Today we said “au revoir” to the beautiful
city of Nice and the sparkling French Riviera. There’s no question everyone
enjoyed the four days here to the max!
We began our stay with a logical choice …
lunch on the beach. When my partner in leading this tour, Susan Sommers,
arrived with the group after their flight from Toronto, I was waiting to greet
them in the lobby of Hotel
Beau Rivage. It’s one of the best in town, with a superb location: the old
town and daily market, with an abundance of shops and restaurants down the
street one way and the sea the other.
Luggage safely stored by the incredibly
helpful staff, we simply walked across the Promenade des Anglais,
where a table for ten awaited us at their beach restaurant. Needless to say,
there were several moments spent stopped on “La Prom” (as the locals call it)
with cameras out and exclamations of pleasure at the stunning view surrounding
us.
The remaining two members of the group
arrived from Paris a few hours later. It could not have been a better beginning
as we overlooked the sparkling turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, shaded
from the warm sun, and sipped this summer’s popular cooler “Rosé Piscine” ~
rosé wine served over ice cubes in a large, balloon-shaped wine glass.
After a relaxing and delicious lunch, we
checked into our rooms and had a few hours at leisure. Some of the women went
for a stroll around the area with Susan and me, while others had a rest after
their long flight. Still others spent the time having a dip in the Med and a
snooze on a lounge chair on the pebble beach.
Our evening began with a very special visit with Ted Jones, author
of The French Riviera: A Literary Guide For Travellers. We met in a bar
down the street from our hotel with a stunning view over the Mediterranean. In
spite of traffic noise through the open patio doors, he kept us in rapt
attention with his tales of authors who lived on the Riviera through hundreds
of years.
Dinner that evening was at a long table, in
the atmospheric surroundings of the ancient buildings and squares of the old
town. Needless to say, strains of accordion music reached our ears from time to
time and the e n o r m o u s Fenocchio ice cream stand just up the street in
Place Rosetti did not escape anyone’s attention!
Day 2 began with our outstanding guide,
Corinna, introducing us to our fine bus driver, Rudolf, and our comfortable
twelve-row bus, and we set off for Monaco. Just a half-hour away along the
spectacular basse corniche, Rudolf patiently waited as magnificent photo ops
appeared in quick succession. Such is the reality of the Côte d’Azur!
The morning was spent touring the old town of Monaco. Visiting the
royal palace, watching the changing of the guard, and checking out shops
(including ice cream …) in the meandering, narrow streets filled several hours.
After lunch, the bus took us on a breathtaking ride up to the perched 11thC
village of Eze.
Before anything else, we walked up through the spectacular Jardin Exotique with
its vast collection of unique and beautiful cacti and succulents. Between the
gardens and the view it was difficult to stop exclaiming!
Our timing could not have been better, as a
light rain begin just as we boarded the bus for ‘home’.
Day 3 was a free day with many options.
Some of us took the hop-on, hop-off bus, at various times during the day, which
gave an excellent overview of the entire town. The Musée Marc Chagall
was one of the stops visited by most and well worth the time.
Many explored other areas, shops, palaces,
and parks of this beautiful town that is inviting and welcoming for strollers. Oh
… and did I mention ice cream? Enthusiastic reports confirmed that a great day
was had by all!
Day 4 began with a quick visit to the
Monday flea market, just down the street. Then our intrepid driver and guide took
us into the hills of the arrière-pays to the perfume centre of Grasse with its rich, five hundred year
history. The morning was spent in an excellent tour of the Fragonard perfume factory, still
run by three great-grandaughters of the original founders. It was fascinating to
walk amongst the tall copper vats and kettles and wooden drying shelves that
were originally used for centuries to blend flowers, spices and other exotic
ingredients to produce the company’s distinctive fragrances. Today the system
is more automated but we were pleasantly surprised to see there remains a
certain degree of hands-on involvement.
We also learned a great deal as to why
certain scents are used and how they are combined. There were opportunities to
experience products and, of course, spend a little time browsing and buying in
their stunning shop. Everyone loved it!
We were back on the bus for a winding and
picturesque route through forests and past villages perched high on cliff tops,
until we came around a corner that took our breath away! The first view of the village of Tourrettes-Sur-Loup
never fails to draw gasps. The jumble of the ancient stone structures hanging
off the side of the hill demands a photo and Rudolf managed to find a spot to
stop, to great applause!
Arriving at our destination of Saint
Paul-de-Vence was equally as breathtaking. Our guide, Corinna, had given us
a great deal of history (and love stories) about the area during the drive. We
were left to discover some of the lovely restaurants for lunch and few of us
were introduced to the joys of café gourmand ~ a tasty sampling of patisseries
(without guilt!). More time was spent later exploring the narrow, cobblestone
lanes, as well as admiring (and photographing, yet again) the stunning view
across the hills, right down to the coast.
