Sunday, 29 October 2017
La Traviata
Thursday, 26 October 2017
Floof
Monday, 23 October 2017
Au revoir Provence
On Sunday morning (the 24th September) we arranged flights home to see Grandma - and it was just as well that we did because she was very unwell both before and after her operation which took place on the Wednesday.
However the first flight that we could get wouldn't leave until the evening - so we still had a whole day to spend on the Côte d"Azur. The four of us went for a walk along the Promenade des Anglais, which is very wide and elegant in a sweeping curve around the bay. When I saw armed police officers patrolling I remembered that only 14 months ago on Bastille Day 2016 it was here that eighty-six people were killed by a terrorist driving a truck into the crowd. So senseless and cruel. There was no trace of what had happened on this peaceful Sunday morning as we strolled along in the sunshine. We continued to the harbour where we stopped for drinks. Heather and Ewan fancied walking to Villefranche sur Mer which is in the next bay round a headland - but it was already nearly lunch time so we were getting short of time. What to do? Suddenly (and somewhat extravagantly) I had an inspired idea! The café owner directed us to a nearby taxi rank and we jumped into a waiting cab and sped off to our destination. And I was very glad that we went there. Villefranche sur Mer is a gorgeous little fishing village turned tourist destination which is well worth a visit. The taxi driver was a lovely friendly man who took us to a viewpoint above the village and also took us past Elton John's house - not that we could see much due to the high hedges. The taxi driver said that, being high on the headland, the property has views over both Nice and Villefranche sur Mer! When we arrived at the sea front we had lunch in La Mère Germaine, a very classy and traditional French seafood restaurant with crisp white tablecloths, gleaming cutlery and glassware. We were given a great table just inside at the window, overlooking the harbour. It was rather pricey but I loved how traditional it was and the food was excellent. I was chatting to the owner who is the grandson of founder Mme Germaine, and he introduced me to his son who works behind the bar and is the fourth generation of the family to work there! Replete after our lunch we went for a walk along the front and then up into the old town, which is quaint and beautiful. We had a lovely afternoon, and bought some locally made soaps which were deliciously scented; verveine, mimosa and lavender. All too soon we had to bid farewell to Heather and Ewan and head to Nice Airport for the journey home. It was a wonderful weekend in great company and there is still so much more to see in the area - I do hope that we will visit the Côte d"Azur again some day.
Sunday, 22 October 2017
Very Nice to be in Nice
At the end of September we went to Nice with Heather and Ewan. It was fantastic. My main memories of the weekend are of the fun we had and the colours and beauty of the area. Our hotel (booked by Heather and Ewan) was ideally situated; a short walk from the picturesque old town of Nice and also handy for the train station. This was very important because Nice has an amazing train line that connects it to many other beautiful destinations nearby. It rained torrentially on the evening that we arrived; as we sat in a bar for a celebratory beverage we were entertained by watching the scantily clad locals running for shelter. However we were gratified that the next morning - and indeed the rest of the weekend - it was increasingly warm and sunny.
On the Saturday morning we found ourselves on the twenty minute train journey to Monte Carlo! Ah Monaco! It's just as glamorous and romantic as I imagined! I could just picture a young Princess Grace walking through the streets. We had an unfeasibly expensive drink in the Café de Paris but the setting was glorious - just opposite the Casino where luxurious cars were rolling up. We were certainly mingling with the "beautiful people" and noticed a preponderance of Hermes scarves and floppy hair. We wandered around the tiny city happily and visited the Royal Palace with its impeccably turned out guards dressed all in white. Heather and I went for a swim in the Stade Nautique Rainier III - it's the municipal pool so it's cheap to get in but what a setting! The bright blue heated seawater pool is right in the centre above the front so apparently it has a good view of the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix each May. It was so fun to swim with Heather in this beautiful swimming pool with the hills and city of Monte Carlo around and above us while the boys had a beer in the adjoining café. What a brilliant experience.
We decided to walk back into France to the little town of Cap d'Ail, which took about an hour out of the city and then along a very attractive coastal path. And because it's only one stop back along the railway line we were able to jump on a train back to Nice.
We had dinner that evening in Le Panier, a very friendly wee restaurant in the old town of Nice. We sat outside at one of the pavement tables in the warm evening; it was hard to believe that it was so warm at the end of September. The food was fresh and local and absolutely delicious. Unfortunately by the end of the meal the news about Grandma's fall reached us by phone from Alasdair, and James and I realised that we would have to go home early. We couldn't make any arrangements until the morning so we went to a bar in the lively Cours Saleya for drinks and chat, already plotting to return to the Côte d'Azur in the not too distant future.