Monaco: Cars and chaos

 Hello!

 

 On my penultimate day on the Côte d'Azur I finally got to Monaco. As with Ventimiglia I had been keen to visit another country (or a city-state), plus some of my previous excursions had taken me through the Monte Carlo station and I hadn't know whether to be awed or amused by its over-the-top glitziness. I wanted to see the city behind the façade; the real Monaco.

 I arrived at the sparkly station and there I faced one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my Antibes fortnight: it may seem like a little thing but not being able to find any way out of a station can become slightly worrying after half an hour of searching. Finally I found daylight and walked out into Monaco.

 First I visited a church that boasted a lot of signs talking about the Turin Shroud. I thought excitedly that the Shroud might be there but there was no sign of it. Maybe it was there in the past.

 Formula 1 had arrived in town and practising had just finished. Stands were being erected and billboards prepared for the racing weekend. It was intriguing to be on a Formula 1 track and see up close little things like the ads/names of sponsors along the sides of the road and the piles of tyres. On two occasions I thought I saw Jenson Button!

 After my great tour bus experience in Nice I hoped to do the same here and waited patiently at one of the stops on the map but no bus came. Another guy was clearly waiting for it which was reassuring as it confirmed that I was in the right place. There was nothing on the bus's website about it not running for Formula 1 and I couldn't think why else it wouldn't operate.

 After about an hour I gave up on the bus and instead walked the race route which was far more interesting than I imagine a tour would have been. The track went along the coast and through a long tunnel which had windows with lovely views of the sea.  

 There were also frequent, rather psychedelic posters for a cactus expo. I love cacti but have no desire to see them emitting pulses of purple and red light! When I was back home that weekend watching the Grand Prix on the telly I pointed out the posters to my brother and he was equally amused.

 After the tunnel I saw what looked like a normal shop but it seemed to have been hired for the night by McLaren for a very swanky party. Well-dressed people were milling around and there were doormen with lists of names. It looked fun. I was hoping to see Nicole Scherzinger but then remembered that Lewis Hamilton isn't at McLaren any more.

 Further along the coast there was a little patio of sorts which looked down at the beach and sea. I sat for a while watching people pass by and glancing occasionally at the water which, like the cacti, looked rather psychedelic. The blue was pulsating and the late sunlight flickering on and off it like a strobe - I couldn't look at it for long.

 I admired how the very small beach had at least two big rubbish bins, shaped like dolphins to be slightly more photogenic and to appeal to kids. I like when people take littering seriously: beaches need to be clean and safe.

 I popped into the Japanese Garden. I didn't get long there before being thrown out as they were closing for the night; however, while I was there it was a nice, peaceful place.

 I retraced my steps back to where I had waited for the bus. The stop was by the marina and I admired the impressive yachts. There were several bearing Ferrari flags; whether they held team members or fans I don't know.

 Dusk was coming and things seemed to be hotting up in the area around the team garages. I strolled down to investigate and was greeted by a real spectacle. Red Bull and Monster (the drinks maker) had set up mini nightclubs in front of the garages with loud, thumping music, smoke machines and girls dressed in Red Bull outfits dancing and grinding on a podium.

 There were a few snacks for sale and I bought a brownie, sceptical as to whether it would be any good. There wasn't much food on offer - it seemed to be low on the party's list of priorities, under music, smoke, dancing and general chaos. However...

 ...the brownie was amazing. It was so delicious I wanted to go straight back and get another. It really was one of the best brownies I've ever tasted. Completely melt-in-the-mouth, it was one of the nicest surprises of the trip, along with the Cannes shenanigans. I almost forgave Monaco for my station annoyance. But they really do need to sort out their signing.

 I spent a while soaking up the ambience. It was chaotic and exhilarating. Like the Cannes red carpet event, the Pre-Grand Prix party pleasantly surprised me in its lack of arrogance and glitziness: it was all excitement and celebration and people enjoying partying together.

 I had really come to like Monaco and it was with reluctance that I caught my train back to Juan-les-Pins. On the train there were some loud, drunk British lads whittering on about Ronaldo vs. Messi, which made the long journey slightly less boring. (Seriously, though. Ronaldo to Messi is a rabbit to a hare; a bobcat to a leopard.)

