Cote d'Azur 2 - north to Monaco

Driving the coastal road north past Nice, to the quaint village of Villefranche-sur-Mer, known for its pastel coloured buildings along the harbour. (It was actually pouring rain so we stopped in one of the waterfront cafes for a warm drink.)

View of Villefranche-sur-Mer from the Middle Corniche.

The rich enclave of Cap Ferrat.

And onto Monaco.
Monaco is the world’s most densely populated country and the second smallest independent nation, with a population of just over 32,000 people. Monaco land area is only 1.96 kilometers. Monaco is also very famous for hosting one of the world’s most famous Grand Prix Formula 1 – The Monaco Formula One Grand Prix. We were there a week before the race and the fences were up along every sidewalk along the route.

The harbour... view from the Upper Corniche

and a close up of the yachts parked for a day of gambling.

the Casino...
Built in 1863 in the Principality of Monaco, overlooking the Mediterranean, this architectural masterpiece has been the scene of Monte-Carlo's finest hours, spawned prestigious resorts and provided gaming with its most elegant setting.
Designed by Charles Garnier, the legendary architect who also built the majestic Paris Opera, the Monte-Carlo Casino was dedicated from the outset to the art of gaming. With its frescoes in the style of Boucher, its bas-reliefs, sculptures and caryatids, and an astonishing gold and marble atrium, the architecture exerts an unforgettable emotional impact.


A view from Casino Square where you can see the stands set up for the upcoming race. I love the juxtaposition of the Smart cars next to the BMW... as we sat in a sidewalk cafe watching the people go by, we noticed just as many small economical cars in ratio to the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and other high-enders.

Lavender... and finally, the Cote d'Azur

From Provencal into Digne-les-Bains we drove past many many lavender fields filling up every nook and cranny. From mesa tops where we saw rows upon rows, to rocky fields where the tiniest area was filled with plants - oh! to have been travelling a couple of weeks later when everything was in bloom to see the magnificent fields of purples.

These pictures show the fields with a grey look, which is the stalks of last year's blooms left on the plant. This gives the field a fuzzy look when you are zooming past it in your car.
Here is a link to a map of where lavender is grown in this area of southern France.

http://www.beyond.fr/map/lav_map.html




We arrived in Antibes, our base for exploring the Cote d'Azur, on a Sunday afternoon and discovered a "boules" tournament taking over the entire inner harbour area, filled with teams from far and wide.

The game of boules, otherwise known as pétanque , is perhaps the sport that is closest to French hearts. Similar to British lawn bowling or Italian bocce, the French version is traditionally played with metallic balls on a dirt surface beneath plane trees, with a glass of pastis at hand. The local boulodrome is a social focal point in southern France.

The object of the game is to throw your balls — usually with somewhat of an arched back-spin — so that they land closer to the small object ball (cochonnet) than those of your opponent, or strike and drive the object ball toward your other balls and away from your opponent's.

Many a lazy day can be spent watching games and get caught up in the on-field drama of the shot 'almost made'.

The Grand Canyon of Europe

One of the most spectacular natural sites in Europe is the Gorges du Verdon, also known as the French Grand Canyon. Located in south-eastern France (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), it is a river canyon that many consider to be Europe's most beautiful. It is the world's second largest gorge, at about 25 kilometers in length and up to 700 metres deep. It was formed by the Verdon River, which is named after its startling turquoise-green colour, one of the canyon's most distinguishing characteristics.

We travelled from Provence to Digne-les-Bains, then south into Cote d'Azur. We made a deliberate detour to drive along the clifftops for the views and scenery. There are two ways to drive the canyon, along the north or southern walls. We chose the southern road. It is the colour of the waters below that make you want to jump onto a raft for a lazy sail down the river.

(The colour is very reminiscent of our glacial lakes of the Rocky Mountains of Alberta.)

Back to the market!

the Buoys of Barcelona...

loved these guys in the Barcelona harbour!!

Provencal 4 - Market Day

baskets

fabrics

lavender products (unfortunately we missed the blooming by weeks)

After the arid cities and villages elsewhere in Provence, the presence of water at every turn is a welcome change. In Isle-sur-la-Sorgue — called the "Venice of Provence" — the Sorgue River's extraordinarily clear and shallow flow divides like cells, producing water, water everywhere.

And they are famous for their twice a week markets. We visited on a Sunday and the entire town was taken over with booths selling anything from local produce and crafts to antiques.

It really is worth visiting one along your way for a glimpse into the everyday life.

And the one memory that sticks in my head about travelling in France over all the years that I have returned, is the POPPIES! Haven't seen the lavender fields in bloom yet, but the poppies brightening up every field makes up for it.

Provencal 3 - Nimes and Orange

We came to Nimes to visit the best preserved Roman amplitheatre in the world but discovered this one was hosting a bullfight that day and the festivities had taken over the entire town.


From marching bands winding their way through narrow cobblestoned streets; to tents selling anything related to the bull; to food stands (paella, of course); to beautifully embroidered matador jackets and paraphernalia - the town was a wonder to wander through - until the bullfight started and then the streets were empty!






We did get to visit the Maison Carrèe in relative quiet though - this neat, jewel-like temple is nothing like its name, Square House, being in fact long and rectangular. Built in 5AD it is possibly dedicated to the Gods Jupiter, Juno, or Minerva. It survived the centuries as a meeting hall, a private residence, a stable, a church and, after the Revolution an archive.


On the way to Orange, we made a point to take in the masterpiece of engineering - the Roman aqueduct Pont du Gard, built about 8 BC at 160 ft high, it carried water over 30 miles into the city of Arles.


Then into Orange and one of the best preserved Theatre Antique left standing. The Roman Theater of Orange is extraordinary in that it has retained its magnificent stage wall - surprisingly well preserved and unique in the Western world. Because of the wall it still has wonderful acoustics; this theatre can hold 10,000 spectators and has concerts within its walls to this day.


All of the preceding places are, of course, UNESCO world heritage sites.

Provencal 2 - Avignon

Another UNESCO site is the historic centre of the city of Avignon. This fortified city is marked by papal history. Going through any of the seven doors of the superbly preserved walls one discovers the city of the Popes. The city is well known for its Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes), where several popes and antipopes lived from the early 14th to early 15th centuries.



the fortified wall:


looking up at the palace:


looking from the rooftop to the square below:


one of the few things actually in the palace - 800 year old vellum and calligraphy!



Nearby are the museums the Petit Palais and Palais du Roure, not too far away stands the famous Pont d'Avignon (of school-age French classes and the song Sur Le Pont, d'Avignon... if you know it, the tune immediately comes into your head!)