31 July 2007

France - Paris and the French Riviera

Hey Folks, just got back from a most satisfying holiday. Went back to one of my favorite world cities - Paris - after five years. Stayed at Hotel Des Allies - a spotless, comfortable, budget place - right near Rue Mouffetard. This pedestrianized cobbled lane which hosts a daily market and is lined by lively cafes and fantastic restaurants, has to be the best street in all of Paris. I loved just taking in the atmosphere of a city that I've grown to know pretty well. Traipsed around the various neighborhoods, browsed the shops, sat at cafes and sipped coffee and wine, walked along the Champs Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe down to the Tuileries Gardens. Paris was crowded, but the weather was as pleasant as could be. I spent a few exhausting hours at the Louvre. I'd been here once before about 15 years ago and thought I should revisit. Found it to be a disappointment. I guess its size and enormous collection makes it quite a challenge to tackle. Of course, I saw the Mona Lisa again, and the Venus de Milo, and then tried to take in as much as I could of the French collection over different periods.

My visit to the Pompidou Center's modern art collection was much more enjoyable. I relished the many works of Kandinsky, Chagall, and Matisse. This museum is open and airy and it's fun as you take the escalators up and get great views of the city.

Paris is truly a delightful city. Wish I spoke French. An amazing number of people speak English, though. I actually managed to meet people and have some conversations. Got a recommendation for a vegetarian restaurant from a woman I met at a cafe.

On Friday, July 20, I took the TGV down to Nice. Four of us were making our way to the Cote d'Azure from different places. Daryl was coming from Warwick, Glynis from Guernsey, Saffs from Bristol, and I was coming from Paris. Turned out to be the first day of heavy storms in England so their flights were all delayed. I spent a relaxing afternoon in Antibes, then checked in at the airport hotel where we'd be spending the first night. Since everyone arrived at different times, the last one, Saffs, arriving at 1:00 A.M., the airport hotel turned out to be a very convenient thing.

Our Cote d'Azure experience began on Saturday morning. We picked up a rental car and drove into the mountains behind Nice where we had our Gites. And what a pleasant surprise awaited us! The vacation rental was right at the foot of a stunning mountain with sheer cliff faces in a most charming village called St. Jeannett. The famous town of Vence where many artists lived because of 'the light' was not too far from where we were based. Our accommodation itself was a 3 bedroomed house with a huge garden. We had every convenience and comfort possible, including hammocks and outdoor furniture to enjoy the balmy evenings.

We spent our days exploring the various beach towns, swimming in the warm Med, gorging on soft, ripe cheeses, olives, and fresh juicy fruit, and driving along scenic roads. We did the Grande and Moyenne Corniches. We went into Monaco, but not to the casino in Monte Carlo - just looked at it from the outside. The weather was as magical as you would expect - azure blue, cloudless skies, and temperatures in the upper 20's. My favorite place in this region is Villefranche sur mer. This medieval village is just east of Nice along the coast. Pastel buildings cling onto steep cliffs and bright red and purple bougainvillea spill over the slopes. Yachts bob on the shimmering water and the coastline curves around making it all look quite stunning. The beaches here aren't bad either. We sat at a bar sipping wine while admiring the breathtaking views.

On one of the days we went inland to the Grand Canyon du Verdon. This is the largest canyon in Europe. It is 25 km long slicing through a limestone plateau. The canyon is 250 - 700 meters deep - carved by the Verdon River. It was lunchtime when we arrived at the beginnings of the canyon. We noticed a sign for Fromage and followed it. It took us to somebody's small farm where we bought their homemade goat cheese, then got permission to picnic on their grounds. With crusty baguette, the cheese, and cherries that we purchased en route, we had an amazing lunch.

We followed the canyon down to a large lake and stopped at the Provencal town beside it. Saffs and Glynis were curious about Provence and wanted to experience a bit of it. We strolled along the pedestrianized road and browsed at the numerous artisanal shops selling products of the region - lavender honey, pottery, table linen, wines, etc. Made the obligatory cafe stop - beside a fountain - and sampled local wine. We had ambitious hopes of stopping at a beach on the way home, but it was early evening by the time we got on the autoway, so we went straight home and ordered pizzas from a nearby pizzeria that churned out bubbling thin crusted gourmet specimens from a wood fired oven.

Every single day on the Cote d'Azure was packed with delightful experiences. There is so much to do here, and you have to realize you can't do it all, epecially if you want a holiday. For me, going to the markets and the beaches is enough to keep me happy. The markets in Nice and Antibes can keep me entertained for hours. All those acres of olives and tables of spices and the cheeses, the summer fruit, courgettes with their flowers still attached, glossy aubergines, ripe, juicy tomatoes, the olive oils, the wild mushrooms, (oh, the girolles!), fresh, pink garlic, etc., etc. What a treat for the senses. Having a selfcatering place makes it all the more fun because we can take back stuff for meals.

Our evenings were quite memorable. We took turns to prepare meals. While dinner was being prepared we lay in hammocks and had apertifs - pastis, kir royale, or white wine and sampled the local olives. We ate out on the patio, the mountains providing stunning views. The evenings were balmy, sporadic cicada chirps interrupting the peace - wow! I wish I could turn back the clock and start the holiday all over again.

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