Have spent 2 great days in Tellaro but time to move on .We decided that we would have 3 nights in the Nice area as the girls fly out of Nice on the 14th.
Went on line and booked within 30 kms zone of Nice and it was the seaside resort of Juan-les Pins.
Tomtom was set for this and it was pleasing to see that the journey was only 3 ½ hrs about 400 kms.So C said lets see what the alternative route is (no this is not a joke) the only alternative was 8 ½ hrs .So it was 130 -140 km/hr and a hundred tunnels and we arrived in JLP .the only deviation was when C insisted on trying to go on the coast and we turned off at Genoa ,a large coastal city that was very busy it turned out there was an International boat show there but I considered my chances of being allowed to look as not even worth the inquiry.Genoa was covered in a shroud of what was undecided whether it was sea mist (C's favourate) or smog ,whatever it made it pretty unattractive.Then with no further ado we were back in France , but a different France than we had seen before, seaside resort ,the Cote dAzur.
Jlp is little resort on the Riviera a little jaded the Rough Guide says and that sort of sums it up ,but there is still a heap of money here judging by the quality of motors and breasts .Alot of genteel brits being more French than the French with walking their dogs etc.The girls liked the shops and the sights .
The next day (sunday) we walked over to Antibes ,about 15mins walk .There is no gap between them but the locals apartment blocks.Antibes is much larger with a large marina with a wide variety a vessels not necessarily all super yatches .Graham Green lived here for 20yrs and if you have read any of his books I think that you can feel the place in some.We bought le pain, fruit,cheeses and wine to have on the beach but I had a sleep and then it was dark and the ambience was some what tainted eating in the breakfast area of our 2 star hotel.
Monday we went on the train to Cannes the girls walked on the red carpet ,but there was some sort of festival of animation on and there were wankers every where with registrations around their necks so we abandoned it and caught the train back to Nice.We had heard that Nice wasn't nice ( I have been wanting to say that) but ,in fact it is a very beautiful city with lovely buildings.The girls wanted to spend the last afternoon at home so back to JLP.
Last night we had great meal in near by restaurant proceeded by cocktails at a bar that cost as much as the meal.
14th ,sad day today the girls leave for home it has a been great together ,very special. Scarly leaves for Oz before we get back so many tears.
C and I on the road again we booked a room in Rousillon ,just at random but decided to go through the Alps Provence to get there.So from nice airport we went through Vence a very old town that DH Lawrence died of tb in the 30s and Matisse came to escape the bombings in the 2nd WW.From there we went on climb up around 1100m coming to random little villages that you wonder what on earth sustains them with no discernible source of income.We then followed whats called Napoleon's Route ,when he left Alba with 700 men and went 350 kms in 6 days through winter snow ,all to no avail though being whipped in th e Battle of Waterloo less than 100 days later and permantly banished to the Island of St Helena.We saw the gorges of Verdon and the Man made lake they empty into.
Rousillon is an incredibly beautiful village and having the difference in being on a hill that has been mined for ochre .All the buildings and surrounds reflect this .a favourate place.At dinner that night we were talking to some aussie honey mooners that had been car jacked in Barcelona exactly how the Peuguot lease says it happens ,so of course C had a nightmare last night about it.
We liked the place so much that we decided to stay another night ,but we couldn't so moving to a town only about half an hour away.
Provence is absolutely beautiful even now about 26c .Were are surrounded with lavender fields vines olives and fruit .You can really see its Cezanne country.We went to village today called Fontane -de -Valcluse it is the source of reputedly one of the most powerful springs in the world .The water coming out of this spring is beautilfully clear and a huge flow. Tonight we are in are in Bonnieux , a village perched on a hill over looking a valley spoiled only by the french farmers burning the Plane tree leaves and C effing and blinding about it but me quietly thinking that she and matches have got a very close relationalship