CHAPTER 17. SOUTH EAST FRANCE CONT.

Today we drive from Cogolin to Villefranche-Sur-Mer up the Mediterranean shore road by the pretty blue sea, on many slow and twisty corniche roads in heavy traffic, but short of stop and go. We have a good tender leg of lamb menu lunch at the Flots Bleus Hotel in Antheos, and go thru heavy traffic in Nice. In Villefranche we find a studio apartment on the quay of the Plage des Mariniers (Sailor’s Beach), and rent it for a week.

Our apartment is a one floor walkup, somewhat basic, but in an ideal location, and with a balcony overlooking the beautiful bay. We look forward to staying in one place for a whole week!

After breakfast of bread, cheese, tang, and coffee in the studio, we drive up the hill to get a newspaper and shop in a small supermarket. After reading the paper some we go up to the Flore Hotel for a good lunch menu and a nice view over the bay far below.

Then we drive east to Monaco and join huge crowds with many children, seeing the Oceanographic Museum. It is a nice aquarium with many colorful and different fish, skeletons of whales and walruses, and biological displays of fish, shellfish, and coral. It would have been nicer with twice the time and one quarter of the people.

We drive down to the Monaco harbor and see many boats, one very large, the Atlantis II, with a helicopter sitting on the top deck. There are several large speedboats on the quay, one that had been burned. Back to the studio in warm cloudy weather with a few drops of rain, to read, rest, and write.

Today is a quiet rainy day “at home”; not heavy rain, but a fine mist most of the day. We supplement our breakfast with poached eggs, then wash several things. The radiator has heat all day and clothes dry good there. About noon we drive up the hill to buy a Herald Tribune and go to the Flore Hotel for another tasty lunch menu of marinated large sardines salad, white fish, green salad, and ice cream. When the rain lets up we walk along the quay, and into Rue Obscure, an ancient covered street, and near the port see a large display area for local artists.

Another rainy day, not cold, but dull and gray most of the time. We stay in the studio and read and work on crossword puzzles until just before noon, when we drive up the hill to stores to get newspaper, apples, and wine before going to the Flore for a good fish menu. From the Flore we have an eagles eye view of the Royal Viking Sky cruise ship anchored in the bay and with lighters docking just down the quay from our apartment all day.

This afternoon we go to the Volti Museum and meet the friend of our friend who manages it. Volti’s statues are black, and we find them beautiful, but impossible to photograph. We return to the studio to rest, and later take a walk along the bay front when the rain stops.

It is another dull day, but we decide to go to Nice since there is no rain. Even before 10 am we can’t find a street parking place in Nice, but do get into a parking garage that exits onto a promenade filled with flower and vegetable stands. We take the elevator to the top of Castle Hill where there are beautiful gardens and views of Nice. It starts to rain as we walk down thru old town; an umbrella doesn’t keep us from getting soaked on our exposed sides. We give up and go back to the studio to put on dry clothes before going to the Flore for lunch. We rest, and read, and walk when the rain lets up.

After breakfast, on the way to the car parked on the street, we notice glass on the ground and find our side fixed window broken, and the radio cassette is gone! We go to the police station to report it, then on to the VW dealer in Nice; on Saturday the service area is closed until Monday, but a nice young man provides tape and plastic over the broken window. We go back to the Flore for another good lamb chop menu, then by the police station to pick up a copy of their report for insurance.

From the police station we go to the Rothchild Museum in St. Jean. It is an interesting mansion with nice gardens we can see from the balcony. We go back to the stores, then to the studio to rest, read, write, and snack.

It’s another overcast day as we drive to Menton via the middle corniche road; a pretty drive, very winding, with lovely glimpses of the rugged coast far below. We walk the Menton promenade some in a chilly breeze, then have a tasty coc au vin menu at the Paris Palace. It is raining as we leave the restaurant, but there’s no rain back at Villefranche and many people are walking along the shore. We rest, and clean, and repack for our departure tomorrow. We enjoy our week here; the weather doesn’t cooperate, but it is such a beautiful place we don’t care.