Vivi carrying out some much needed repairs to her rucksack whilst waiting for the train at Savona Station
Monday 10th May
Milan – Nice.
A long boring day on trains today and this is when we feel our age as you have to load and unload the bikes and bags at every change, and carry them up and down the various steps to the correct platform. Goodness knows how the elderly and disabled cope as there are not often any lifts. It was still raining until we arrived at the border town of Ventimiglia.
We thought that we might have biked through Monaco to have a look but one look at the mountains put us off that idea. We plunged into a long tunnel on the train as we were about to pass through it and even the station was underground so we never saw a thing. At the first stop in France there was pandemonium as an extra few hundred tried to squeeze on to our 3 carriage train. They were Brits off a Thompson cruise ship parked near Nice and were determined to get back to the boat on time after a day out in Monte Carlo. It was like the underground in the rush hour and we were like sardines in a tin. Luckily they disembarked before us, or we would never have got ourselves and the bikes off. The French are as pushy as the Italians when it comes to boarding trains, and getting off is a nightmare as they try to get on at the same time so we have had to adopt the same pushy attitude.
It is very strange to travel a few miles and to find the people talking a completely different language. We have only just got out of the habit of saying the odd response in Greek, and now have to leave the Italian bit behind too.
The Sun shone in Nice and once we had found an hotel we went to the beach as this will be our last day on the Mediterranean- boo hoo. We had lots of fun people watching on the Neptune Beach.
The beach at Nice looking east.
Alec on the Nice beach.
The water front stretches for miles with rather attractive 18-19c villas facing it, interspersed with some fantastically grand hotels. People were swimming but even though it was probably our last opportunity of a dip in the Med we just couldn’t summon up the enthusiasm, preferring to stare and sleep instead.
We went to supper in a restaurant recommended by the man on the desk at the hotel. It didn’t disappoint – no offence to the Spanish and the Greeks but by comparison to the French they have no idea how to make something taste really good. The Maltese don’t even come close to the last two! At the end of the meal we shared a plate of cheese, and it was our first proper cheese since leaving France on the 13th November last year – it was heaven! Our supper was rounded off very generously by a large glass of limoncello in a frosted glass, courtesy of the house. It was absolutely delicious.
Tuesday 11th May
Nice to Montpellier
We awoke to yet more heavy rain so it was a relief in some ways that we weren’t trying to cycle on from here. However because we had yet another train to catch it did mean that we couldn’t lie in bed and hope that it would pass. It’s a lot colder here than it was in the Peloponnese too! (Dick says it’s 31 in Athens – well it jolly well isn’t here!) We also both have storming headaches and what else can we blame them on but last night’s delicious .............!
Very exciting news today, Vivi’s nephew Julian has just come back from Venice (after failing to get there a month ago due to the Icelandic eruption), and he and his girlfriend are engaged. Hoorah!! He did the deed on bended knee in a gondola which raises the bar a bit for most of his friends I suspect - well done Jules.
So we pedaled through the rain to the station and caught the train to Montpellier from where sadly we are going to attempt the long ride home. The train wasn’t full but we had still been given seats at opposite ends of a 6 man seating and being obedient Brits we sat where we had been told to. On the other side of the aisle was a youth who had clearly been to an American movie where the expression ‘WTF’ is used freely and frequently. Once he knew we were English he shouted it at the top of his voice with what became increasing monotony – Grumpy old man - I definitely qualify. 2 stations down the line and the train was full and as everyone had reserved seats there was no opportunity for moving closer together.
We had anticipated from the experience of previous holidays that the railway would pass through some fairly craggy and mountainous countryside here. But as it happened the railway took a route along a near flat plain so we were bitterly disappointed not to have been brave enough to say that we would cycle it. This is Provence and vineyards stretch for miles so we will have to come back at a later date and finish the job properly!
4 hours later we were in Montpellier which is a huge city and has a university, the population of which is extremely evident – students really are very young these days! There is quite a vibrant atmosphere with musicians everywhere either serenading in bars – or just blocking the pavement to slow the foot traffic and give more time for would be sponsors to find a 20c coin.
A live band started playing just under the parapet we are standing on and suddenly everyone started dancing!
Milan – Nice.
