For our final day on the Mediterranean we decided to join a full-day tour of the regions east of Cannes. Two mini-buses set out from the Carlton Hotel at 9 am. Our driver/guide Pierre, born and raised near Nice, was a veritable font of information as well as a careful driver. We drove first to Antibes, between Cannes and Nice, where we saw in no particular order the Picasso Museum (we didn't have time to enter it), the Church of the Immaculate Conception (decorated in high Baroque fashion), the world's largest yacht marina and a wonderful outdoor market. There we saw some of the most perfect vegetables, huge selections of spices, at least a dozen varieties of sea salt, salamis, olives, candies, breads -- all marketed in small stalls by individual venders.
Moving on through Nice, we learned from Pierre that Nice is named from the Greek godess of victory, Nike -- another reminder of the original Greek immigration from the sea which first settled the area.
From Nice we traveled up a winding highway, pausing for the breath-taking view of the Mediterranean from above. The photo is taken from that vantage. Our next stop was Eze-le-Village, where on the top of a steep hill was built a fortress in ancient times, later destroyed by Louis XIV in 1706. Now there is a hotel and other small shops, but from the top is a spectacular view of the sea. The visit involved a lot of climbing, but it was worth it.
From there we went on east to the little principality of Monaco, where on the castle grounds we saw the royal homes of the Grimaldi family, the church wherein Grace Kelly was married and where she now is buried. From the castle walls we could see harbors with huge yachts as well as the Oceanographic Institute which Jacques Cousteau directed for 32 years. Then Pierre took us down then up to Monte Carlo and delighted in driving us around the course of the famous Grand Prix de Monaco which had been run only two weeks before. Still visible were the tire marks from the race. The course passes the famous Monte Carlo Casino, and in front were parked some of the expensie cars one associates with the high rollers.
Our final stop was St-Paul-de-Vence, another former fortress built strategically on a high ridge. The walls of the fortress remain, but inside is a wonderful collection of art galleries and restaurants. At one time a painters' colony existed there, hence the continued presence of the arts. There is also a village church and a cemetary wherein Marc Chagall is buried.
Tomorrow we transfer to the Viking vessel for the start of our cruise on the Rhone River. The fun continues!
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