Alps and Med Day 8: Provence

From Provence …

It’s the May 1 holiday in France … Fête du Travail … Labour Day or May Day. Late back to the hotel last night at the Beer District bar in Avignon, but we’re ready for a full day in Provence and there is much to see.

We leave the hotel at 8:15 AM and arrive at Pont du Gard at 9 AM. This ancient Roman aqueduct and bridge, carried water to Nîmes over the river Gardon near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard. At 160 feet tall and 902′ in length, the arch bridge is a masterpiece of Roman engineering. Constructed mostly without mortar with 50,000 tons of precisely cut shelley limestone blocks.

Next we visit the Arena of Nîmes. Constructed in 100 AD it’s one of the best-preserved of the 400 Roman amphitheaters in existence. Today the arena features rock concerts (Sting, Katy Perry, Lenny Kravits, and The Cure among the shows this summer), but in Roman times 24,000 spectators could watch gladiator battles. We’ve got time for lunch in Nîmes at Le P’tit Nîmois with Michelle, Sophie, Greg, and Peter.

Our last stop of the day is Les Baux-de-Provence, a medieval hilltop commune as villages in France are known. With cobblestone streets and castle ruins the Les Baux offers stunning panoramic views of the vineyards and olive groves of the Provençal countryside. We’re only here for an hour, time for a few photos and a boule of gelato!

We’re back in Avignon at 5 PM. Time to walk around the town for an hour and then an Aperol Spritz at Maison Gayte before dinner at Le Lutrin at 7 PM. Tomorrow we’re off to Spain.

Alps and Med Day 7: Côte d’Azur to Provence

From Provence …

Dinner last night was at Arabo Cafe in Nice. Limited bus parking in the heart of Nice, so a good amount of walking last night. But slept well and I’m regrouped this morning. Still smiling from a day in Monaco and Nice!! What a great travel experience!! And then to think we were up in the Alps just a few days ago … and in Cinque Terre the day before yesterday. Incredible!!

We start the day with a 4-hour bus drive, leaving Côte d’Azur and heading to the Provence region of France. We’re heading west on European Route E80, known in France as the A8 autoroute. Provence, with its landscapes and relaxed way of life, inspired post-Impressionist painters Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne. The area is know for its fields of lavender, Roman ruins, and pittoresco hilltop towns and villages. I’m hoping to enjoy some rosé wine, olive oil, and classic Provençal cuisine!

Just one stop today … a hike along the Ochre Trail. Located in the heart of Provence, within the department of Vaucluse and near the town of Roussillion, the trail loop features incredible rock formations with vibrant colors. We arrive about 12:30 PM. We’re advised that the ochre sand may temporarily stain shoes or clothes.

The trail walk takes about an hour. We finish just as it starts to rain. But the shower ends quickly and we walk into Roussillion. For lunch I have chorizo from Artisan Boulangerie to eat while exploring the village. Off in the distance I can see the peak of Mount Ventoux, a famous Tour de France finishing climb. Then Michelle and I enjoy a vino rosé at La Treille.

It’s a 2-hour drive north to our hotel in Avignon. The Hôtel du Palais des Papes is located on the Place du Palais. We check in and quickly get out in to the town to see Palais des Papes, Cathédral Notre Dame des Domes, and Le Jardin du Rocher des Doms.

Then it starts to rain again. Conveniently we are right outside Le Lutrin Restaurant and Bar. Time for an Aperol Spritz and dinner. After dinner a walk through Avignon and a pilsner at the Beer District bar. Tomorrow we see more in Provence!

Alps and Med Day 6: Monaco and Nice

From Nice …

The hotel elevators don’t cooperate, but around 8:15 AM we depart our Genoa hotel for the two hour bus trip to the French Riviera, known in French as Côte d’Azur.

Mountain tunnel, valley bridge. Mountain, tunnel, valley bridge. The road from Genoa west towards France is much like the road to Sestri Levante.

Just after crossing the border from Italy into France we reach the Principality of Monaco. At just under 1 square mile Monaco is the second smallest sovereign state in the world with the smallest being Vatican City. Glamorous Monaco is also one of the richest and expensive places in the world. (We’re staying outside of Nice near the airport!) We see the famous harbor with its luxury yachts, and the Palais du Prince, home to Prince Rainier. Monte Carlo is largely free of personal income tax with revenue from the Monte Carlo Casino and high-end tourism. The Monaco Grand Prix is still 5 weeks away, but work is well underway construction the temporary Circuit de Monaco. Lunch is a salad and Limoncello Spritz at Brasserie du Mystic just a couple of blocks from the racetrack.

