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Quick links: 01
- Split |
06 - Split/Sail
| 10 - Sail... Mljet
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14 - Dubrovnik cont'd |
18 - France |
21 - Cycling |
25 - Cycling cont'd |
29 - Villa cont'd |
32 - The Rest
Day 29 - Monday - St. Tropez
I awake a few times during the night and early morning, so I took a few
photos out the bedroom window. Images
 here
for you to see.
We decided a road trip was in order today. En route to St. Tropez
we drove through Frejus (where we stopped for a latte) and Ste. Maxime,
all along the Riviera.
St. Tropez was very nice. Very busy. We could just imagine
how busy during the summer. We've read, the traffic is usually at
a standstill. We parked and walked the old town and around the
citadel.
 It
was hot. In the upper 20'sC. Had a bite to eat. Lisa
had a club sandwich, I had a salad with tuna, two beer, 40€. Not
cheap!
Oh, I used a public crapper in St. Tropez. Just for a quick pee.
Why do I bring it up you ask. Well, see photo. Interesting
"room". Co-ed. Half a Euro to use it. Deposit coins,
wait for green light. Enter. Use it. Push red button
to allow you to exit. Do not cheat and allow anyone in on your
nickel. Why? Because on the next "close" of the door, the
room hoses itself down, and if you are in it, well need I say more.
Total sanitation!
The ride back took us more cross country, the shortest way home.
By now I was used to the curvy windy roads, and was able to drive them
like the French. The only thing that continues to bother me is
tailgating. At home we I don't see the headlights of the car
behind me I get annoyed. I had one
 guy
behind me on a cell phone, and I could not see his bonnet, just his
windshield.
We stopped for groceries back in town (Fayence). Here it was
almost just as warm, low 20'sC. The only grocery store closes at
7pm, and like the other day, the parking lot is full at 6:30.
Seems they all go shopping just before the store is going to close.
We were a bit late going for dinner,
 quarter
past eight. We were headed back to Fayence, 7 or more kilometers
from Seillans. This time, for the first time, I was driving the
narrow curvy road in the dark. There are no lights, street lights,
any kind of lights. There was a car in front of me. Great, I
can follow him, he may know the road. And he blocks for me, the
cars that will approach us. The plan was a failure. I could
not keep up with him. And then I made a wrong turn, actually a
wrong straight. Noticed it immediately. Now I need to find a
place to turn around, preferably a driveway. Then Lisa chimed in,
and I was not very receptive. And I told her so, but somehow she
was not very receptive. So I "fight" was about to breakout, but
not now, not until we safely park in Fayence way up atop the town, the
top of the hill. Up that winding road.
After the fight and makeup, we started looking for a restaurant.
It is not lunch time, so places that serve food should be opened - not
all - after all it is Monday. Not many were opened, and some that
were open were full or not to Lisa's palate. So back in the car
and back home we went were we made our own dinner. BLTs, salad,
nuts, cheese, chips. For dessert, I had the lemon sherbet.
We had foie gras; but the other food was filling so it will have to
wait.
And so that was our day, a drive of abut 115km. Eventful, stressful, explorative, and
fun. Who knows what awaits us tomorrow. The Gorges du Verdon?
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Day 30 - Tuesday - Cannes
Another road trip today. We left noonish, a bit late and headed
for St. Raphael on route to Cannes. We chose, actually
 my
travel agent and guide Lisa chose St. Raphael so that we could then
drive up the coast. As with the coastal ride to St. Tropez, it was
spectacular, but different. The coastline here is more rugged with
the mountains abutting the Mediterranean. And similarly to the
other day, some of the time, too often, the sea is obscured from the
highway by high fences and iron gates. The French have sold off
much of their coastline. You can actually own water frontage.
Seems you can actually own the beach. So the public can swim by
it, if they can
 get
to it.
Today again was sunny and hot, mid twenty's. And when driving up
and down the coastal mountains, the wind was evident and the temperature
dropped accordingly.
Then we came upon Cannes. Pretty? Sure. But so was St.
Tropez, and it was more intimate, less busy, less noisy - just more
personal. We took a one hour bus tour (on these small connected
fake choo choo trains). Lisa enjoyed it, I did not. I laugh
when I see people on these toys, driving around like sheep in a herd.
Today, I'm sure people were laughing at me, and I can't fault them,
because I would be one of the laughers. My opinion, skip Cannes,
visit St. Tropez.
