June 10 - Nice to Cinque Terre

It looked so close on the map... 280 km from Nice, France to Cinque Terre, Italy. Leave bright and early in the morning, a nice train ride along the ocean, and we’d be in Cinque Terre in time for lunch. Do not assume the Italian train system echoes the timely French system. (Our train ride from Paris to Nice was delayed by over half an hour, and the SNCF refunded us a portion of our ticket.)

Our ticket was purchased to avoid Monaco due to construction on the tracks. However, once we arrived at the train station in Nice, we found out we were going straight to Monaco on an early morning commuter train. There were so many people on the train, and it was so hot, we all found positions where we felt least like throwing up or passing out.

From Monaco, we hopped on a train to take us to Ventimiglia, on the Italian border. Welcome to Italy; things aren’t so organized here! We bought tickets to Monterosso, Cinque Terre by an attendant who was texting the entire time – not something that instils confidence that you just purchased a ticket in the right direction.

Three of us, plus six month old twins in a double stroller and all our luggage, found ourselves comfortably seated on the next train to Genova. Not so fast! The train to Genova was cancelled, we found out from an Italian train steward, rapidly waving her arms around. At least, we thought that's what she meant! We had to unload all our gear off the train and over to another platform. It should be noted here that Europe is not at all handicap friendly. All the handicap accessibility we enjoy in North America barely exists in Europe. Elevators are hard to locate, sidewalks are narrow, and you have to climb vertical heights to get onto trains. Lugging suitcases and a baby stroller up and down countless stairs and on and off trains in 30C heat is stressful, to say the least. So bailing off one train and onto the next is not a welcome exercise.

Once situated on the next train, we realized that this train was going to Savona, when we wanted to be going to Genova to transfer to the train to Monterrosso. Much Italian-English translating and sign language later, we found out we were still headed in the right direction and all would be ok.

You get what you pay for - our ticket from Ventimiglia to Cinque Terre was only 11 euros. In the end, it took us eight hours to go the 280 km distance from Nice to Cinque Terre. We arrived in Monterrosso in time for afternoon coffee. Walking out of the train station onto the beach in Monterrosso, all the heat and frustration was forgotten as we took in the magic of Cinque Terre...

A Word (or Two) About Shopping!

Photo courtesy G Dempster

French shoes

A wise woman advised me before I left for Europe that I should just take an empty suitcase, and so many times her words came back to me! I didn't think I'd be doing a lot of shopping in France and Italy. I'd heard it was expensive, and the exchange rate was dear. I couldn't have been more wrong! There was reasonable shopping in abundance, and the Euro was approx. 1.30 CAD. (Have I done the exchange rate correctly... I always get it backwards!)

European stores seemed to be far more reasonably priced there; Zara, Mango, Benetton. Found some new favorite stores too, Promod and Naf Naf (clothing) and Andre (shoes). Birkenstock's could be found on every corner... they have spiffed up their styles and sell between 40 and 55 Euros. See... totally reasonable!

Nice is a shoppers paradise for any budget. The main shopping district straddles the tram line. You can happily while away an overcast afternoon shopping for shoes and clothes, which of course we did!

I also fell in love with French homewares. The top floor of Galeries Lafayette is loaded with fabulous, modern, European brands. Maison du Monde offers an eclectic mix of home furnishings not unlike Pier 1.

Unbeknownst to us, we lucked out flying into France and out of Italy. Reason being France has a 50 lb luggage allowance, whereas Italy has a 60 lb luggage allowance. As our bags got heavier and heavier with our purchases, we feared we'd be in trouble checking into the airport in Rome. A little online detective work revealed that we'd be in the clear. But next time, I will be taking an empty suitcase and a full wallet for fun new clothes, fabulous shoes, and the fabulous leather goods from Florence... more on that in Italian leg of our tour ... coming soon...

Links

Promod

Naf Naf

Zara

Benetton

Mango

Galeries Lafayette

Maisons du Monde

June 8 - South of France: Nice

Nice

I was one lucky girl to be included on a family vacation, which included visiting more family who are living in Nice right now. We got to stay for ten days in Nice, hanging around the town, and doing day trips to other towns in the area, as per previous posts. We stayed right on the tram line that runs perpendicular from the mountain area down to the beach. Pass was only 15 euros for a week. We jumped off and on the tram at leisure... stopping off in the shopping district, beach area, old town, train station, bus station.

Nice is full of the craziest characters! I loved the owner of the grocery store, who sat at the cash desk and randomly mutter-yelled things into his microphone. In his black leather vest, goatee, earrings and chains, he would have looked more at home bartending in a goth nightclub rather than ringing through people's daily groceries. Some of the women on the street wore crazy get ups... not more that once we saw nylons and shorts combo... not sure what the deal was with that, in 30C heat!

