After G’s expedition to the UK we wasted no time getting out & about to explore the places on our list! We had 2 days to do it. First up was Menton which is only 10km from the Italian border & just around the corner from Monaco. With it’s medieval hilly old town, it is picture postcard perfect. Had a quick wander around the old town, the marina & beachfront, before stopping for a pitstop!
Next up Monaco, we pulled into the very posh rail station which is underground! Walked down to the casino & witnessed a spectacle of “flash cars” parading outside the casino. Carried on downwards towards the harbour where hundreds of million euro’s worth of yachts were moored. Walked around the harbour to the outdoor swimming pool on the edge of the city. We stopped to take photo’s of the bronze Fangio statue near the famous curve on the grand prix track & located close to the formula 1 pit lane. The yacht club were setting up for what appeared to be a massive event on their outside terrance, when we strolled straight through! No booze in situ at the time but a lot of glasses in anticipation. Found the Tunnel Larvotto & walked through to the other side, an historical landmark in formula 1. The temperature was hovering around 35 degrees & with a journey home of around 45 minutes, we had seen enough of Monaco & went on our way.
The following day we had planned whistle stop trips to Nice & then back to Antibes. Again it was a scorching hot day. Generally we are very organised & have a plan, however the sun had fried our brains. Off we went to Nice on the bus – first mistake! The distance was around 7kms which took over an hour to get there, once we got off the bus we then had to catch a tram to the port area! Great value for 2.50 Euro’s each but it was painfully slow. Took the lift up to the viewpoint above the Baie de Anges for a big view all along the coast. Found the old town & had a pitstop & rethink about the rest of the day, as again the temperatures were mid 30’s. Decided to head off to Antibes on the train rather than the bus & would save us an hour. We went to the station via the Place Massena & the “Fountaine du Soleil”. When the fountain was unveiled in 1956, the residents of Nice were not impressed for various reasons. Nice is on our “To Return” list but at a cooler time of year. We caught the Intercity TGV train from Nice to Antibes & what a nice ride, the trains are clean, well staffed, organised & comfortable.
Final stop, Antibes. A town sandwiched between Cannes & Nice. An old town surrounded by 16th century ramparts & a star shaped fort (which we didn’t have time to visit) The Port Vauban marina, had some pretty spectacular boats moored. Wandered around the ramparts & through the town, we had intended to stay for something to eat but decided to head back for a swim/shower before going out for dinner! We opted for an Indian restaurant at the marina in Villeneuve-Loubet, which was a good choice, a very good choice. A nice ending to our Cote d’Azur adventure.
