1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 386 Are you all done going crazy? It's my turn.
There is a strange phenomenon in Nice.

The most famous seaside pedestrian street is called The English Road.

This is highly inconsistent with the relationship between Britain and France.

"Because Nice wasn't part of France when this road was built." Zoe and Ronan were strolling along this famous seaside promenade.

During the Carnival, the Promenade des Anglais is extremely crowded and is a must-visit landmark for every tourist to Nice.

"Something from the 19th century?" Ronan asked.

Nice was annexed by France in 1860.

Zoe looked at the azure sea and said:
"Perhaps even earlier, starting in the second half of the 18th century, Nice's warm climate attracted a large number of British nobles to spend the winter here for medical treatment, mainly tuberculosis patients."

Legend has it that one particularly cold winter, a large influx of beggars from the north flooded into Nice. Wealthy British merchants hired them to build this coastal pedestrian path. Initially only two meters wide to facilitate walks for the British, the Nice city government later expanded the road and officially named it 'Promenade des Anglais' (The English Way).

Ronan said with a smile:
"The narrow path has become a wide road."

Zoe laughed along:
"We don't have time to visit the Nice History Museum today. In fact, the British not only built this coastal scenic road, but also constructed Nice's first luxury hotels. They also brought the seaside bathing culture. It was the British who propelled Nice's transformation from a fishing village to a resort destination."

"Next time, I'll definitely take you to see it next time." Zoe seemed to have made some decisions.

“We can go today too,” Ronan said, pausing for a moment. “We don’t have anything planned for this afternoon, so we can go do whatever we want.”

On the way back to the hotel last night, the artists from Lourmarin mentioned that there were many fun new experiences to have in Nice. Although Ronan was not interested in any of them, he could tell that Zoe was eager to try them out, and that Zoe had many places she wanted to visit in Nice.

Since that's the case, he took Zoe with him.

“No!” Zoe ran happily onto the beach. “Today I want to spend a relaxing day with you in Nice, walking along the beach, chatting, and drinking. That’s all!”

After arriving at a photo spot resembling an Arc de Triomphe, she excitedly asked:
"Is your woodworking shop almost finished? I can't wait to buy the machinery!"

Zoe is interested in shopping and mechanical tools, so the woodworking shop was practically made for her. This shopping experience is sure to give her multiple satisfactions.

Ronan brought his camera with him today. He suppressed a laugh and took a picture of Zoe, thinking to himself:

We need to buy much more than just mechanical tools; we need to add a lot of things to our workshop. You'll see when you get back tomorrow and see what's inside.

Suddenly, Ronan glanced down at the time on his watch.

By this time, Thor should have already arrived in Lourmaran by car, and may have already seen the things he left behind.

I wonder if he can complete this important task?

To be honest, Ronan absolutely believed in Thor as a person, but he had no confidence in his 'aesthetic sense'.

Although they had already exchanged several phone calls and Ronan had even left design sketches, had this straight man ever seen a marriage proposal before?

Do you know how to decorate it?

"Are you going or not?" Zoe interrupted Ronan's thoughts.

Ronan came to his senses:

"where to?"

Zoe, hands on her hips, said, “I say, we’ve been walking for so long, how about we find a place to sit down and chat about the equipment in the woodworking shop while we wait for the sunset? Without a reservation, it’s hard to get a table at restaurants with good views. We should go earlier.”

Ronan and Zoe found a restaurant with a beautiful ocean view and sat there from the afternoon until sunset.

They talk about the past, their current feelings, and their future lives. Although they meet every day, they always have endless topics to discuss, as if they have countless things to say to each other and countless questions to ask each other.

Zoe gave the bottle a cute hug when the waiter brought the fifth bottle of rosé and opened it:

"We drank five bottles of rosé wine, isn't that a bit crazy?"

She eagerly poured wine for Ronan and herself:
"It's still early. Let's see how many bottles we can finish today. That way, when we get back and Codia and Vivian ask, I'll have something to say."

The young couple had a leisurely day, but the other artists in Lourmaran were out having a blast.

They had a blast at the carnival.

Zoe's words brought up a new topic for Ronan:
Do you prefer excitement or quiet?

They chatted freely like this all day, saying whatever came to mind, a comfortable way for Ronan and Zoe to get along.

Zoe thought for a few seconds:

"I'm crazy at work. I'll run to the studio late at night to make molds because of an inspiration from a dream, and I'll torture myself because I can't mix a satisfactory color. But I'm quiet in life. I like to be a listener, I like to observe others, and I like a quiet life."

This is true. For a long time after Ronan came to Provence, Zoe was an "invisible person" at parties, a situation that gradually improved after the arrival of the artist community in Lourmarin.

Ronan picked up his glass, clinked it against hers, and said with a smile:
"To be honest, knowing how much you love Nice, I thought we'd do something 'crazy' this afternoon, like experiencing an F1 track like Vivian did, or going paragliding."

Zoe swirled her pink wine glass, a persistent smile on her face:

"There are many fun and beautiful things to do in Nice, but the most charming place is the sea."

“Indeed, this is the most beautiful coastline in France,” Ronan couldn’t help but exclaim.

Zoe said with clear eyes:

"It's because I love Nice that I wanted to see the most beautiful scenery here with you. You know, I've been coming to see such beautiful scenery by myself for four years of university. Today, I finally have someone to accompany me."

Zoe's bright, light blue eyes gazed intensely at Ronan:

"Besides, we have a long way to go, and we will definitely come back to Nice in the future. We can see other sights later, right?"

“Of course,” Ronan said as if to assure her, “I’ll buy you a house in Nice, the kind where you can just open the door and see the sea.”

Zoe didn't detect the firmness in Ronan's tone, and smiled like a cute girl, saying:
"Also, no matter how long we stay together in the future, can we leave enough time to chat properly and have a serious conversation, just like we did today? I really like the atmosphere and feeling tonight. This is the kind of life I want—stable, peaceful, fulfilling, and with a sense of belonging."

Stability, tranquility, abundance, and a sense of belonging were words Ronan kept repeating in his mind.

He vowed to give Zoe the happy life she wanted!
Ronan had no idea how many days the artists had been rushing back last night, but as soon as 8 o'clock came, he went from room to room banging on doors, urging everyone to hurry back to Lourmarin.

Friends, are you all done going crazy?
It's my turn to go crazy.

(End of this chapter)