 That was my final excursion. I then had one final day in Antibes before leaving via Nice Airport. Nice Airport lived up to its name with some nice shops and nice cafés.

 However, once we were on the plane we were told we had to sit and wait for up to forty minutes! It was very hot and tedious and we had to endure the same songs over and over on Jet2 FM but fortunately it didn't actually take forty minutes and eventually we were off again, along that runway led almost into the sea. 

 It was scary but wonderful to run to the edge, like on a diving board, and then take a great leap up into the blue. Except unlike divers we didn't come down again - we just kept flying and flying.

 As I hope you can tell from my blog posts, my two weeks on the Côte d'Azur were very special and I discovered no less than ten great new places. My top four: Antibes, Monaco, Cannes and Nice. They haven't seen the last of me! I really hope to bring my family to show them around the new piece of world I have discovered.

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

Ventimiglia: Ducks and desserts

 Ciao!

 After a short but very enjoyable stop in Menton I was on my way to Italy! The scenery was absolutely stunning: rocky coast, blue sea, blue sky, tall cliffs. 

 We rolled into Ventimiglia and the first thing I did was find the nearest ice-cream shop! I had banana and stracciatella and it was as luscious as I had always hoped Italian ice-cream would be. The banana was especially striking as it tasted exactly like real banana and not the artificial banana taste you often get in ice-cream.

 I wandered through the streets just enjoying being in another country and being surrounded by fast, musical Italian. I explored a market and souvenir shops and enjoyed the lovely views of houses set into the hillside rising around the city. 

 I found the sort-of-estuary where the river becomes the sea, which is crossed via a bridge. Standing on that bridge taking photos of the many wildfowl hopping and bobbing and flying about is one of my strongest memories of Ventimiglia. There were ducks, seagulls, swans and more. The weather, which had been sunny in Menton, had turned kind of moody - it felt as though a storm was coming, which made an unusual and pleasing ambience for the photos.

 I then arrived by the sea where I sat and read for a bit as I was tired out from trekking around and from the heavy air. It was nice to just sit there and relax. I returned to town and visited a craft shop where I bought some lovely carved and painted animals.

 Back in the station I just had to try some pizza at the café. I also have a lovely dessert called a Sicilian Something or Other which I can't find again but which combined pastry, chocolate, orange and cream and which was divine.

 I then went to catch my train back to Juan-les-Pins and it was then that the worst thing that happened during my Antibes fortnight occurred. My camera bag was stolen. I didn't see it being taken, I just realised that it was no longer there. 

 It was horrible: my camera, camcorder, memory cards and all my photos of the trip were gone. Naturally an awful, panicky time followed in which I contacted my mother and we tried to find out what I had to do and where to report the theft. 

 I would later go to the police in Antibes and contact various people on the railway system. I never got it back. I have a replacement now, which is a wonderful camera but I miss my old one terribly - I had had it for years.

 So, my afternoon in Ventimiglia contained one very bad memory. However, I try to focus on the good times when I remember it: the ice-cream, the birds, the craft shop, the Sicilian dessert. One day I hope to take a grand tour of Italy and see Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Naples and Sicily itself (setting of one of my favourite works of literature: Much Ado About Nothing). One day...

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

Menton: Life on the border

 Hello!

 On my first Saturday in Juan-les-Pins I decided to go to Italy. I thought that while I was so close I may as well take the opportunity to see a new country. So I got on a train to Ventimiglia, the first town over the border.

 However, the train ground to a halt in Nice. Sometimes trains sit in Nice for a bit so I stayed put. Then a railway worker came through the carriages ordering us to get off as the train wasn't going any further! I climbed down onto the platform, feeling miffed. I was keen to see Nice but today was Ventimiglia day!

 However, I soon found a train from Nice to Menton. With Menton being the last town before the border I reasoned that I should be able to get from there to Ventimiglia easily enough - there would surely be regular trains. So, I hopped onto the train and off we went to Menton.

 On arrival I discovered that I had two hours until the next train to Ventimiglia so I spent that time perusing the town. The main thing that struck me about Menton was its greenness (as illustrated in the word-cloud). Many of the streets are lined with trees and I sat in a lovely little park to eat my lunch. There was a fountain and little birds skittering about and it was very nice and earthy.

