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| Doing what we do best......this time on the less uppity side of Cannes |
We've really been pleased with the location of our Airbnb in Villefranche-sur-Mer (population around 5,000). As usual, I can take absolutely no credit for finding it. Beth does all the hard research and does a fantastic job. I'd hate to think where we'd end up if I was in charge of that part of the operation.
Our place is a one bedroom, with plenty of space and a terrace overlooking the harbor, that is about as large as the indoor space. It has a full kitchen which has allowed us to prepare one or two meals per day here. Eating out is fairly expensive, but there is a local market nearby where we've shopped several times, and their freshly baked baguettes cost less than a dollar!
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| The condo is in the building in the middle |
We've also enjoyed this location because it is in one of the smaller cities along the Riviera away from the hustle and bustle, but with great access to the other larger cities. There are frequent buses going towards Nice and Monaco (#100 & 81) as well as a train station just a 10-15 minute walk from the condo. Of course, as mentioned in previous blogs, there are scenic coastal walks that will take you towards Nice in one direction and the swanky peninsula of Saint-Jean-Cap Ferrat the other way.
Yesterday we wanted to give our legs a little rest after the poundings we had put them through the two previous days. After an early lunch at a small outdoor café at the marina ,which is located just a few hundred yards from our condo, we set out for a low key afternoon adventure. We caught the #100 bus to Monaco. Now if there is a drawback to where we are staying it's that the main road and the bus stop is located at the top of the hill, 277 steps away. We made it up with only a couple of stops to admire the beauty (and catch our breath). The bus wasn't crowded so we were able to enjoy sitting and taking in the views on the 15-20 minute ride.
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| Lunch at La Baleine Joyeuse |
Monaco is described as an independent city-state. I'm not really sure what that means, but it could also be described as one of the playgrounds for the "rich and famous" in the French Riviera. Although its population is around 40,000, it's only a little over two square kilometers in size, making it the most densely populated country in the world. We had been there twice previously but it's always nice to see how the top half of the top one percent live. Monaco is one of those rare places where the row of car dealerships along the main road are Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce and Bugatti. Nice cars, but our 2005 Honda Accord is still running just fine!
Monaco is also the home of the famous Monte Carlo Casino. There are no flashing neon lights like the Las Vegas strip, just a classic palace that has been happily taking peoples money since 1863. Just for the privilege of walking in the door will set you back ten euros (around $12). Although we were sure that it was pretty nice inside we also felt it was nice to save that money for more important things like ice cream.
We did venture up to the walkway to the Princes Palace and the Cathedral Notre Dame Immaculee where Prince Ranier and Grace Kelly were married in 1956 and where they are now buried. From high up on this bluff you can get a great look at the marina, as well as the expensive apartments and mansions in the hillside. It was a fun afternoon of roaming around and reminiscing about past visits
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| Princes Palace-Monaco |
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| Cathedral Notre Dame-Immaculee |
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| I'm not fluent in French but I think this sign was advising tourists not to walk around in their underwear |
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| Not sure who that is in front, but it's the Monaco Harbor in the background |
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Today we roamed the opposite direction, passing through Nice, for the cities of Antibes and Cannes, both of which have populations of around 75,000. To get there we took the train from the Villefranche-sur-Mer station. We purchased a round trip ticket to Cannes which is about an hour away. The ticket allows you to get off and on throughout the day so we decided to make a stop in Antibes before continuing on to Cannes.
Antibes is less known than it's neighbors on either side, Nice and Cannes. The old town is enclosed by a protective wall that was built in the 16th century. There was a nice open air market filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses and flowers that we enjoyed strolling through before heading down to the waters edge. Along the waterfront we could look back towards the east and see the snow covered French Alps in the distance. Although time did not permit, there is a Picasso Museum in Antibes that gets high marks on Trip Advisor. Picasso was a resident of the town for six months in 1946. He donated all his works from that time, which are now on display at the museum. We really liked Antibes, it was unpretentious, peaceful and a nice place to roam about for a few hours.
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| Beth surveying the goods at the Antibes Open Air Market |
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| Antibes, with the French Alps in the distance. |
Once back on the train it was only about a fifteen minute ride to Cannes. The train station is just a few short blocks off the waterfront so we headed in that direction. At the end of the road and directly on the water was a huge auditorium, the Palais des Festivals, the home of the annual Cannes Film Festival. This is where every year the Hollywood types from around the world come to preview new films, party and tell each other how wonderful they are. Turning left along the water we were in the Croisette Beach area where the boutiques like Chanel, Michael Kors, Armani, Cartier, Louis Vuitton and many more were lined up side by side. We enjoyed looking at the displays and prices (a whole lot of 0's on everything). Unfortunately, the beach in this area is currently undergoing a major renovation so there wasn't much more to enjoy. I'm sure the cranes and bulldozers will be long gone by the time the film festival kicks off in May.
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| Palais des Festivals-Home of the Cannes Film Festival |
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| The beach is a "work in progress" |
Beth had read that the waterfront in the opposite direction was also nice so we turned around and headed that way. Just past the film festival auditorium I spotted a McDonalds. This brought a smile to my face and I told Beth we were now back amongst "our people". Again, her research paid off and we enjoyed a long, leisurely stroll along the waterfront. There were outdoor cafes and small shops on one side and the amazing blue water of the Bay of Cannes on the other. We caught the 3:15 train back to Villefranche-sur-Mer. Our walk back from the train station took us by the ice cream shop we had discovered the day before...……….a sweet ending to the day!
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| Me and Leo in one of our more famous scenes from Titanic |
