Cote D’Azure

Trip Start Jun 13, 2009
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Trip End Jul 18, 2009


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Flag of France  , Provence,
Saturday, June 27, 2009

We had set up camp in a very quaint site that we found on-line before starting our trip. Thankfully it wasn't built over with new homes!  This was an old goat farm that was taken over in 1951 and turned into a campsite with many of the age old buildings still intact.  The ambiance of the old stone buildings and short stone walls is quite something to behold.  There were campers here from all over Europe including England, Scotland, Austria, Belgium and Netherlands.  People were very friendly and inquisitive about us Canadians.

Today we took a tour without the encumbrance of baggage on the bikes and were able to really open up on the twisting roads that wound their way through the hills and down to Cannes on the coast.  Our first stop was just a few km’s away in the town of Vence, which dates it’s origin to 220 BC with Roman structures.  The center of the town was a cathedral with enscripted stones in the walls surrounding the inner town Outside the old city in Vence
Outside the old city in Vence
 .  We spent an hour walking around this wonderful town before making our way to another town perched on a hill top called Saint Paul.  This town was much younger although just as fascinating with its ramparts and walls that hugged the sharp hillside.  It’s now a home to many artists with little art shops throughout the town.

From here we made our way down to Antibes on the coast of the Cote D’Azure and across to Cannes.  The people along these areas seemed to ooze money.  The yachts just seemed to get bigger as we went along and it was amazing to see people dressed to the hilt just to walk around town.  In Cannes we stopped at the famous Ritz Carlton and Hotel Martinez and had a coffee and beer at a corner Café to watch the sites, and the people.  Connie’s coffee and my beer came to 12 Euro, or $20 CAN.  Once the shock wore off…enuf said…we jumped back on the bikes and started our way back to the campsite.  We made a quick stop at a grocery store to pick up a few things on the way.  This store didn’t look like much from the outside, but once inside we were astounded at the size of it.  Imagine if you will a big Walmart with grocery store combined with one of the new Canadian Tire stores all in one massive store and that would just about do it.  It was gigantic.  From here we decided to make a speedy trip back to the campsite, so we jumped onto the Autoroute from Cannes to Nice.  Without the baggage, and with the long swooping corners with excellent road surface, we were able to get up to some high speeds of over 240kph.  It’s great to use these marvellous bikes for what they are actually designed to do.

We got back into camp in time to get cleaned up and have dinner at the restaurant at the site and then settled in for a much needed snooze.

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Entrance to old city in Vence Entrance to old city in Vence Inside roadways in Vence Inside roadways in Vence inner yard of old city in Vence inner yard of old city in Vence Hotel in old city in Vence Hotel in old city in Vence
Roman writing circa 220BC Roman writing circa 220BC tourist plaque tourist plaque Roman writing Roman writing Chruch entrance with Roman stones Chruch entrance with Roman stones
Roman writing 2 Roman writing 2 Roman writing 3 Roman writing 3 Roman writing 4 Roman writing 4 old city wall in Vence old city wall in Vence
archways archways narrow entranceways in Vence narrow entranceways in Vence Mmm...dunno...maybe a swine flue victim Mmm...dunno...maybe a swine flue victim Cool art in the wall in Vence Cool art in the wall in Vence
ye old entranceway in Vence ye old entranceway in Vence Old building attached to outer wall Old building attached to outer wall More inner wall buildings More inner wall buildings note the little character perched on the wall note the little character perched on the wall
old bistro sign from 300 years ago old bistro sign from 300 years ago bistro still in business bistro still in business how much is that doggie on the sidewalk how much is that doggie on the sidewalk Connie wishing she had bigger bags Connie wishing she had bigger bags
market in old town of Vence market in old town of Vence old town exit old town exit Fresh potable water Fresh potable water Mmmm....beer Mmmm....beer
Side view Side view He's French...no? He's French...no? Note the windows painted on the walls Note the windows painted on the walls parking outside Saint Paul parking outside Saint Paul
Saint Paul walls Saint Paul walls Outside Saint Paul Outside Saint Paul Old guys playing Bocca Old guys playing Bocca Art everywhere Art everywhere
Note the cannon to ward off intruders Note the cannon to ward off intruders Saint Paul map Saint Paul map Connie...Ice cream...again... Connie...Ice cream...again... Saint Paul Saint Paul
Saint Paul 2 Saint Paul 2 view of valley from Saint Paul wall view of valley from Saint Paul wall Saint Paul 3 Saint Paul 3 view from Saint Paul view from Saint Paul
Saint Paul 4 Saint Paul 4 Artwork in Saint Paul Artwork in Saint Paul Saint Paul 5 Saint Paul 5 Music boxes with various possible tunes Music boxes with various possible tunes
Saint Paul 6 Saint Paul 6 Saint Paul 7 Saint Paul 7 Herb...Saint Paul...Beer...yummy Herb...Saint Paul...Beer...yummy Saint Paul...more art Saint Paul...more art
Saint Paul...more art 2 Saint Paul...more art 2 Saint Paul...more art 3 Saint Paul...more art 3 Saint Paul cemetry Saint Paul cemetry Fresh water Fresh water
He's lying...look at his nose He's lying...look at his nose She's lying too...her nose just hasn't grown She's lying too...her nose just hasn't grown Fountain at Saint Paul Fountain at Saint Paul Cool art Cool art
Saint paul exit Saint paul exit Story of Saint Paul Story of Saint Paul They're still playing They're still playing He's got big balls He's got big balls
Saint Paul from in the valley Saint Paul from in the valley Women dressed to kill Women dressed to kill Moped riders of all ages Moped riders of all ages Fort guarding Antibes Fort guarding Antibes
Antibes streets Antibes streets Antibes Antibes Old Antibes buildings Old Antibes buildings Figurine built into building wall Figurine built into building wall
Beach at Antibes Beach at Antibes Yachts Yachts Look at what's inside the trunk Look at what's inside the trunk Ummm...pidgeon? Ummm...pidgeon?
Antibes outer walls Antibes outer walls Cannes on-looker Cannes on-looker Hotel Martinez, Cannes Hotel Martinez, Cannes Can you see the car? Can you see the car?
Damn, where'd the girl go? Damn, where'd the girl go? ritz Carlton, Cannes ritz Carlton, Cannes Hotel Martinez entrance Hotel Martinez entrance Clothes most of us can't afford Clothes most of us can't afford
Herb was here Herb was here More yachts More yachts Great parking for bikes in Cannes Great parking for bikes in Cannes View from Cannes shoreline View from Cannes shoreline
Yachts here are like Olive trees in Spain Yachts here are like Olive trees in Spain Paparazzi Paparazzi Where we gonna put all that stuff? Where we gonna put all that stuff? Dog walkers/carriers. Dog walkers/carriers.
Delorian...they have everything in Cannes Delorian...they have everything in Cannes
Slideshow Print this entry Cannes hotels

Comments

sea_cliff
sea_cliff on Jul 2, 2009 at 02:03PM

Wow
I love the art work. How long did that ice cream last for Connie?

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