Cote d'Azur - France

At the heart of Europe, between the Southern Alps and the Mediterranean, is the area known as the Côte d'Azur, or the French Riviera. My yacht is in the shop so we will have to *rough it* by taking planes, trains and automobiles....and maybe the odd bus!

Another travelling adventure begins….the French Riviera on the Cote d’Azur. We actually departed ahead of schedule out of Toronto airport - wow! When does that happen? Flight time to Zurich was about 7 hours and 15 minutes – with a 90 minute layover connection before our final destination: Nice, France.

I am on very little sleep….so writing this right now is taking a toll. Haha! I sometimes have *flight stories* on the various trips I take and today was no exception. This *story* involved annoying passengers – resulting in my very little sleep!

Once boarded, the passenger beside me in the middle seat tells me she would like the aisle seat so she can get up and go visit her adult son who is sitting on the other side of the plane. Or at least that was what I interpreted from my amazing translating ability of German to English. I am sorry – speaking slower will not help me translate any better! Really. And NO, I am not switching seats! Haha.

Then there was the lady behind me who was constantly invading my personal space and was unable to pick up on simple social cues. Please do not stand over someone and talk and proceed to spit whilst doing so….mind your spray! Gross! I was not even subtle about wiping off my hands and getting out the hand sanitizer. She would also grab the seat and a handful of my hair every time she needed to stand up. Annoying!

But hey, we landed on time and our private car was waiting for us. I also won the luggage carousel bet – so my Mom had to buy the first round of cocktails. Always have to find the optimistic side.

The airport transfer took about 15-20 minutes and cost 40 Euros. A little steep but very helpful in finding the apartment with zero hassle.

The apartment is fantastic….a huge 2 bedroom, 2 bath suite with a balcony. Amazing!

Time to get out and explore the beautiful coastal city of Nice.

It is fairly easy to navigate your way around....the ocean is always a good landmark. We headed in that direction first for a nice stroll along the Promenade des Anglais. The beach is not the white powder sand that many people love, but rather very pebbly. I would think it would not be very comfortable to lounge on! We did lounge on 2 of the many chairs that are lining this pedestrian area that overlook the sea - very relaxing and very calm! Ahhhh, holidays! And isn't it considered good luck when a bird shits on your head? Me or my Mom?....you decide who was the lucky one!

Next destination for us was the Rue Massena - another pedestrian area with lots of restaurants. Instead of lunch, we had some gelato to the take the edge off. We walked thru this amazing flower market. Now, if you know my Mom - she was in her glory! Nothing purchased...just many, many pictures!

Place Massena was a huge square that serves as a meeting place for many tourists and locals and that was right next to Old Town, which is where we explored next. Then we climbed to the top of Castle Hill for a fantastic view of the Promenade, the beach, the ocean and the many planes landing at the airport.

We headed for an early dinner and then headed back to the apartment. My Mom was ready for bed at 7:00 p.m. (France time). Perhaps I finally wore the ol' girl out!!!

Wow! Great sleep last night….ready to go this morning!

We walked to the train station, which was about 800 metres from our apartment to purchase our Unlimited Train Pass for the week. The cost was 38 Euros – no need to validate any tickets before boarding and we do not have to worry about having to purchase a ticket each time. We are able to just *hop on-hop off* wherever we like. Seems like a great idea, since this will be our frequent mode of transportation.

Our first stop was actually in Italy…since the Italian border is so close. We disembarked at Ventimiglia, which was a cute little town with houses and churches dotting the surrounding hillsides. As we left the train station, Mom suggested we have some gelati and we should make it our goal to have some everyday on the trip! We are 2 for 2 so far.

We walked along the promenade, up and over bridges and next to a river, which was so clear we could see the fish swimming beneath us. The views wherever we go are absolutely incredible!

Lunch time. Pizza. How Italian of us?!? I splurged this time….8 Euros…and that was for both of us. My Mom said she would buy dinner. I’m guessing it will be more than that! Haha.

We headed back to the train station and headed to Monaco but when we got to Menton (another stop along the way), the view was so amazing we decided to jump off the train to explore this town. Lots of cool restaurants and shops along the seaside. I think Diane was going thru some *retail withdrawal* so we had to go into some of the stores as well.

Later in the afternoon we hopped back on the train (they were about 30 minutes apart) and headed to Monaco. Lots of people around – as there were a couple of cruise ships in port. But also because crews were setting up and getting ready for the Monaco Grand Prix which begins next week. It was very cool to walk along side of the *would-be* track and across some of the roads that are part of the race course. If I watch the Grand Prix next weekend on TV, I will have a better idea of where the drivers are driving thru. We walked up many stairs to get to a better vantage point which was right beside the Prince of Monaco’s Palace. I think I could see my yacht from up there….

Train back to Nice took about 20 minutes. We timed the boarding of this train perfectly. There was standing room only at this time of day but luckily we got a seat. And even better because we did not have to queue up to purchase a ticket.

We dropped off our stuff at the apartment (some retail therapy purchases) and headed out for dinner after freshening up and pre-dinner cocktails. We ate at a restaurant called 11 Art, which was in a great location from the apartment. It had outdoor seating with heaters and blankies – all good. It can get chilly in the evening!

Back to the apartment and call it a day after 22 000 steps. Time to re-charge so we can do it all again tomorrow!

Train etiquette 101…please do not put your feet on the seat and certainly your backpack does not need a seat of its own – especially during rush hour. Pardon moi…merci…is what I said as I was sitting down. I really did not give this *kid* much choice. I was sitting there whether he liked it or not. I just hoped someone else would come and ask him to remove his backpack…but didn’t happen.

Train from Nice to Cannes was today’s destination of choice – travel time was 40 minutes. Once we got to Cannes, we came across this vendor market which Diane insisted on going to for the sole purpose of looking for a watch because her watch died and she hated not knowing what time it was. Success! And @ a cost of 5 Euros it was a good deal and it really only needs to last the week!

Busy place, this city of Cannes. Why? Well the Festival de Cannes began today. The crews were busy rolling out the red carpet as various venues across the waterfront area for the 72nd Cannes International Film Festival. Movie fans and celebrity seekers already had their spot scouted out and saved along the barricades to catch a glimpse of someone famous!

Then there were the yachts. O.M.G. The YACHTS! Crazy, huge!

I am definitely glad we went there today because the crowds will only get larger – not a fan of that! We spent a couple of hours there and really enjoyed the action of all the preparations. This camera guy was having a little fun *interviewing* me. It was rather funny! See all those ladders behind me? They are for photographers...they are all labelled and some are even padlocked to the barricade!

Gelato…we are 3 for 3 today! Gotta love mix’n up the flavours – raspberry, strawberry, cherry…all good!

Train tickets have not been checked once by transit police - I no sooner said that and then *voila* - transit police on board asking to see our tickets. Some people not so lucky…fined on the spot! Don’t even risk it. Be sure to purchase a ticket and validate it before you board!

After departing Cannes, we travelled to Grasse - capital of perfumery. Not really my jam, but a quaint little town nonetheless, with narrow alleyways of shops and cafes. Very cool. This leg of our journey was not covered on our Train Pass. Return tickets to Grasse only cost 9.00 Euros per person and travelling time was 30 minutes. Definitely needed to take a bus (cost 1.50 Euros) from the train station to the city centre of Grasse because it was all uphill. So much time saved and no necessary pain for the knees! Take the bus!

Great restaurant for dinner tonight – Café de Nice. I had Ravioli and French Onion Soup – but here they just call it Onion Soup! Haha. Too bad we had a wobbly table…nothing that a piece of bread can’t fix! True story.

Step count: 22 476