Cote D'Azur

15.06
Out early as planned and a short drive to Grasse where we found a Big Macs and spent 3 hours on the internet.  Continued onto Valbonne and our French friends Arlette and Jean-Michel who we met in 1976, a long time between drinks! They now have a golden retriever named Enzo.

 Valbonne must be one of the best places to live in the world.  It’s only 7kms from Antibes and the Med but is snuggled into the mountains.  It has a lovely, well touristed village with both old and new parts. The cafes and restaurants are based around a square and have a nice relaxed feel about them.  In winter it’s possible to lay in the sun and be skiing 45 minutes later.  Consequently it’s incredibly expensive here with the house prices averaging over 1.5 million euros, second only to the prices in Paris.  Some of the places have to be seen to be believed.  The shop prices also reflect the money that is around these parts.

Jean-Michel and Arlette have a beautiful home with a pool (needed as the temperature is close to 40 now)  and wonderful views of the mountains that get covered in snow come winter.
We are getting some sun and catching up.

 16.06

We all took Enzo for his morning walk in the forest close to his home.  He has been walking here since he was a pup and knows every inch.  He heads off looking for pheasant and loves swimming in the river that runs through it.  Relaxed by the pool, had a cruisey day, and wandered through the village in the evening.

17.06

Jean-Michel and Arlette left to visit friends so we are in charge of Enzo for the day.
Another day around the pool!!  Life is tough!!!  Not a cloud in the sky and very hot!

18.06

Had an awesome day out on the beautiful clear blue Med in Jean- Michel and Arlette’s speed boat moored near Antibes.  They took us to the pretty islands of Ile St-Honorat and Ile Ste-Marguerite which make up the Iles De Lerins about 20 minutes away.  We explored the Abby and small chapels on the Isle St-Honorat which has been a monastery since the 5^th Century, then had a picnic under the pines overlooking the Med.  We headed to the Ile Ste-Margerite for a swim, then passed Fort Ste-Marguerite, (where legend has it King Louis 14^th imprisoned his brother in a mask in the 17^th Century – ‘the Man in the Iron Mask’), towards the coast and a spectacular panoramic view of Cannes and Antibes with Nice in the distance.

We passed an amazing RBB (Rich Bastards Boat) ‘Le Grand Bleu’ superyacht and couldn’t decide whether to take the onboard 10 metre yacht or the 10 metre speed boat out for the day!  Did we mention the helicopter?, decisons, decisions! 



Swims in a pretty rocky cove below the many multimillionaires homes including one belonging to the Russian Abramovitch who owns Chelsea Football Club.  Not one of them asked us for tea!!!

Passed the famous ‘Cap d’Antibes’ Hotel (the most exclusive hotel in the world).  They didn’t ask us in either!!

In the evening we had ‘aperitifs’ at Jean Michel and Arlette’s friends, Susie and Norman – a great evening!



19.06        

Jean-Michel took us on a ‘tiki tour’ around the environs of Valbonne.  We went to Sophia which has the largest technological  business park in Europe. The ‘Amadeus’ site alone has 3,000 employees.  On to the 16^th Century hillside village of Biot, famous for glass blowing and producing bubbled glass.  We saw ‘glass blowers’ in action.  Back home via the coast and Villeneuve-Loubet with it’s huge marina and surrounding ‘pyramid’ like apartment blocks.

In the coolness of the late afternoon we walked the cobblestone paths of the ancient medieval hilltop villages of Tourettes sur Loup known for it’s perfume made from violets and St-Paul de Vence known for it’s art.  We saw the ‘Thumb’ sculpured by Marc Chagall.    
 20.06


Quiet day spent around the house and pool, took the dogs for a walk and the highlight of the day was the arrival of Jean-Michel and Arlette’s daughter Virginie and her partner also called Virginie.  Virginie was only 4 months old when we first met her and she has grown into a beautiful, intelligent woman who can speak English fluently. Two bottles of champagne were opened in celebration and we had fabulous night. 


21.06

Arlette’s birthday today so Jean-Michel took us to the local patisserie to buy a cake.
What a magnificent range to choose from, they are made freshly each day. We decided on a cake covered in fruit and it was delicious!

