Crime on the Riviera

We rented a villa near Nice, three couples, one in each of the bedrooms on
the three floors of the property. My son in law is asthmatic and needs
fresh air so he and my daughter had a window open in their room during the
night. Thieves came during the night, visited each of the three bedrooms
and took good jewellery, (they disgarded any of low value) and cash. They
also took a Blackberry but left the memory card, or whatever it's called.
None of us woke up, which may be just as well! The police came and wrote a
long report but held out no hope of solution or recovery. Locals told us
that crimes of this sort are rife on the Riviera.
Lessons we have learned include take as little cash and good jewellery as
possible, at night put these somewhere inaccessible, like under the pillow
or mattress, and close doors and windows as much as you can bear. I think
our carelessness derives partly from the fact that here in the US home
invasion is mostly a daytime thing, perhaps because thieves fear being shot
if they enter an occupied home.
Apart from this we had a fabulous time including a most memorable meal at
the Chevre D'Or in Eze on our 41st anniversary, although I must say that
driving a stick shift on the narrow, twisting mountain roads challenged this
old man. After a few miles I usually found myself at the head of a
procession of impatient vehicles! But we and the car survived unscathed.