. However kind they answer me, I don't understand their language. (So usually I asked in English, even if some of them can not understand)
In this point of view, a request style in French is useful. I ask them in French, and they will act. Oh, my French is helpful.

"List of dishes" in French is carte, not menu. (In Japanese, menu means List of dishes. there is traditional word for list of dishes in Japanese, but usually we say "menu" also in Japanese.) With a list of menu, I can understand somehow since it is resembled to English. Or pointing randomly, something unexpected may come out.

(2004 8/9)