 When I finished my sandwich I headed to the seafront where I admired the colourful buildings, the ice-cream shops and the deep sapphire blue of the water. I went back inland and found a bakery where I indulged in a slice of lemon meringue pie which was really tasty, before hurrying to the station to catch my train to Ventimiglia.

 My time in Menton may have been brief but it was memorable all the same and it is somewhere I am keen to return to one day to explore further.

 Thanks for reading!

 Liz x

Juan-les-Pins: Sea and stars

 Hello!

 After leaving beautiful Perpignan I set out on my next big adventure: a French language and culture course in Antibes. 

 I flew out in May to Nice Airport, Terminal 1, which has one of the most amazing landings I've experienced - the runway leads almost into the sea! Had the pilot misjudged it we would have been underwater. It was slightly scary but the views were stunning - everything was turquoise.

 I then got a bus to Juan-les-Pins, the town near Antibes where I would be staying. I had an adventure trying to find my accommodation as I had been given a photo of a different accommodation building! So I was searching for something that wasn't there!

 Eventually I found it, at the top of a high hill. It was a hard climb with my bags but it gave me a great view of Juan-les-Pins below me in the night. I had expected it to be a sea of lights but actually it was very dark with only the odd light, and the stars were very clear - Leo hung bright above me. It was lovely.

 Rather than describe my adventures on the Côte d'Azur day by day, I'm going to do them town by town (or city or village). I hope you enjoy this style of blogging. 

 Additionally, my camera was stolen so I only have phone photos, which aren't great quality. So, to jazz up these blog posts I have created a series of word-clouds which I hope capture the spirit of each place.

 So, Juan-les-Pins. During the day: lively - but not too lively -, warm and pleasant. However, for me the evening is the nicest time; cool and calm. 

 Food-wise it was wonderful: the seafront is covered in restaurants spilling onto the beach; some very expensive but some more affordable. I had a great lunch consisting of a Reine pizza - mushrooms and ham - and a brilliant ice-cream sundae. There are also various shops and stands selling ice-cream, crêpes and waffles.

 Another thing I liked was how easy it was to get to the train station compared to some French towns and cities. It was fairly central with trains going to all sorts of interesting places. Its proximity to my accommodation was especially useful at night as I could be back home in five minutes.

 So, that was Juan-les-Pins: a nice little refuge away from the extreme touristyness of a lot of the Côte d'Azur. Yes, there were tourists but not like Antibes or Cannes or Nice. It was a peaceful place to stay and the perfect base for exploring.

 In my next post I'll tell you all about Antibes!

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

On beaches of Roussillon

 Hello!

 I thought I would share a poem I wrote comparing Collioure and Canet, two seaside communes. I like both but for me there is something raw and magical about Canet, as you will see in the poem. I hope you enjoy it. Clicking on the image will make it larger and the print easier to read.

 Thanks for reading!

 Liz x

The perfect day

 Hello!

 There won't be many words in this post as I already told the story of what was perhaps my best day in Perpignan in an article for Third Year Abroad. The purpose of this post is to share more photos from the day than could fit on the article. 

 It started off with a fairly ordinary morning of teaching lessons at the lycée. I had decided to go to Canet straight after work to spend some time by the sea. It turned out to be more incredible than I could ever have imagined. 

 Not only that, but on my return to Perpignan I met Nathan and Cristina, two fellow assistants, and we had the loveliest evening feeding pigeons together. 

 Cristina and I then walked home (we live in the same neighbourhood) and I decided on a whim to order a wood-fire pizza from the local van. I ate it sitting at my window, watching a spectacular sunset, and thinking what an unexpectedly magical day it had been.

 The article with the full story can be found here. Now, let me share a few snapshots.

On the way to Canet

In Canet

At Marenda Beach, Canet, my favourite of the beaches as it is quiet and the mountains loom, still and wise

Rolling back towards Perpignan

The quick snack at Columbus which became a long chat with Nathan and Cristina

Pigeons!

Pink sky and pizza

 It was a wondrous day, as you can probably gather from my gushing! So many of the reasons I love Perpignan just came together in one day - the sea, the mountains, food, animals and friendship.

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x