And here in the big city,
 no
different than anywhere else in France. They make it hard for you
to eat and pee. At lunch time, food places close for lunch.
Wonder where they g to eat? And wanna pee, 1/2 a Euro, get in
line, and wait for the auto toilette that hoses itself down between
customers. Slow, takes at least 5 minutes per pee. This
makes it a line up for men that we are not used to.
The ride back was as always. Stressful and fun. When I can't
see the headlights of the
car behind me, I get a bit ticked. When I can't see the bonnet, I
get both pissed and tense. But this is how it is done over here.
When I get one of these fools behind me, I either loose them, or slow
down and wave them on. Depends on my mood and the roads I am on.
The motorway was part of the route home. Nice. Three lanes
of fun. Speed limit 110, at times I was going up to 150 and still
not fast enough for many. Today's drive was abut 75km.
We walked down the road into Seillans for dinner. Cozy little ma
and pa establishment I am sure. I had the duck, done just the way
my mom or aunt would have prepared it. I think that puts me past
6, no where near the the France 2005 trip's current record. Oh
well. I am starting to miss home. Family and friends,
especially my great friend Jim. Hope you are doing well Jim, see
you soon. And of course Riley and Spinner. I is going to be
sad and feel weird going home and not seeing Emma.
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Day 31 - Wednesday - Monte Carlo via Eze
Today's weather was calling for rain. Probably not in Provence,
but then again we are no longer in Provence. We checked the
forecast all around and the coast was sunny. So back on the
motorway today and off toward Monaco. Monaco is the most densely
populated place in the world with 32,000 residents in less than a square
mile. We decided to drive the coast
 roads again and stopped in a
small hilltop (cliff top actually) town of Eze. What a beautiful
town. The old fortified portion was like a very mini Dubrovnik -
except not at water level. The weather hot and sunny, high 20's.
The driving is fun
(again),
the motorway exhilarating. Speed limit mostly 130 km/hr. It
is usually 3 lanes in each direction, the right most for slow vehicles
like trucks, the middle lane for driving, and the left lane for passing
like a bat out of hell. One still needs to get used to the
tailgating. And leaving too much space in front of you is just
asking to be cut off. I was getting very annoyed with the
tourists. Driving too slow in the fast lane, driving too slow on
the windy roads. I can spot a tourist 200 meters away. Need
to get them off the roads!
The motorway is a toll road and one must stop every 20 or so km to pay
more. No wonder
 the limit is 130 and they drive 160; to make up
for slowing down to pay the tolls.
We drove through Monaco and the old town, but navigated our way into,
down and then back
up
through Mote Carlo. We also drove the tunnel they drive in the F1
race. We never got out of our car. But we enjoyed the
experience tremendously. Monte Carlo is a cliff, and buildings
with levels (floors), Monte Carlo has levels. Starting a sea level
and working your way up, straight, steep, up the cliff. The roads
below are under the roads above. It\s like levels of roads all in
the air. You can actually take elevators at street level (when
walking) to go down or up streets. And we are talking straight up
or down. Amazing. Not sure how one could live here.
There is probably only 2 or 3 roads, but they wind and wind and wind.
Very cool.
On our way home,
back
on the tool road instead of the coastal road past Eze, we went through
dozens on tunnels. One very long one that took us through a
mountain
 to the other side. Never driven through anything like it.
There are even signs that say keep 50 meters space in front of you (ie
do not tailgate). And they listen. Instead of the cars being
5 feet apart, they were given nearly 2 car lengths. Today's drive
took us about 150km.
When we returned, it was raining lightly. So we drove to the ld
upper part of Seillans to check for a place to eat before we went home
to change. Everything was closed. After all, they do close
on Mondays and Tuesdays, to make up for Saturday and Sunday. And
they are, as you know, closed for lunch every day that they are opened.
I just shake my head!
So we went home and made our own dinner, with drinks, vodka etc. I
have foie gras among other stuff.
Time now for another observation. I read in a Brit magazine that a
women weighed 8 stone 4 pounds. For a country that is metric in
everything except distance (miles) and weights. Then they go and
use pounds in their money, heavy. BTW, a stone in Britain weighs
14 pounds. So the women weighed 116 pounds. Weird weird
weird. LOL.
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Go to Day 32 |
Quick links: 01
- Split |
06 - Split/Sail
| 10 - Sail... Mljet
|
14 - Dubrovnik cont'd |
18 - France |
21 - Cycling |
25 - Cycling cont'd |
29 - Villa cont'd |
32 - The Rest
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