A long boring day on trains today and this is when we feel our age as you have to load and unload the bikes and bags at every change, and carry them up and down the various steps to the correct platform. Goodness knows how the elderly and disabled cope as there are not often any lifts. It was still raining until we arrived at the border town of Ventimiglia.
We thought that we might have biked through Monaco to have a look but one look at the mountains put us off that idea. We plunged into a long tunnel on the train as we were about to pass through it and even the station was underground so we never saw a thing. At the first stop in France there was pandemonium as an extra few hundred tried to squeeze on to our 3 carriage train. They were Brits off a Thompson cruise ship parked near Nice and were determined to get back to the boat on time after a day out in Monte Carlo. It was like the underground in the rush hour and we were like sardines in a tin. Luckily they disembarked before us, or we would never have got ourselves and the bikes off. The French are as pushy as the Italians when it comes to boarding trains, and getting off is a nightmare as they try to get on at the same time so we have had to adopt the same pushy attitude.
It is very strange to travel a few miles and to find the people talking a completely different language. We have only just got out of the habit of saying the odd response in Greek, and now have to leave the Italian bit behind too.
The Sun shone in Nice and once we had found an hotel we went to the beach as this will be our last day on the Mediterranean- boo hoo. We had lots of fun people watching on the Neptune Beach.
The beach at Nice looking east.
Alec on the Nice beach.
The water front stretches for miles with rather attractive 18-19c villas facing it, interspersed with some fantastically grand hotels. People were swimming but even though it was probably our last opportunity of a dip in the Med we just couldn’t summon up the enthusiasm, preferring to stare and sleep instead.
We went to supper in a restaurant recommended by the man on the desk at the hotel. It didn’t disappoint – no offence to the Spanish and the Greeks but by comparison to the French they have no idea how to make something taste really good. The Maltese don’t even come close to the last two! At the end of the meal we shared a plate of cheese, and it was our first proper cheese since leaving France on the 13th November last year – it was heaven! Our supper was rounded off very generously by a large glass of limoncello in a frosted glass, courtesy of the house. It was absolutely delicious.
Tuesday 11th May
Nice to Montpellier
We awoke to yet more heavy rain so it was a relief in some ways that we weren’t trying to cycle on from here. However because we had yet another train to catch it did mean that we couldn’t lie in bed and hope that it would pass. It’s a lot colder here than it was in the Peloponnese too! (Dick says it’s 31 in Athens – well it jolly well isn’t here!) We also both have storming headaches and what else can we blame them on but last night’s delicious .............!
Very exciting news today, Vivi’s nephew Julian has just come back from Venice (after failing to get there a month ago due to the Icelandic eruption), and he and his girlfriend are engaged. Hoorah!! He did the deed on bended knee in a gondola which raises the bar a bit for most of his friends I suspect - well done Jules.
So we pedaled through the rain to the station and caught the train to Montpellier from where sadly we are going to attempt the long ride home. The train wasn’t full but we had still been given seats at opposite ends of a 6 man seating and being obedient Brits we sat where we had been told to. On the other side of the aisle was a youth who had clearly been to an American movie where the expression ‘WTF’ is used freely and frequently. Once he knew we were English he shouted it at the top of his voice with what became increasing monotony – Grumpy old man - I definitely qualify. 2 stations down the line and the train was full and as everyone had reserved seats there was no opportunity for moving closer together.
We had anticipated from the experience of previous holidays that the railway would pass through some fairly craggy and mountainous countryside here. But as it happened the railway took a route along a near flat plain so we were bitterly disappointed not to have been brave enough to say that we would cycle it. This is Provence and vineyards stretch for miles so we will have to come back at a later date and finish the job properly!
4 hours later we were in Montpellier which is a huge city and has a university, the population of which is extremely evident – students really are very young these days! There is quite a vibrant atmosphere with musicians everywhere either serenading in bars – or just blocking the pavement to slow the foot traffic and give more time for would be sponsors to find a 20c coin.
A live band started playing just under the parapet we are standing on and suddenly everyone started dancing!
This week there is a celebration of kickboxing, hip-hop and many other things we know nothing about, and at night the streets are teeming with young going to the gigs.
No comments:
Post a Comment