As always it will be hard to leave tomorrow as we have been looked after so beautifully by Arlette and Jean Michel.  We have eaten numerous French dishes prepared by Arlette who is a wonderful cook and had incredible hospitality shown by them both.  Our French has improved heaps with their tuition and we’ve had an incredible week.

 22.06

Time to move on today and we headed for the coast (only 7k away!)  Jean-Michel has found us a terrific camp only 1k from the beach, close to Antibes. The camp is called Camping L’Eden, it’s quiet and we have a nice site.  It’s close to Marineland and a huge fairground.  We can base ouselves here for the trips to Nice, Cannes, Antibes and Monaco.

 We set up camp and cycled into Antibes to find a bike shop, as Col had a slow leak in his tyre (the one he mended!!)  Antibes is the second biggest marina in Europe and many super yachts are moored here.  The ‘vieil’ Antibes is a small,  pleasant mix of food shops, boutiques and restaurants with a great vibe.  We strolled through the small alleyways and along the sea walls to Juan-les–Pins with fantastic views of the Cote d’Azur and were stunned by the size and opulence of the many super yachts. As normal we were late home and had a quick salad at 11pm.

23.06

 Off to Nice today for lunch with Richard and Carole Long.

Had an incredible 17k bike ride sharing the seaside bikepath with walkers, runners, cyclists, and skaters of all ages, shapes and sizes. Passed through Villeneuve-Loubet, Cagnes-sur Mer, Saint-Laurent-du-Var and the Nice airport.  The pebbled beachs along side the cycleway were full the entire trip with cars, campervans, swimmers and fishermen.

It is exhilarating being a part of it all!


Arrived at Nice and rode to the end of the palm lined ‘Promenade des Anglais’ for a swim.  There is a major Ironman competition tomorrow and there are film crews and event organisers everywhere.


The beach is packed with sun bathers (they don’t seem to know about skin cancer here!)
Bodies everywhere with not much clothing!

 Met Richard and Carole in their apartment in ‘Old Nice’ for a super lunch and catch up.
They have a neat fifth floor apartment (76 stairs) in an alley -  way in the heart of the old town.

We strolled the back streets and markets of the old town, checked out the Ironman tents and stalls and had a quick look at the modern squares and cafes.

Sat for a beer and ‘people watched’ then back for dinner.  Having such fun we forgot the time and had to start our return journey after sunset.  A fantastic ride, arriving home in the dark at 10.15 (no lights on the bikes) so walked the last part.

Yet another incredible day!

 
With many of his friends in Europe at this time we believe Chas must be looking a bit like this!!!

Burgundy, Beaujolais and Provence

1.06

Travelled through Vierzon, Bourges and Nevers.  We had a good shopping day today as we stopped at a campervan outlet (ISL) and found the part needed to mend the window arm that we broke.  We also spent a good two hours going through all the flash campervans on sale (Lefty holds up well despite her/his age).  Average price for a 7m plush van with all the mod cons 65000 euros, amazing value compared to NZ.  Next stop was a “Decathlon” store, a huge superstore for sports gear.  We found a portable gas grill BBQ (79 euros)  that we had been looking for, compact yet user friendly.  Groceries were next so after all the stops we realised we would not make our destination.

 Stopped at an ‘Aires Camp’ in the pretty village of St-Benin d’Azy.  “Aires” are special areas providing facilities for motorhomes in the form of overnight parking and/or service points for water collection and disposal of waste.  Most are free, paid for by the local community.  A fantastic service that could well be adopted in NZ.  Our new BBQ was a great success – sausages cooked to perfection – Pam likes her sausages!

2.06

 On the D roads into the heart of Burgundy (Bourgogne as the French call it) through the medieval towns of Chateau Chinon and Autun, passed the Canal de Navais at Chatillon-en-Bazois and the little village of Grenouille (Frog), this place even had a cafe with a huge golden frog on the roof.  We’re travelling through a more elevated countryside now with an alpine feel – vine covered hillsides and rolling hills dotted with medieval villages, chateaux and pretty canals.

Arrived in the medieval town of Beaune (pronounced Bone)  the unofficial capital of the Cote d’Or.  This area is the Champes Elysees of red wine and the home of boeuf bourguignon.


