Holiday!

Finally, my proper summer holiday has started! I'm 2,5 weeks off work (only have to return September 3th) and I have a romantic break coming up in Venice! Just a little wait longer.....

Côte d'Azur: Day 11 & 12

Èze and way back home

A colleague of mine had warmly recommended visiting Èze, a tiny medieval village in the mountains only to be reached by car (which we didn't have) or on foot (Nietsche's path, he supposedly got his idea for Also Sprach Zarathustra whilst walking here), through the mountains. I (thankfully) had taken my cane along but the hike was much heavier than anticipated mainly due to the very rocky path and the hot weather. We took nearly 2 hours to reach our destination and met many people who were equally close to giving up. Don't get me wrong, the hike is worth it, the scenery is just stunning but why is it so frigging dangerous to walk there? In some parts you have to push the plants aside.

Côte d'Azur: day 10

Antibes

Antibes is situated between Nice and Cannes and is a lovely small town with a magnificent marina (no, not you, Marina! :-) )
There is a special dock for the BIGGEST yachts you can find (some as big as ferries) and there's special security, so you can't get too close to them. We saw one big ass yacht with a heli on top. But the smaller ones (that in my eyes were big but now I've seen the others...well...) are also stunning.

Côte d'Azur : day 9

Nice

The weather was all good again and today we were going to Nice. I love that city. It's a rather big place, but not too big, and stuffed with shops, beautiful buildings, narrow streets, the sea, ... basically, Nice has it all. We discussed that if we would go back to this area we would stay in Nice.
We first went to visit the largest orthodox Russian church outside of Russia. Sadly, there was a service going on and we couldn't go around the building (some very nasty looking security guy told us in a rather creepy way). So, we headed straight back into the direction of the city center.

Côte d'Azur: day 7 & 8

Monaco - old town

The weather forecast told us that today would be a grey and wet day, so we went to the old part of Monaco where there's tons of stuff to do inside as well.
The morning was windy, grey but dry so when we climbed the stairs to Le Rocher, we mainly had to make sure our jackets were well closed.

Côte d'Azur : Day 6

Ventimiglia - Roquebrune - Cap Martin

We took the train in the direction of Ventimiglia, just over the Italian border. The moment you get off the train, the feeling is so different from the South of France. Just a few kilometers apart but two different worlds: more chaotic, people were not as friendly, very very busy. We heard afterwards that Ventimiglia has become a hotspot for criminality, especially the old part of town. Still, it's worth a visit.

Côte d'Azur: Day 5

Grasse

Capital of perfume, here we come! Grasse is about 2 hours by train from where we are staying, and it doesn't promise to be an equally sunny day as the day before. We take the train of 8am, arriving just before 10 am, and first thinking we'll go up on foot (Grasse is located on a hill top) but think better of it and take a bus. :-)
The original plan was to go to Galimard and make my own perfume in a perfume workshop....but on advice of someone we met in Cannes the night before, we don't do that and have a private workshop with a perfumer in Grasse (thanks to his intervention!). So no perfume with my own name on it, but tons more info and just very interesting.

Côte d'Azur: Day 4

Cannes

Was I excited? stupid question! Cannes was high up on my list and since we had some invites for parties and such, I have to admit I nearly hyperventilated with anticipation. :-)

Cannes is everything you think it is and more. But also, it's just quite laid back. The sun was shining, and once we were on the Croisette, we already were being filmed. (I honestly hope that footage ended up on the cutting floor) ;-) The thrill of being near that red carpet is just too much... Fangurling much?

Côte d'Azur: Day 3

Monaco - Monte Carlo

Just 10 minutes away by TER, we visited Monaco and Monte Carlo on Wednesday starting out with a brisk walk towards le jardin exotique, a beautiful garden full of exotic plants and flowers and with a smashing sight over Monaco. Absolutely worth a visit!

Côte d'Azur : Day 1 & 2

On 14 May we took the TGV towards Nice. Everything went very smoothly, we could enjoy the passing landscapes under a lovely sunny sky and arrived on time in Nice. Our train to Menton had just left (of course) but the TER rides every half hour between Ventimigli and Cannes, so you  never have to wait long. Having said that, I must admit that we were knackered beyond belief when we arrived at our hotel Vacanciel and just had our dinner there. Bit of a mistake because the choice was very poor and the quality of the food not that amazing. After dinner we almost went straight to bed.
The hotel was a good choice, the rooms were quite big, it was very clean, the location is ideal (between station and city center), breakfast was as it should be. Downside was that the airco didn't work as it should, so when it was hot outside, it could be an oven inside and that the hotel is often frequented by groups. But hey, when you're out and about all day (and evening), that's no bother.

Back home!

Our holiday to the Côte d'Azur is over and I'm back home. It was an amazing trip with a few parties in Cannes, seeing Bill Clinton, lots of sun, great food and wine, etc.
I'll dedicate a few posts on my trip, including sharing some goodies I bought. ;-)

Stay tuned!

holiday: Côte d'Azur

Very sorry about the silence on this blog. Been stuck inside for 3 weeks with my leg in plaster but this evening I'm released into freedom. And on Monday, I'm leaving on holiday to the Côte d'Azur. (with special leg brace for safety)

Staying in Menton and planning visits to Cannes, Nice, Grasse, San Remo, Monaco, ... And make my own perfume at Galimard in Grasse. (Still thinking of a good name for that perfume...) I'm very very excited about it.

Here are some snapshots of things to come... :-)