Leaving Monaco we visit Èze, a village perched high atop a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Here are the cacti and succulents of the Jardin d’Èze on the Place du Général de Gaulle, the Château de la Chèvre d’Or hotel and restaurant, and the Parfumerie Fragonard perfume factory and tour. Half our group walks up to the village. I join the other half for the perfume tour and it’s very informative.

Our next stop in Côte d’Azur is Nice, the largest city in the French Riviera. We walk past the harbor and down Promenade des Anglais along the seaside.

As an IBM employee in the mid-1960s, my Dad took a business trip to meet the engineers at the IBM La Guade Study and Research Centre in Nice and came to visit Monaco while here. He brought along the Canon II F rangefinder camera that he bought in Japan while stationed in Korea in the mid-1950s. Growing up I remember seeing these slides and it’s pretty cool finally getting to see these places in person!

I’ve got the Canon II F and a couple of rolls of Kodak Ektar 100 film with me! This camera is fully manual so I’m using a light meter app to determine exposure. It also weighs a ton, so I better get something usable after dragging the camera halfway across Europe. Greg and I race down the Promenade des Anglais as far as we can to approximate the location of my Dad’s Nice beach photo. But I won’t know for a couple of weeks. I’ll need to send of for processing after the trip. Patience required!

Alps and Med Day 5: Cinque Terre

On the bus returning from Cinque Terre …

Our lengthy dinner service didn’t end until well after 10 PM last night. But we depart at 8:15 AM this morning. Our driver, Silvano, makes quick time on the drive south from Genoa heading towards Cinque Terre. We pass through many tunnels and over many bridges as we traverse the mountains and valleys of the rugged terrain of this part of Italy.

Our first destination is the town Sestri Levante where we meet Frederica, our local guide for our visit today. We board a train for the hour long trip to reach the five fishing villages of Cinque Terre.

The Italian Riviera towns of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore, with their pastel colored homes and buildings, perch on the steep hillsides above the Mediterranean. No major roadways here. Instead trails connect the terraced winemaking vineyards and olive groves to the anchovy fishing boats below.

We start in the town of Riomaggiore, walking up from the train station to the pathway that winds its way through town. The views of the town and the crystal clear Ligurian Sea are spectacular!

We walk through the town for a few hours, cool off with a Lemonade Ice Cream, then board the train for the 20-minute ride to Monterosso al Mare. We’ve got a couple of hours to explore, so Michelle, Sophie, Greg, Peter, and me have a pasta, beer, and wine lunch at Ristorante al Cambusa. Next we shop for a while, then head to the beach.

After one last seaside glass of vino blanc we board the train to Sestri Levante where we meet the bus for the drive back to Genoa. Tomorrow we see Monaco and Nice!

Alps and Med Day 4: Lake Como

From Genoa …

Today is a transfer day of sorts with a side of Lake Como. We leave Switzerland for the 3-hour drive to Lake Como in Italy.

Not everyone enjoys the longer bus rides, but I always like to chance to sit back and watch the countryside roll by. The views of Switzerland on the way south towards Italy do not disappoint!

Lake Como is one of the deepest lakes in Europe with picturesque lakeside villages serving as a retreat for international celebrities. We stop in the town of Como. Located at the southern tip of the lake, Como is the lake’s historic gateway. Known for its lakeside promenade and the Como Cathedral, a Gothic–Renaissance landmark that took nearly four centuries to complete. Como is also famous for the nearby Como–Brunate Funicular, which climbs the hillside for views of the lake and surrounding Alps.

But our plan is a quick ferry ride to the lakeside town of Cernobbio. There we have lunch at Trattoria Laghee and then walk around Cernobbio for a bit.

Then it’s back to the ferry, a hot afternoon walk through Como, and on the bus for the 3-hour drive to Genoa.

Located on the coastline of the Liguria region, Genoa is the “capital” of the Italian Riviera! Once a powerful maritime republic, Genoa is one of the best-preserved medieval old town’s in Europe. And well known for Genoa Salami!!