The wine growers here generally have small vineyards (10 hectares) and the wines are exclusively Pinot Noir which are aged for 10 – 20 years before bottling. There is a pyramid system used to classify the wines.  At the top is ‘grand cru’ identified by the name of the vineyard only (Corton, Chevallier Montrachet and Vougeot to name a few).  Next come ‘premier cru’ wines, first labelled with the name of the village and then the name of the vineyard ( Beaune-Grieves, Volnay-Caillerets  or Pommard-Rugiens) and finally are the ‘appellations communales’ or village wines (Beaune and Sauvigny-les-Beaune).  A good grand cru seems to sell at around 30 euros plus and the village wines are very cheap. Fair to say we are trying a few!
Settled into our municipal camp (awning comes out, table and chairs get assembled and step put out)!  It’s all go this life!  Only a short walk to the center and braved the excessive heat for a walk around town. Beaune exists for one purpose only, wine, making it, tasting it and selling it.  Many of the shops allow wine tasting and there are millions of bottles being aged below it’s streets in cellars.  Walked around the ramparts and through the quaint old town.

3.06 
After being too hot yesterday we had a huge thunderstorm during the night followed by a rainy day today.  A good chance to catch up with our kindles and email.  

4.06

Better day today so off on the bikes for a tour of Burgundy’s most famous wine route,
the ‘ Route des Grands Crus’ - the vineyards and pretty wine producing villages.  A special bike route that allows you to bike in the vineyards themselves alongside the farmers and seasonal workers.

We cycled for 30kms to the ‘Canal Du Centre’ at Chagny where we biked the tow path and followed the canal boats.  Had lunch on the canal and returned back to camp.
A beautiful 63kms round trip and great fun!

5.06

Off to the Beaujolais today, a region synonymous with it’s fruity red wines.  Hilly vineyards stretch south from Macon along the right bank of the Saone for some 50 km.  Travelled through Sercy with it’s lovely small Chateau and Cluny which appeared to be an equestrian town until we reached the pretty vineyard villages of Fleurie and Villie-Morgon as suggested by Paul and Cynthia.

We decided to camp on the river and found a great little spot in St Romain des Iles a short way from Fleurie.  Had lunch right on the river bank then an afternoon cycle that ended before it began with Col getting a puncture.  Our first attempt at a fix of the back wheel was successful and only took about 2 hours!!!!

6.06

Rain overnight and also in the morning so a good sleep in.  Finally got away around 2pm with the sun shining and continued south following the Saone through Villefranche and Lyon.  Now following the mighty Rhone on the left bank which became quite industrial so we crossed over to the right bank and gratefully back to a more rural setting with vineyards and cherry trees.

Found an aires camp at Tournan-sur-Rhone and parked alongside about 30 other campers.
Had a walk along the Rhone and the ancient town which was amazing with it’s narrow, cobblestone streets set inside the old fortified walls. We are only 50kms from Grenoble and the mountains and 250kms from the coast.

 
7.06

Up and away by 6.30am and a stop for breakfast en route at Baix.  Passed through countless medieval fortress towns with narrow cobblestone streets.  The pick of the bunch was Mornas which looked like a set from Camelot.

Arrived at Camping Campeole Ile des Papes in Avignon, an awesome camp in the middle of an island on the Rhone.  Greeted by Paul and Mary, our friends ex Epernay who recommended the camp.  Spent the rest of the day around the camp pool and catching up.  Great fun!

8.06

Off to see the ‘Pont du Gard’ Roman aqueduct with Paul and Mary (14km away).  The greatest bridge ever built in classical times nearly 2000 years ago.  (Free entry to the grounds but 18 euros for parking).
A three tiered 360m long, 50m high aqueduct with 35 arches that was part of a 50km long system of water channels to bring water from Uzes to Nimes.  A spectacular monument!

Had a swim under it’s arches and a picnic in the grounds.  Went to the impressive museum and watched a film on the aqueduct’s history which was supposed to be in English but was in French!!  We have a way to go with our understanding!!  Sausages for dinner!!

9.06

Biked the 24kms into Avignon for a wander around the old town.  Got a little lost en route and were rescued by a small boy on his bike who became our ‘petit guide’.
Our first sight was the river and the famous bridge ‘Le Pont d’Avignon’ built in the 12^th Century.  It’s actually called the Pont St-Benezet but I guess that would mess up the song!


