The French Riviera and Monaco

Mont Blanc

Moving on from Geneva in Switzerland, we drove our motorhome, Vanni south through the Swiss Alps, and a little corner of France, and on to Turino in Italy.

The route took us to Mt Blanc - an amazing 4,800 metres high. Fortunately, we didn’t have to go over it but went instead, through it, via a very, very long 11.5 km tunnel right through the mountain.

It was expensive at 51.50 Euros - by far, the most expensive toll we have paid anywhere - but it certainly saved a lot of driving through hilly, winding, dangerous roads.

The mountains were shrouded in cloud and mist on the Swiss side, but clear on the other side.

The Roman Quarter, Torino, Italy

After winding out of the Alps and into Italy, we found a camping ground in Torino, on a hill overlooking the city. Torino is a big city, with Roman ruins, and Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and Art Nouveau architecture. It is known for the Shroud of Turin.

The camp was basic and the free wifi and great views over the city were the only saving graces, as the ablution block was shocking! Thank goodness we have an on-board bathroom.

We had hoped to catch up with friends Sue and Liz who would be in a nearby town for a world Kendo competition. However, for various reasons, our dates did not quite coincide, so we reluctantly moved on in anticipation of catching up back home in Wellington.

Village on the Col de Tende road, France

Moving from Torino toward the French Riviera, saw us driving over the Col de Tende, the high mountain pass near the border between France and Italy. The road has a 7 km strip with 48 hairpin turns. It was a little nail-biting, but ok.

Then came a very long, steep, lovely drive down through the mountains and little hill villages to Ventimiglia (France), right on the Mediterranean coast at the beginning of the French Riviera.

From Ventimiglia we headed west, then found Camping La Vielle Ferme. It was well situated on the coast between Nice and Cannes so we used it as a base to explore the rest of the Riviera by train.

Marg in Menton, French Riviera

Our first train trip was to Menton. This town has been inhabited since the stone age. It now has a 17th century old town that is very quaint, and full of pastel coloured houses all huddled together on narrow winding, and cobbled streets.

It also has a large harbour, and many tourist facilities. Close-by, we saw lots of citrus trees, which grow abundantly in the climate here. It is very lovely.

We were pleased that we’d decided to use the trains, as the roads were so narrow, that we’d not be able to drive through the town in Vanni.

The train service was very easy to navigate with hardly any waiting time between trains.

Leigh in the Principality of Monaco

A few days later, we caught the train to Monaco and were awed at the size of, and money involved in, the hundreds of super-yachts in the harbour. It was a stunning array.

Monaco is officially, the Principality of Monaco, ruled by Albert II as head of the famous Grimaldi family.

Its a lovely city with winding streets that climb up the hills.

We followed one up to the castle to watch the changing of the guards. A huge crowd was gathered, which made it hard for shorter people to see properly - but we coped! We were a little disappointed as it was quite brief. Nothing compared to ceremonies we have seen in Zagreb and Seoul.

Monte Carlo Casino, Monaco

We also managed to get to the famous Monte Carlo Casino, and several other grand buildings.

The Monaco Grand Prix was due to start in the following week, and barriers were being put up along the roads, making getting around quite challenging.

Overall, we found Monaco very touristy, but pretty, and were glad we had visited.

The next day, we caught the train to Cannes in time to meet 5 million other people doing the same thing! After tumbling out of the train with 3 of the 5 million, and being carried along like twigs on a tidal wave, we found that were at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival – what luck we thought!

The red carpet at Cannes Film Festival

Next we found ourselves in the front row at the Festival red carpet opening – like WOW!

Unfortunately, we didn’t see anyone we recognised, however, it was great fun to be part of it.

Afterwards we enjoyed a delicious seafood meal, then wandered across the road to an interesting looking art gallery.

The gallery had an exhibition by Ronnie Woods, the Rolling Stones guitarist. Then suddenly, we could see him through the window giving an interview!

While we were taking photos through the window pane, an English guy Ken, invited us inside.

