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'.