Bonnie Bing: The best gift? Awesome memories

Anticipating a trip is fun, but I’ve decided the memories are even better. Recently I took our 16-year-old granddaughter to France. While both of her older sisters chose Paris for their trips, Becca requested “a place where there’s a beach, good food and good shopping.”

After much discussion it was decided she and I would go to Villefranche, a little town between Nice and Monte Carlo. My husband and I had been there before with friends, and I was more than happy to return. It was also a relief to go to a place I was familiar with. But I did have to laugh at how different this time was. A 16-year-old girl gets hungry six times a day and can sleep at the drop of a hat. It’s impossible to know what she will choose to buy or order from the menu.

The second day we were there we decided to walk to a nearby town, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. We passed the beach, and when Becca grabbed my arm I thought someone must be drowning. But no, she was more than surprised to see an attractive, white-haired grandmother playing Frisbee with her grandson. Topless. She was very tan.

More proof we weren’t in Kansas anymore.

When I told my husband he quickly said, “I don’t remember anyone being topless when we were there.” I reminded him we were there in September and very few people were at the beach.

After the long walk we decided to take the bus back to the hotel. We were supposed to get on bus 81. I made sure we got on the right bus and asked the very grouchy bus driver if he stopped in Villefranche. He nodded yes, so we got on. I thought if the schedule indicated it stopped in Villefranche, it would. Well, it doesn’t unless you press the stop button on a pole nearest you. We learned that a couple of miles past our stop. We ended up going to Nice. Oh well, we got to see things we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. We found the bus stop, waited and went back to our little town. Becca didn’t complain about the extended trip, or even look worried.

Several times I led her in the wrong direction, but when I apologized, she’d say, “It’s OK, I’m chill.” She did, however, find it necessary to tell her dad how many times I got her lost. Heh!

We took the train to Monte Carlo and loved seeing the yachts and several locations we’ve seen in movies. Window shopping was fun, and Becca was amazed at the prices of designer goods. The Hermes store about did her in. “That purse cost three times as much as my car!” she said. Which is what her sister said when seeing a similar bag in Paris.

If you read this column frequently you know how I hate swimwear and don’t swim in public. Here is proof I love my granddaughter. We took a small boat to a beautiful beach in a nearby cove. No, it wasn’t topless, and yes, I put on a swimsuit. It was one of very few one-piece suits seen that day.

The times I liked best were when we just sat and talked and laughed. I told her things she said and did as a little girl. We talked about problems in the world. We talked about her friends, my friends, and our family. We agreed family and friends are what makes it possible to deal with the “big stuff.”

Of course she had her cellphone in her hand at all times, but texting didn’t intrude on our time. And I did my best to get her out of the habit of saying “like.” Very little progress there. I convinced her I preferred to be called “Grandma” instead of “dude,” and she did remember to put her napkin in her lap after the first couple of meals. And after a discussion about teeth we struck a deal: Wearing her retainers 100 hours equaled getting the shoes she has been wanting.

Becca is our youngest granddaughter, so this was my last granddaughter trip. When Becca was about 8 years old she said, “Grandma, don’t get too old before it’s my turn to take a trip with you.” Fortunately I made it. Now I can start my savings account over again. She thanked me for every meal and any time I flapped down my credit card or euros for something she wanted.

The day she got home to Overland Park, she texted me a sweet message that ended with “Thanks for letting me have these awesome memories.”

I thought, “mission accomplished,” because one of the best things we can do for others is provide awesome memories.

This story was originally published June 21, 2017 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Bonnie Bing: The best gift? Awesome memories."