Ciao Italia; Bonjour France!

On Saturday, we took the train from Monterosso from La Spezia.  That part went smoothly.  It was tricky at that train station as the "Arrivals and Departures" board quite working about 10:25 and our train was leaving at 10:53 and we had absolutely no idea what platform to head to.  Were there any Trenitalia staff anywhere?  No, of course not and the security police on the platforms sure didn't know.  Finally, we figure out the platform but 3 minutes after our train was leaving.  However, "the gods" were on our side, our train was 12 minutes late and we got on.  Whew!  At least, our 1st class seats were very comfortable and the journey was good notwithstanding a lot of it was spent in tunnels.  Although, the glimpses of the sea as we headed to Genova (Genoa) were lovely as we went along the Italian Riviera.  Somewhere across one bay was Portofino and we passed through Rapello among other beach towns.  

We were concerned we might run into the same problem in Genoa finding the platform.  However, happily we discovered that the platform we arrived on was beside the one our next train was departing from.  Again, being 1st class was a treat again.  Next up was Ventimiglia right on the border with France.  Again, the train arrived opposite the departing platform.  That part was helpful.  However, on this train - a regional train that runs regularly between Ventimiglia and Cannes - does not have reserved seating.  It was packed but, thankfully, we found seats together.  At the first stop in France (Carvan-Menton) lots of police came on the train.  There have been problems at this border crossing with immigrants coming north through Italy from Africa trying to get to the UK or France.  We saw several people being removed from the train, although none if them looked African.  As we continued heading toward to Nice - through Menton, Cap Roquebrune, Eze sur Mer,  Monaco/Monte Carlo, and Villefranche sur Mer (and other stations), we finally felt like we were spat from the train, with loads of other people, into Nice Ville.  After that, it was so simple.  We just took at taxi to the apartment I've rented for the last two years on the Promenade des Anglais.  It was almost like coming home.  

That evening, we were invited to an apero at our friend's, the Baldi family, and it was great to see everyone again.  We had met many of them last summer when they staying with me and my neighbours' in Victoria and again last October.  As Elaine's brother-in-law and Delcie share the same birthdate, there was a bit of a celebration.  Oh yes, and there was a World Cup Rugby game to watch but unfortunately Ireland lost - Elaine is Irish. 

 

The following day, we visited one of the places on my "wish list", Mougins.  Elaine drove us there.  It is a medieval village known for its gastronomy and its art.  Located just 15 minutes from Cannes, it is also a dream destination for golfers all over the world.  However, Mougins also has a strong link to Picasso.  From a website, I found the following information.  

In 1961, Pablo Picasso fled his villa in Cannes, because the construction of a building prevented him from having a view of the sea. Pablo and his wife Jacqueline Roque, newly married, decide to settle in Mougins, a neighboring town on the Côte d'Azur. At the age of 80, he was looking for a house close to a medical center as a precaution.  In Mougins, he fell under the spell of Mas Notre-Dame-de-Vie, a vast Provençal villa with 800m² of living space, belonging to the Guinness family.  Winston Churchill spent time there during his holidays where he engaged in activities such as painting before it became the property of Picasso. The villa has numerous bedrooms, annex accommodation on three levels, a swimming pool and gardens filled with Mediterranean plants. It offers a magnificent view of the bay of Cannes and the Estérel.  The calm and serenity of the place strongly inspired Picasso. He was very productive during this period, interested not only in painting, but also in sculpture, ceramics and photography. Picasso fills the farmhouse with his works and his personal collections.

Many evenings and exhibitions took place in this villa, which was both a workshop and a residence until Picasso died in 1973 . When he died, Jacqueline wanted to respect his wish to be buried in the garden of the farmhouse. However, the slowness of municipal authorizations forced him to bury it elsewhere. Pablo Picasso now rests in front of the main facade of his house in Vauvenargues. His wife Jacqueline lived in the villa until her death in 1986.

We wandered the medieval streets and alleyways, saw the old Sarrasin gate and had a lovely lunch in the square at the Restaurant Mediterranee.  On the way back, we drove through Juan les Pins (one of the other places on my list to visit this time that then got eliminated as it was a wonderful beach town but not much for sightseeing), Cap d'Antibes with the very high-end hotels like Eden Roc, Antibes and along the coast road back to Nice.  Below are the photos of Mougins.

 

We spent Monday in Nice walking along the Promenade des Anglais into la Vieux Ville and having lunch on the seafront and doing a bit of shopping.  Delcie walks tons of kilometers every day but I was proud to have logged over 13,000 steps that day!  The old town, Place Messena and seafront are so lovely to see.  

My first Monaco of the trip - panache with grenadine syrup

Unfortunately, for the first time in the many years I have been coming here in October, the weather isn't really cooperating this time.  Monday was great but Tuesday, the clouds moved in.  However, nothing was going to stop me from visiting my very favourite place:  Villefranche sur Mer.  We took the train there and had lunch sitting on the quay.  It was lovely.  I took an Uber back but intrepid Delcie walked the "sentier littoral" back.  It would have been too much for me but, after 3 hours, she was back at the flat.  

The following photos are ones that Delcie took on her 3 hour "randonee" back to Nice from Villefranche, including one of the memorial to Princess Grace who died in a car accident not far from here.

Not sure what will happen over the next few days; we are here until Sunday but there are storms coming in with heavy rains predicted.  So, how far we go and how much more we do here will depend on all that but, hopefully, we have a few more lovely experiences before we leave.