Thinking back on my recent visits to the South of France I never tire of the magic it holds. This trip I really enjoyed visiting Antibes. I had been there in the past and was not a big fan, but this time it was different. Maybe it was finding the perfect place to stay. Imagine a terra cotta Italian style villa with beautiful fountains, pool, and an over all relaxing atmosphere. I felt so at home at the  Hotel Imperial Groupe that I didn’t want to leave.

Another one of the highlights of the trip included a visit to an Absinthe Bar, also in Antibes. This was alot of fun since I was with a small group and I was surprised to learn that there is a method to preparing and drinking absinthe. First of all the owner gave a little history of Absinthe and invited us all to put on a hat from the bar, since this is customary in these establishments. Next our glasses were filled one per table, since we were told that the absinthe is so strong it kills any germs. I was thinking OK I guess I am game to try. A decanter with little faucets was filled with water and placed in the middle of the table.  The glass was placed under one of the faucets and a flat type spoon with holes was placed on the top of the glass. A sugar cube that was soaked in absinthe was placed on the spoon and the faucet was turned on to a slow drip to dissolve the sugar cube. Once the sugar cube was dissoved, you turn the faucet off and drink the cloudy beverage. It did have a licorice taste and wasn’t half bad. What a great morning…..then it was off to lunch.

Lunch was at a restaurant right on the water in Antibes and although the food was very good, the biggest surprise was the toilets in the restrooms. Upon flushing the seat began to move until it had rotated in a complete circle and been cleaned by something on the back of the toilet. Check out this video you won’t believe your eyes. http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=432632