I had fun with my limited high school French... trying to read signs and order meals in French. I did manage to go to a farmer's market and order produce in French... for me the hard part was remembering any number over 50... I could fake it with poor French and sign language until it came time to pay. As soon as they asked for a total with "soixante..." in it, I stood there and stared at them. No matter, it was all fun... just next time I need to do some serious studying!

I loved Nice... it was a bit sad to leave. Beaches, amazing shopping, great weather, fantastic people watching, 2 euro cheeses, outdoor cafes, amazing pain au chocolat. Not so hard to leave though, as we were moving on to Italy: Cinque Terre, Florence and Rome. Besides, we just found out that our hosts are going to be in France for several more years, so will definitely be making a return visit!

June 6 - South of France: French Riviera

French Riviera

How to cram the amazing-ness of the French Riviera into a Sunday afternoon drive? You savour every second and pinky-promise yourself that you will be back, one day real soon. Marseille to Nice is just over 200km along a winding coastal road, complete with crazy French drivers passing you in Sunday traffic on a double-solid. Marseille, Toulon, Frejus, Saint-Raphael, Cannes, Antibes, Nice. There is a reason they call it the playground of the rich and famous. Fabulous beaches, massive yachts, hot cars, expensive shopping, beachfront hotels with private beach clubs. I cannot do it justice with words or photos... you just have to visit for yourself!

June 5 - South of France: Avignon

Avignon

I must confess to knowing nothing of Avignon prior to walking through the ancient walled city itself. Avignon is home to Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes) which was the seat of the Papacy instead of Rome for 70 years in the 1300s. Avignon is also home to Pont d’Avignon... a bridge that used to cross over the Rhône River. Only four arches remain of the original 22 arches; most of the bridge was taken out in a flood in the 1600s. Perhaps the reason the bridge is so famous is because of the legend behind it’s construction; a shepherd boy was visited by angels who commanded him to build the bridge.

The day we visited, it must have been 40C. The town itself was vacant of people, everyone hiding out from the heat. We had ice cream in a shaded park at the top of the village prior to visiting Palais des Papes. In the courtyard of the Palace, there were several little cafes... that would be the place to sit and drink a cold drink under the tress while admiring the beautiful architecture of the old papacy.

June 4 - South of France: Mairie de St Jeannet

Mairie de St Jeannet

Monaco by day, French countryside by night… a girl could really get used to this! Half an hour drive north of Nice, you are in another time. We visited a couple of ancient villages set high on the hillside, Mairie de St Jeannet being the first. Walking through town, we felt very conspicuous as tourists. It was a Friday night and all the locals had gathered at the only bar in town, spilling onto the outdoor patio as it was too tiny for all of them. As we walked by, we felt all eyes on us. Fortunately, it wasn’t the wild west, so no one got in our face and drew a pistol! We wandered around the village, poking around in corners and peering over fences. We discovered a small raised pool, tucked into a slight cave, where the villagers would have gathered to do their washing in ancient times. We saw roses tumbling down over stone fences. We then drove on to Vence for dinner; grilled fish, head intact, at an outdoor café. Loving the French experience!

June 2 – South of France: Eze

Eze

May 31, we took the TGV train from Paris to Nice. Relaxing train travel is the way to go; ‘read’ a French cooking mag for a while. Mindlessly gaze out at the French countryside for another while, rolling green hills with ancient villages tucked into the side of them. About four hours into the trip, the train reaches the sea and continues along the coastline. Instantly the landscape is distinctly Mediterranean, palm trees and pastel buildings. The train arrives in Nice about 5 hours after leaving Paris.

Nice is on the south eastern coast of France on the French Riviera. It’s close to Cannes, Provence, Monaco and the Italian border. We were fortunate enough to call Nice ‘home’ for ten days! We made our base there and travelled around to different places.

Eze Village is about a twenty minute hot bus ride from Nice. A medieval town, it’s built high on top of a cliff. It’s a steep walk up through the village to the top, but you hardly notice the climb, as the setting and view is so spectacular! That and you’re stopping every five minutes to take a photo... well that was my excuse... I really was stopping to catch my breath on the steep walk to the top.

There’s a fee to get into the garden at the top of Eze Village, but well worth the price. A large cactus garden caps the top of the hill and up there, you feel like you’re on top of the world. There are amazing varieties of cacti to admire... black succulents even! But it’s the view that is unreal. Down below is a view of St Jean Cap Ferrat, and beyond, you are looking out over the stunning Mediterranean sea.

We thouroughly enjoyed every minute in Eze, and decided that next time we came back, we’d stay in the luxury hotel. It’s built into the side of the cliff, with the restaurant patio perched precariously on the edge of Eze!

May 30 - Paris: Jardin des Tuileries

Jardin des Tuileries

Back to Jardin des Tuileries for another look around. There are several cafes within the gardens, and it was here that I discovered heaven on earth... also known as a Nutella crepe with Chantilly. Chantilly is French for whipped cream, and I never ordred another crepe without a side of Chantilly!

