Snow and beaches.

~ I can't complain too much about winter in the south of France. For one, the sky was perfectly blue 6 out of every 7 days. Two, when the wind blows and you are wearing a scarf the two tail ends whip about dramatically instead of hanging limp and ridiculous most of the time. This alone justifies scarf-wearing.

Socks on ice...



Going to the least populated region in France, la Lozère, in the middle of winter, we found what we were expecting: snow, fields of it; and ice, captured in small frozen ponds. Here, Carina finds a graceful pose.

Not Mardi Gras, Carnaval...



Yes, the French have silly string as well. And it stings like the dickens when it hits you right in the face. Little French kids can be merciless, as I learned in class. Anyway, by the end of February we were tired of winter and decided to head for the Côte d'Azur, specifically to Nice for its famous Carnaval parades and fireworks. We also make a trek along the coast visiting the beaches and wading out into the warm winter surf.