Johannes, it turned out was half Austrian. Their conversation had gotten off to a slow start, he initially seemed unsure how to respond to her but asking him about his veganism seemed to bring him out of his shell a bit, it was clear it was something he felt passionately about. He explained how he hated how the human race treated animals and had sworn five years earlier never to touch an animal product again and stuck to it.
"Just like that?" She asked in surprise.
He nodded in response.
"That's impressive" She smiled. "And admirable, I wouldn't have the will to see it through myself though."
"Why not?"
"I guess" She began. "I'm too dependent on animal-related things? I don't know."
"Let me ask you this."
"Ok?"
"Do you like to wear fur?"
"No" Elia curled her lip at the thought.
Johannes smiled at her response. "Leather?"
"Well," Elia paused. "Maybe with shoes or bags I suppose."
"You know if you can get by on faux leather you're already part the way there." He told her. "You have a good attitude towards the use of fur, but is it worse than using leather?"
His question took her by surprise and for a few moments, she struggled to come up with an answer.
"I, don't know." She began haltingly. "I'd not thought of it like that before."
"Many don't" He assured. "It's good to question ourselves though."
"I am careful with what I eat." She told him "I remember seeing something on the tv about the dairy industry and it really put me off. I don't use normal milk anymore, I switched to soya some time ago and when it comes to eggs, I supplied my own with hens we kept ourselves when I was back in London."
"And now?"
"I've gone without." She informed him. "I can't bring myself to buy eggs unless I've seen with my own eyes where they've come from."
"It's a valiant effort." He commended. "But even that has its drawbacks."
"How so."Elia asked curiously.
"Even by purchasing your own hens can contribute to the industry, fuelling the cruelty. You have to understand the specific care they need, and that includes knowing how egg production can take its toll on them, physically."
"Really?!"
"Oh, yes."
"Wow." Elia began, feeling lost for words. "I admit, I don't really know much about those things."
"Neither do the majority of people." He acknowledged. "It's a norm in society that many just take for granted."
She listened as he continued to explain his stance, she was curious, intrigued and also a little guilty.
"Perhaps." He suggested. "You'd be interested in some of the food? Ivelisse has put on a small selection and I brought some too."
"I would, yes."
Seeming more relaxed, Johannes began to turn the conversation on to her. He mentioned that he saw the music video with Alexandre she'd appeared in, commenting on how functional this new job must be for them both. Elia was puzzled.
"You talk as if you think he and I are together or something."
He appeared taken aback, and even a little embarrassed.

"You're not?" He stammered.
"No, what gave you that impression?"
"Nothing." He admitted sheepishly. "I just assumed, things like that happen a lot. So I just presumed without giving it much thought" He trailed off awkwardly and shrugged.
"Well, Now you know." Elia smiled at him reassuringly.
"So," He began. "You moved here alone?"

"Pretty much." She confirmed before explaining her living situation with Cecilia and how she was looking for a place of her own.

"That's a brave step to make though." He commented admiringly. "It's not easy to uproot like that."

"I felt ready for it." She informed him. Then explained how she had her eyes set on the old town as a potential place to live

"Old town is charming." He acknowledged. "But because all the buildings are so aged, and not well maintained they're not always in the best condition." Elia listened intently.
"I see."
"Just something to keep in mind." He shrugged, smiling timidly.
"Thank you."
Elia's evening continued with plenty of enjoyable conversations with everyone, especially Johannes, he even offered to take her home at the end of it. She gratefully accepted him, her other option that time of night would likely be a taxi.
"I'm wondering." He began as they pulled up outside Catherine's gate. "Did you like the food you tried tonight?"
"Yes, most of it, not the pizza though, it was so greasy." He chuckled as she curled her lip.
"Perhaps." He suggested. "You'd like some more? There is a nice place I know not far from old town. I could take you, if you want?" Elia smiled, charmed by his clumsy manner of expression.
"Yes." She affirmed. "I'd like that."
"If you're free at lunchtime the day after tomorrow, I could come and pick you up from here?"
"Yeah, sounds fine."
They parted ways and with her mind fully occupied she made her way back in. She thought about what he said about the old town, wondering if she'd be better off looking elsewhere, she wanted somewhere close by but she didn't know where. She'd had her mind so set on that particular area that she'd never considered any place else.
Perhaps he had some suggestions, she could ask him during their lunch date. She looked forward to trying out more vegan foods, this would be something new to her and her mind was completely open to the experience.

When the day came he arrived pretty much on time. Dressed in skinny jeans, shirt and a light jacket and his hair tied back into a small ponytail, Elia thought he looked pretty good. The place he took her was quite close to the port, small discreet looking. Inside it was rustic but fresh looking with some citrus colour among the decor. Elia was delighted to find they did rice and bean burrito wraps.
"It sounds perfect! She enthused. "Its actually a bit of a joke in our family over how often I eat rice and beans."
"I'd say that's a good thing." Johannes commented with a smile as he ordered himself a sandwich. He then recommended their specially made juices.

"You have to try their little dessert balls too." He told her with a smile. "They are delicious!"

The pair chatted throughout. He told her his mother was from Marseilles and his father from Innsbruck in Austria, they'd split while he was still a baby and growing up he spent many school holidays with his father in Innsbruck.
Elia was enthralled by his stories of skiing in the Alps, his father was a keen skier in his younger years and had passed on the hobby to his son.

