Homesickness and Strangers Changing My Mood
Nice, France
Through 18 years of travel in more than 27 countries, I remember getting sick only once. At the end of my 2019 trip to Portugal, I picked up some kind of stomach bug on the last day. Fortunately, it was manageable on the return flight and didn’t really hit with all it’s glory until I was at home. This is kind of a miracle since I’ve eaten some pretty sketchy things – street food in the Dominican Republic, raw fish on a boat in Greece, mystery stew in a remote shack in Brazil. Last week I picked up a similar stomach bug and had a lost weekend while I tried to sleep it off.
This sickness had the odd symptom of a sudden pain in the right side of my head and jaw. I generally think of myself as an optimist, but not without running through worst-case scenarios in my head. What if I run out of food and I’m too weak to walk to the store? What if I become delirious? What if I have a tooth infection that becomes septic and infects my brain?
Every time I dragged myself to the kitchen to make tea and toast, I thought of my mother. And I wanted her, even though she’s been gone for 12 years. I’m so thankful for my sister who has a great maternal instinct and checks on me regularly. It doesn’t hurt that she’s a medical professional.
“Do you have enough food?”
“Yes, I’m good for a few days. I don’t really want to eat much right now.”
“Is the pharmacy open on the weekends?”
“Yes, it’s right at the end of the street and I can get there if I need to.”
We also had a discussion about the meds I left back at her house because I was so ruthless about lightening up my luggage. I never get sick, so why bring them?
After 36 hours in bed, I started to feel better. I pushed myself to get outside and take a walk, feeling weak and shaky. It helped, but I still didn’t feel normal. I spent another day taking it easy. Being sick had done a number on my frame of mind. I was grouchy. While stuck in the apartment, I started to miss American life and I was annoyed at all things French. Stupid tiny grocery stores. Stupid language. Stupid honking cars on the street below. Stupid lingering meals. Stupid beautiful light shining on the sea. I felt very far away from my family and friends, and I really missed them.
I had a week left until my return to the U.S., which struck me as funny. In the past, a week was a typical amount of vacation time. Now it felt like a very short time. If I didn’t get out and experience some more of Nice, I’d be wasting my remaining days. Finally, six days after getting sick, my appetite was back. I had that indefinable sense of well-being again. You know how good it feels after you’ve been sick for a few days? You are so grateful to feel better that everything takes on a special glow. I left my apartment in search of a big lunch.
I walked down my street by the port and angled up a few blocks toward Garibaldi Place. Rue Bonaparte, a pedestrian street, leads to Garibaldi, a vibrant town square. Rue Bonaparte is lined with restaurants. I’d been hungry for fish, so when I saw Piexes, I didn’t waste any time.
I ate half the ceviche before I thought to take a photo. Patatas bravas and Ceviche de Saint-Jacques with white fish.
Pavlova: fig chutney, smoked pepper, raspberry ice cream
While I waited for my server, I listened to the ladies at the table next to me order a cheese plate. I had the same confusion they were having as the waitress repeated her question.
“It is cold cheese; is that okay?” Cold cheese? What other kind of cheese would it be?
“Gold cheese?” they asked.
The waitress said something I didn’t quite catch, but they completed their order and she went away to prepare it.
“Excuse me, did she say “cold cheese”? I asked.
“Goat cheese.”
“Ohhhhhh. That makes so much more sense.”
And we laughed about our crazy misunderstandings.
One of the ladies told me how good their meal had been. So good, they were considering returning for dinner. I found out her name was Yoo-jin and that they “met in Rome.” Her companion, Heesook, added that Yoo-jin was kind to invite her along. I was thinking they were two friends who’d met while traveling in Rome, who now got together for girls’ trips. Yoo-jin lives in San Francisco and Heesook in South Korea. They each flew to Rome and then came on together to France. They are staying in Cannes and took a day trip into Nice.
You-jin and Heesook
We chatted about winery tours and my trip to Croatia. Yoo-jin mentioned being surprised, as I was, that people weren’t more fashionable in Nice. She thought maybe they would be more elevated in Paris. Heesook asked about the favorite place I’ve traveled. I talked about Greece and Lake Como. Yoo-jin recommended that I travel to South Korea, and we talked about expectations for visiting big cities.
I learned that Heesook had written personal essays earlier in her life, but then turned her attention to painting. Now she is learning something different, but around that point in the conversation, she casually made some comment about Yoo-jin being her daughter. I was surprised and so busy straightening out my first misconception that I forget what she said about her other interests.
Finding the right balance with talking to strangers can be difficult. If we hadn’t kept up our conversation, I would have walked away thinking they were traveling friends. I try to be sensitive about how many questions I can ask a stranger. What type of work does Yoo-jin do? Does Heesook live with a husband? How long would they be in France? Where else have they been? I think they are going to Paris next, in a few days.
I may not get all the details right, but I was so happy to have met them. I left the restaurant feeling 1,000% better than I had the past few days, and I was back in love with France again. Lovely lingering meals. Lovely food and wine. Lovely light shining on the sea.
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Tips & Recommendations
The best meal deal is usually the plat du jour. For around 20 euros, you get bread, a main course, and dessert. I added a glass of wine and finished with an espresso.
On many restaurant websites, the word for “menu” is “map,” which I find amusing and highly appropriate.
Nice is a large city, so I’ve been able to find restaurants and groceries at any hour. Many businesses tend to close between 2 and 5 p.m., however. And days off vary, so if I am interested in a particular business, I check online before going.
Starting a conversation with strangers usually begins with something simple, like commenting on how good their order looks. If they don’t want to pursue a conversation, they won’t, but sometimes they are happy to make a follow-up comment or ask a question and then you’re off and running!
I traveled to France for 30 days in September and October of 2024 to see what it would be like to “live” internationally. The plan was to stay in Nice, spend time writing, and find out what happens when you’re not pressed to see every significant site in seven days.