To add to the fun, Corinna, arranged to
borrow a set of boules from the Café
de la Place and then instructed us in the fine art of the
game of boules. That particular boules pitch, shaded by massive plane
trees, is one of the most famous in France. Yves Montand, along with other
celebrities living in the area, played here regularly. After a tense finale between
Yvette and Heather, Corinna declared Heather the winner of the very close
match!
Our final dinner was once again in the old
town and began with chef’s creation of a smoked salmon entrée with a crème
brûlée topping … unique and delicious! The meal was accompanied by toasts to the success
of our visit of Nice La Belle and Heather’s Boule championship!
Tomorrow we leave for an afternoon in Aix
en Provence before settling into our hotel in Avignon. We’re excited to begin
our explorations in the provençal countryside.
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Womens Travel Network Promenade en Provence
– Tour 1, Part 2
After leaving Nice by private coach, we
reached Aix-en-Provence in time for a guided walk, lunch, and some browsing
time before going on to our hotel in Avignon. This would be our home for the
next 5 nights, perfectly located just steps from the magnificent Palais des
Papes and the Pont Benezet, the Avignon bridge of childhood song.
After checking in, we gathered in a private
room for an aromatherapy demonstration by Claire McAlpine, from Aix. Not only
is Claire a highly reputed book reviewer, but also a licensed aromatherapist.
Under her guidance, essential oils were explained and tested before each of us
mixed a small bottle of a personalized potion.
Day 5 ~ Take a deep breath. This was a busy
day … in a very good way. We learned the intriguing history and toured the
major sites of Avignon including, of course, the majestic Palais des Papes;
enjoyed a private wine-tasting; visited the famed Les Halles covered market
where some of us purchased delectable items for a picnic which we had on the
hilltop overlooking the Rhone and famed bridge; walked to Le Jardin de La Tour
restaurant for a cooking class with the charming Jean Marc Larrue. Chef Larrue
was both professional and entertaining as he educated us about food quality,
preparation, kitchen safety, wine, etc.
Day 6 ~ A picturesque drive (but then,
where isn’t it in this part of the world?) with our first stop at the Moulin du
Calanquet, a family-run olive farm and mill. As we learned about growing olives
and making oil, we sampled different varieties and were treated to delicious
tapenades.
Then we drove on to Les Baux de Provence
for a spectacular experience that was a surprise to all of us, the Carrières de
Lumiéres. This art exhibit is almost impossible to describe. Images of artists
work move around this enormous ancient quarry through the use of many
projectors, covering walls, floors and ceilings accompanied by appropriate
selections of music from jazz through classical to pop to opera. Check out the
link here and just know we were all astounded. Last year the show featured
Impressionists and Provence. This year the focus was on Klimt and Vienna.
Simply amazing.
After climbing up to the village of Les
Baux where some of continued on up to the castle ruins, we were back on the bus
to make a stop at two Roman monuments outside St. Remy de Provence. There was
time after that to spend an hour … first stop for some was the ice cream shop
and for others a chilled glass of rosé or a pression on a terrace in the town
square.
Day 7 ~ A longer drive today, just over an
hour through beautiful countryside, delivered us to Arles. Our guide led us
through the ancient Roman Forum and then to the ruins in the Roman Theatre
before showing some of Van Gogh’s haunts in the town. Of course there was time for
ice cream and a beverage of choice! We wondered if Vincent had ever sat at our
table!
Day 8 ~ This was a special day spent
exploring the Luberon area, made famous for many in Peter Mayle’s popular book,
“A Year In Provence” and the setting for much of “The Promise of Provence”. A quick stop at
the Musée de Lavande, gave us an immersion on the difference between lavende
and lavenderIn Bonnieus we climbed to the ancient church at the top of the
village to take in the panoramic view that stretched across a patchwork of
fields and farmhouses all the way to Mont Ventoux.
Lunch was in the colourful village of
Roussillon, before we stopped at a private lavender field to get our fix of the
beauty and fragrance found in this countryside from mid-June to the end of
July.
Continuing on to the lavender fields of the
12thC Abbaye de Sennanque, a quick stop at the village of Gordes provided an
opportunity for us to capture its stunning beauty in photos from across the
gorge.
All good things must come to an end and
there was unanimous agreement that this tour had been a very good thing! Thanks
to a fabulous group of enthusiastic travelers ~ each sharing their unique
qualities to create treasured memories for all of us!
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