Our "Shayana" festival has wrapped up, and I could finally get back to wordsmithing. Let's go in order. The order being that in mid-January 2018, we flew out of Daugavpils to Nice — Denis with his family, and me.
My brain, poisoned by reading Western articles about diversity and feminism, can't help but notice that I'm writing "husband with his family," and not "wife with her family." On the other hand, Denis is my colleague and he was the one I actually knew at the time, so it all makes sense.
Denis
The massive beard catches the eye right away. Those readers who are already aware of my current look will probably start looking for subtext. I don't know, maybe Denis did influence me, but only subconsciously.
The Azure Coast
By French standards, Nice is a poor region, even though it's located on the famous Côte d'Azur, that is, the Azure Coast. On the other hand, France, according to Denis, is the richest country in the European Union. As an honorary member of the nitpickers' club, I decided to verify this claim. It turned out that, according to the most well-known metric, this isn't true. France is outpaced by Germany and the UK. Perhaps, if you calculate it differently, it might work out. In any case, even a poor region of France practically sparkles with money. The million-euro villas, restaurants, and apartments are as countless as the diamonds in the stone caves.
As you can see, when I flew out, I wasn't overgrown yet
By sheer coincidence, I take an interest in a well-known brand the color of workers and peasants. The fact that aluminum cans in France come in no less than three types — chubby, skinny, and micro — didn't surprise me all that much. But the fact that the taste of their cola is far more saturated with vanilla came as a surprise. I already knew that "the consistent taste of cola" is just marketing, but here it's glaringly obvious. Ever since then, I've started paying special attention, and it seemed to me that in Morocco, the cola is less tasty than back home and in France.
The exceptionally mild climate of the Azure Coast is conducive to the growth of flora and fauna
So that's where the outdoor exercise machines in our city come from!
Winter? Never heard of it, the daffodils are blooming!
An artifact of unknown nature — a lock right in the wall
Like a poor artist, I lived in an attic with ancient beams and modern pipes. But the water babbles soothingly, making it easy to fall asleep!
I asked everywhere for them to pour me some boiling water. I brewed my own, aesthetically refusing to drink the local tea.
Old Europe is beautiful, what can you say
Even the birds here get fat off the air of wealth
And the sunsets are divine