Our train from Marseille, like every other train we boarded, left on the dot. It was crowded with people from all walks of life heading away from the big city, from families holding tight to packages tied with string, their small children looking scared and confused, to the young backpackers without a care in the world laughing and totally sure of themselves with their cellphones and thumping music. I fell somewhere in between, carefully watching the stations zip by knowing we had to change trains in Nice. Glimpses of the blue sea on our right could be seen as Toulon, Cannes, Antibes rolled by...then at last we slowed and entered Nice. As that train was headed north to Lyon we switched and turned east past St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Monte Carlo, Monaco, and finally into Menton, "The Pearl of France", the last town before the Italian frontier. During our three different train trips we were not asked once to show our tickets and except for one very fleeting moment never saw a train employee on any of our coaches. In other words we could easily have travelled free from Spain to our final destination!
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| Residence Soleia and views of Italy and the sea, Menton, France |
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| Fresh seafood from the Mediterranean |
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| Local veggies and cheese |
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| Saint Michel |
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| Local lemons, common to Menton |
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| Menton waterfront |
The next morning Marie and I explored Menton, checking out the market and possible bus tours of the area. Andre had suggested we go up to Sainte-Agnes, a small village perched above the town and the highest by the sea (littoral) in all of Europe, 760 metres above Menton. We grabbed a small bus that was heading up there and enjoyed some spectacular views on the way up the windy and extremely narrow mountain road. Above the village and even higher were the ruins of an old chateau, currently an archaeological site over 800 years old. Naturally we had to clamber up there over the rough trail but were rewarded with a great but hazy view of the sea to the south and the jagged and rocky mountains of Italy to the east. We had worked up a fine appetite by the time we made it back down to the village and found an excellent little restaurant serving a delicious rabbit stew.
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| Looking down on Sainte-Agnes from the battlements |
Sunday we attended an Easter service with André and Michelle in the 400 year old Saint Michel basilica, walking distance from their apartment. As it was Palm Sunday we carried palms, woven into crosses, and olive ranches. Afterwards we went out for a late lunch in the port at Ristorante Port Garavan where we had a typical seaside meal of fish and pasta.
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| Saint Michel basilica |
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| Outside, blessing of the palms |
Afterwards we went by car to the small town of La Turbie, driving in the hilly back country above the Principality of Monaco which we could see below. In La Turbie are ruins of an old Roman fortress which still dominates the skyline. Before the sun set we strolled along the waterfront in Cap Martin then, as dusk fell and a full moon rose over the Mediterranean, we took a short drive into Ventimiglia across the frontier in Italy to say we had been. For me it was the first time since 1964 I had set foot on Italian soil. Tomorrow would be our last full day here in Menton, "terre d'agrumes", before heading north to Lyon and beyond. What a wonderful place in which to be introduced to the Cote d'Azur!
Gws
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| Andre smoking his pipe, La Turbie |
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| Cap Martin looking towards Monaco |
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| Can someone tell me where I am |