His situation reminded Elia a little of her own upbringing. Her family always visited Jamaica and Mexico during the holidays to visit both sets of grandparents.
"I wouldn't have guessed you were part Mexican!" He exclaimed, looking surprised.
"Well, my mum is quite dark, and has indigenous heritage."
"Aztec?"
"There might be a little bit of that up in the mix"
"However." She continued. "I do look like my dad a lot if that explains it a little more."
"Maybe." He replied giving a self-conscious shrug.

She explained her stance when it came to eating animal products.
"I've no real issue with eating meat." She admitted. "however I only go for locally sourced items, I feel it's more ethical."

"That's not always the case." He warned. "The meat business has changed dramatically over the years and the pressure to keep up with the mainstream industry has affected local farmers to the point they've taken to using some of the same unethical techniques." Elia's face dropped and Johannes nodded grimly.

"Sad but true." He continued. "I've plenty of information on the topic should you need it."

"You know, I've thought on and off over the years about living self sufficiently one day."
"Really?"
"Yeah." She smiled. "I've not looked into it too deeply though, it's something far off on the horizon."
"It might not be as easy as you may believe." He told her, returning her smile.
He went on to tell her of his involvement with animal rights, conservation and activism, explaining how he and his two roommates had saved to spend two weeks in Sri-Lanka volunteering for elephant conservation back in January.

"That must have been amazing!" Elia gasped. " I bet it's beautiful out there."
Johannes nodded in agreement. "It was from what I saw, didn't do much of the tourist thing though. I was there to work and it was a wonderful experience. We're going to be saving to do something similar next year in South Africa, volunteering in a game reserve."

He went on to tell her how he also regularly involves himself with local campaigns.
"I'm helping out with a small event tomorrow. actually" He explained. "We're trying to bring awareness to the perversity of cetacean captivity."
"Cetacean captivity." Elia repeated in confusion, "I've not heard the word, cetacean, before."
"Aquatic mammals." He explained. "Whales, dolphins etc."

"Oh, I see." She acknowledged. "I don't know much about that. I did, however, read something quite dubious once, in a newspaper or magazine or something."
"What was that?" Johannes asked.
" Oh, something about people getting mad over a fireworks display because it was too close to where they were keeping the animals. To do with the noise being harmful to them? I don't know much about it though. What will be happening at this event?"

"We'll have information, leaflets etc to give out and we'll be screening a documentary on the subject too."
"When and where?" She asked.
Johannes smiled. "Why, are you interested in coming?"
"Yes, I am."
"Really?" He looked at her in surprise.
"Why not?" She challenged. "I care about animals, I always have. But I've not looked into or even really questioned this, and I'm curious to know more about it."
Johannes smiled at her broadly.
"Well, you'd be more than welcome."
After lunch they wandered the area, heading for the promenade. The day had started out quite rainy early that morning and had been quite dull ever since. But now, the sky was starting to clear and the sun was poking through
"I love how it's warm, in February!" She quipped. "Back home it would

still be so cold I'd be going nuts!"
"Innsbruck can get cold, I've spent more than one Christmas there." Elia smiled, then looked at him thoughtfully.

"I was wondering." She began. "If you had any tips or advice on finding an apartment here?"
"What it is your looking for exactly?" He asked
"I'm not that fussy" She replied with a smile. "I just want a clean decent place, not too far from the dance centre from a trustworthy landlord.
"Do you want a whole apartment or just a room?"
"A whole one would be nice, doesn't have to be big."
"So, you prefer not to share?"
"I guess I do." She admitted. "I've never been in a situation where's I've shared with complete strangers. I'm not sure that' I'd want to start now."
"And if they weren't strangers?"
"I wouldn't mind that so much. In London three of us, my sister, my self and the good friend who now lives here. We shared a place together for a few years and it worked very well. Why do you ask that?"

"It's because" He began. " I'm pretty sure Dóra and Maeva have some room in their apartment. Dóra had two others sharing with her previously but they moved a short while ago. Maeva then moved in only last week."
"Okay"
"I can ask them if you want me to," Johannes suggested with a smile. "I believe it's only one bedroom but the living room has a sofa bed. Perhaps it's not ideal for you but it's an option"

"Yeah maybe." She agreed. "I'd defiantly consider it."
He took her hand as they slowly began to make their way along the promenade, she remembered passing down this way in the car on her arrival. It was nice to be able to see and enjoy it properly like this. She was itching to do some photographing, spring wasn't too far away now, she imagined Nice would be a pretty sight, even more so than it was already.

"This is where we'll be set up tomorrow for our cetacean awareness gathering." Johannes told her snapping her out of her thoughts. Elia turned to where he was signalling, to a grassy space in front of a gated off park.
"What time will it begin?"
"About half-past eleven." He told her. "We'll actually be here before that but we're going to wait until it's busier before firing up the documentary."
"I'll be coming." She asserted. "I want to see it."
"I'd be happy to bring you." He asked. "But I'll be here an hour before that, and will remain so for a good portion of the day."
"Wow!" Elia exclaimed. "That's dedication."

After wandering for some time they made their way back to Johannes car where he drove her back to St Jean Cap Ferrat.
Elia looked forward to the documentary viewing and told Cecilia about it and the day she had.
"I don't know Elia," Interjected Billy. "He sounds like a maverick oddball to me."
"Billy!" Cecilia chided before Elia could respond. "Elie makes friends with who she wants. Soon she will be working with this man, it is not bad. Let her decide."

Elia meanwhile glowered at Billy, for Cecilia's sake she kept her retorts from passing her lips. In her mind, though he was more than twice the man Billy was. Elia enjoyed his company and highly admired his conviction and his dedication to his beliefs, she doubted Billy even understood what conviction was.
"It's alright Ceci." Elia assured her friend. "He likely knows I'm not listening to him anyway."