The town is completely surrounded by ramparts with the gothic ‘Palace of the Popes’ as it’s centre piece.  This was the home of the papacy in the 14^th Century.
 Climbed to the top of the cathedral gardens for a fantastic panorama of Mount Ventoux (1912m of Tour de France fame) in the distance.  Still had snow on top and takes over 2 hours to reach the summit by bike.  We will probably cycle up it tomorrow!! (Not).


Home for an early dinner and back to the town again at dusk with Paul and Mary to see Avignon by night.  Strolled the streets, had pastis and frites and watched a partisan street band (accordian, spoons, fiddle and bass) play traditional French songs to an enthusiastic crowd.   All very French and fantastic fun!  Had a demented women trying to get into all our photos! 

10.06

Spent the day around the camp and in the pool.  We had a fun evening with our lovely German neighbours Kirsten and Paul and sampled their Chateauneuf-Du-Pape wine.  We then met Mary and Paul at their German  friend’s caravan for ‘wine tasting’.
Learnt the five most important steps of wine tasting:

1        Look....  at the wine’s colour

2        Smell...  the wines bouquet

3        Taste...  the wine around your tongue

4        Listen... to the vigneron telling you how good his wine is and worth every euro

5        Touch... your back pocket to show you left your wallet behind!

11.06

We biked 43kms along a beautiful bike path through cherry, apricot, and nectarine orchards and fields of sunflowers (too early for the flowers) to Chateauneuf-Du-Pape, needless to say we sampled some of the apricots!!  The cherries at ‘reach level’ had all been eaten.


Chateauneuf-Du-Pape is a pretty medieval village and epicentre to the great Rhone wine growing region.  Extra special to us as our ride was made in memory of Dad who’s favourite wine was Chateaunef-Du-Pape which we used to all enjoy at Christmas! 

We walked up to the remains of the Chateau and had a fantastic view of Mount Ventoux and the Rhone valley.  We had a picnic overlooking the fountain and cafes in the town centre then cycled to ‘Le Pavillion Skalli’ to learn more about Chateauneuf-Du-Pape wines.
In the evening we joined English, German, Dutch, Swiss and French fellow campers to watch the ‘England vs France’ game.  The Soccer European Cup is very popular here!

12.06   

A day spent around the camp doing the odd chore, talking to various neighbours and having  swims.

13.06  

Sad goodbyes to Paul and Mary and off to the Lake at Saint-Croix du-Verdon about two hours away.  We are now in the ‘Alpes de-Haute-Provence’, beautiful alpine scenery with lavender fields and hay bales at every turn.  This is our first real alpine climb following the route of many ‘Tour de France’ through towns such as Apt, St Martin, Cereste and Manosque.  Lefty handles the hills with ease although he doesn’t like the pot holes and bumpy roads. 

Arrived at Saint Croix and an ‘aires’ overlooking the pretty lake and village (Lefty has been here before with Don and Val).  This is a 12k long, man made lake at the bottom of the largest canyon in Europe, the ‘Gourges du Verdon’.  Walked around the lake and had a nudey swim just before a division of the French Army turned up!! 

14.06

We took advantage of the campers leaving by 9:00am and moved so that we could have breakfast with a spectacular view of the Lac de St Croix and the village.  We had coffee and admired the view with Jenny and Sean, a fun couple from Staffordshire. 

We drove through the spectacular and beautiful mountain ranges, passed the pretty village of Moustiers St-Marie tucked between two limestone cliffs, along high twisty roads following the magnificent Gorges du Verdon carved out by the Verdon River.  250m – 700m deep gorges and a mere 8m – 90m wide at the bottom.  We stopped at ‘Point Sublime’ near Rougon for a panoramic close up view of the Gorge and people rafting and picnicing below.  Another stop 12kms from Castellane for a picnic along the Gorge and a nudey swim!

  We found an ‘aires’ camp in Castellane below the Chapelle Notre Dame du Roc perched spectacularly above the town on a needlelike rock.  We climbed to the top of the rock for panoramic views of the Gorges and Castellane.  Early departure tomorrow as there is a cycling event tomorrow and we need to be out of the ‘aires’ by 8am.