It should be noted that most places in Paris are closed on Sundays, restaurants included. We in North America are so used to all the stores being open all the time for our convenience. While it feels a bit strange to see all the stores closed shop for the day, it’s nice in a way. People are milling around in parks and squares, spending time with family and friends, or attending one of the many churches. It seems to be a day to slow things down, to spend with others, and just chill out. I couldn’t help but think that we North Americans could take a lesson from the French.

Since most things are closed on Sundays, if I were to go to Paris over a weekend again, I’d take another day. Then you could relax with the locals on Sunday, and get in restaurant visits and shopping the other days. I never did find my perfect Eiffel Tower souvenir!

May 29 - Paris: The Louvre

The Louvre

I had seen the Louvre for the first time the night before, as we had walked there from Notre-Dame. Today, we walked down the Champs Elysees to the Louvre, and I was wowed all over again. I'm a huge fan of good design, and Paris is no exception. We walked from the Arc de Triomphe at the one end of the Champs Elysees avenue which ends at the Place de la Concorde for vehicles, then continues on as pedestrian only through Jardin des Tuileries and finishes at Musee du Louvre. The Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde and Musee du Louvre are in one line along the Seine. Standing in the middle of Place de la Concorde itself is amazing, it's so large and what foresight to construct such a large intersection way back when! Standing in the middle, you can look to Musee de Louvre through the park, Hotel des Invalides in another direction and Arc de Triomphe in another. See - good design!

Today was the day we discovered Laduree and French macaroons. Laduree has several locations around Paris. It’s a high end French bakery with pale green walls and gold detailing, and you need a reservation for high tea. You can also order items at the counter; I had a raspberry macaroon and it tasted just like summer, followed by a salted caramel macaroon. I was very happy indeed!


Links:
Laduree

May 29 - Paris: Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower Visit
We had been talking about visiting famous landmarks while travelling, and hoping to get a great photo of it. Only to arrive and discover the landmark is under renovation and completely covered in scaffolding! So there were a few snickers when we rounded the corner from the train station for my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower up close, only to realize that two legs of the tower were covered in mesh construction material! Also, a daredevil, Taig Khris, was fulfilling a lifelong dream of jumping from the first of the Eiffel Tower to win the world record for highest roller skate jump - so there was an ugly ramp taking up the lower half of the structure. Aaaannd... the sky was so grey and flat, not a nice backdrop for structures at all. That’s the beauty of travel photography – if you only have half an hour scheduled for a landmark visit, you’ve just got to work with what you’ve got - no return visits.

May 28 - Paris

May 28 - Paris (Top photo: Sacré-Coeur, second; street beside Sacré-Coeur, third and fourth; Louvre Pyramid.)

We arrived into Charles de Galle airport and hit the ground running. No time for jet lag when you have three short days in Paris! Every city has its own smell; Sydney smells like eucalyptus, Honolulu; tropical flowers and Vancouver is fresh air and cedar. The minute we stepped off the plane, the scent reminded me of a dusty old theatre, the red velvet curtain kind with matching wobbly old chairs.

I love discovering new places; just to get out on the sidewalk and walk till my feet hurt. What I found surprising about Paris is that every city block has beautiful old buildings, and the blocks go on for miles and miles. No hideous 1970s concrete building to break up the aesthetic as in some cities, just one beautiful shuttered building after another.

After freshening up at the hotel – got to love European early check in – we walked from our hotel near Gare Saint-Lazare up to the Montmartre area, and walked around the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur that is set on top of the hill there. From the hillside, there is a lovely view back across the city of Paris, and I got my first view of the Eiffel Tower!

Later in the day, we walked around the streets of Paris, discovering Notre-Dame and the Louvre. I was blown away by the Louvre. I had no idea it was so fabulous. I knew of the IM Pei designed pyramid in the forecourt, but had no idea the sheer size of the original structure itself. To think that they built such a grand building 800 years ago, without modern building techniques, is almost unimaginable. Yet there it remains, evidence of a long, grand history.

As much as I love art and architecture, I must confess to not knowing a whole lot about art history. The Mona Lisa is housed in the Louvre, and I hadn’t given much thought to visiting her. However, the Louvre has €6 entrance fees on Friday nights, so we decided to make a quick trip in to say hello. I was underwhelmed by the Mona Lisa; her picture is small, hidden under a layer of bolted plexiglass, roped off to hold back the pressing crowd of tourists, their cell phone cameras out at arms length. By the amount of camera flashes going off, despite signage requesting the opposite, we wondered if the painting was even the real Mona Lisa? Perhaps it’s just a poster from the museum gift shop!? I was in awe of the building itself; high domed ceilings, endless corridors, mosaic floorings. I fear I walked through there, head bobbing , mouth agape, in typical tourist form!

Links:

The Louvre