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| This is approximately the route we took from Ventimiglia to Perpignan |
It was now the 28th of December and from Ventimiglia we got back on the train for a scenic trip to Nice in France which was full of lights and nightlife.
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| Nice -Postcard |
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| Nice -Postcard |
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| Nice -Postcard |
Then we caught a bus to Saint Andre where Danielle and her family had lived before migrating to Australia, however she found that it had changed a lot, and the house she had lived in was gone. We walked a bit for further up the valley which had been quite beautiful once, but now was messed up by a quarry. It was then another long walk back to the hostel via a fair which was two times the size of Luna Park.
The next day we caught a bus from Nice to to nearby Monaco which was really spectacular, travelling around the high hilltops as opposed to the coastal railway, and we saw lots of old houses and the odd castle.We walked through most of the city of Monte Carlo, past the Palace, casino and an impressive sporting club, although we found it very much like Surfers Paradise of the time.
While were there it was the 2nd International Circus festival and a special stamp was issues to commemorate the occasion.
We had lunch on the gravel beach there as well - it was becoming a ritual. Architecturally the building are very ornate, although one may say overly ornate or decorative, but it certainly has a feeling of opulence.
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| View of Monaco |
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| Pretending to be the idle rich but still enjoying the view. |
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| Some of the architectural delights |
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| Monte Carlo Casino & Hotel |
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| Postcard - Monte Carlo Casino & Hotel |
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| Postcard - Casino at night |
Of course this is the location for the annual Monaco Grand Prix so we couldn't help but follow the route of the circuit.
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| Postcard for the Grand Prix earlier in May |
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| Part of the Grand Prix circuit goes through this building |
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| The building and track extend over the water |
We used our Barcelona tickets to travel backwards to Nice - very sneaky - lucky we didn't get caught.
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| Antibes - Postcard |
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| Antibes - Postcard |
It has a really ancient section dating from the Roman occupation.
Later we walked to the famous nearby Juan-les-Pins beach which was really touristy - worse than Monaco except that least there was sand on the beach instead of gravel. Then it was back to Nice for the night.
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| View from Juan-les-Pins |
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| Juan-les-Pins |
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| Juan-les-Pins |
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| Cannes - Internet Postcard |
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| Cannes - Internet Postcard |
After a short walk around, we decided to have dinner at a restaurant as a New Year’s Eve treat. The meal cost 57.50F, horrendously expensive for us, but it was really good, with an excellent duck dish and generous portions.
After the sumptuous dinner, we caught the 9:12pm train to Marseille where we arrived at 11:30pm on New Year's Eve. Well, we saw in the New Year in the Marseille Railway Station waiting room with all of the derelicts and local drunks for company.
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| Notre Dame De la Garde Marseilles Postcard |
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| View of Marseilles from above with Notra Dame in the distance |
So apart form that, it was a bit quiet all round - except for the snorers and a guy who chucked all night. Happy New Year.
The next morning, New Year's Day, we deposited our packs in a railway locker and spent the day looking around Marseilles. Not quite as dirty and horrible as we had expected, with architecture very much like Paris with plenty of shops, street life, Arabs and boats - a bit polluted though.
We spent that night in the youth hostel there rather than the railway station again, planning to continue west the following day.