Marg with Ronnie Wood in Cannes

The next minute, we were standing beside Ronnie Wood. Amazing to meet him in the flesh.

Marg managed to shake his hand and Leigh got a couple of photos, but when we posed for a ‘just Marg and him’ photo, she moved the camera and spoiled the shot...no second chance.

So, there we were, two kiwi women dressed for travel, not for swanning into an opening in Cannes. However, we accepted a glass of wine, mingled and enjoyed his artwork.

What an experience, especially as it was totally out of the blue; and to get that close to a legend - wow! It was one of the highlights of our trip.

Leigh in Nice, French Riviera

Our next visit was to Nice where we really enjoyed the Art Deco architecture, and the pastel coloured buildings of the old town. 

We also took a walk along the famous Promenade des Anglais, and enjoyed the waterfront. It is an attractive city, and easy to walk around.

Nice was founded by the Greeks, but made famous by the 18th century European elite who liked the climate, buzz of the city, and seaside. These days, Nice still has those things and is still a vibrant city. We really enjoyed it.

Later, lured to the interesting shops, we found La Fayette where Marg bought a nice shirt before we headed back to camp, as it had started to rain.

Marg in Cassis, French Riviera

Driving south the next day, we found a little camping ground in the town of Cassis, called Les Cigales. Once the rain stopped, we walked down the hill to explore this lovely fishing village.

We had a fabulous lunch in Cassis, consisting of two dozen mussels in orange sauce. It was one of the tastiest meals we’ve had!

A stop at the local supermarket provided Leigh with a prized purchase – a jar of Marmite spread for the ‘Vegemite queen’. We haven't seen any Vegemite on this trip so Marmite is the substitute.

The weather improved over the next few days, so we caught a bus into nearby Marseilles.

Leigh at the duomo in Marseilles

We walked around for ages, and enjoyed seeing the the duomo, the Abbaye de St Victor, the basilica, and other key sights.

This is an old city, in fact the oldest city in France. It is full of tiny streets, and tall narrow houses with wrought iron balconies. It also has an attractive old town and port.

Unfortunately, there were road works right around the port, which blocked off a lot of the waterfront restaurants and sights.

After a while, we went back to the port area for lunch, and enjoyed a famous Marseille Bouillabaisse, which Leigh had been looking forward to trying.

Montpellier Roman aqueduct

Our next stop was Montpellier where we managed to find a great parking spot underneath a huge 17th century Roman aqueduct. We were able to walk into the centre of the old city from there.

Montpellier is over 1000 years old, and as we walked around, we saw many historic buildings.

There is a wonderful pedestrian-only area which meanders through medieval alleyways and large plazas. It is the largest in France. We thought it a delightful city.

A few hours later, we drove further south passing through Sete. It has a great waterfront area, where the canal lines right up to the colourful houses.

Black stoned Agde, France

Then we arrived in Agde, where many of the buildings are made out of black volcanic basalt stone. It is quite different.

Agde is on the River Hérault, but joined to the Canal Du Midi, a UNESCO World Heritgae Site. The Canal is part of the Canal des Deux Mers route that links the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic.

It was quite vibrant around the riverfront area, but after a walk around, we moved on.

After a long travelling day, we finally reached our destination, Camping La Nautique in Narbonne.

The next morning, we walked 1.8 km to the bus stop, and caught a bus into Narbonne city.

Marg outside the Archbishop's Palace in Narbonne, France

Narbonne dates back to 118 BC. Wandering around, we found historic sites such as the Archbishop’s Palace, the St Just Cathedral, St Sebastien Church, Forum Square and many other interesting places.

The city has multi-storied apartments with wrought iron balconies, lots of public squares, a beautiful ancient cathedral, and a lovely market building. It is a very vibrant city.

After a full-on day of sightseeing, we thought we were very clever catching the right bus back to camp. However, we were confused when the bus driver stopped and told us it was our stop – but it wasn’t where we got on!

A helpful passenger translated and told us to walk around two corners, and we would be heading the right way. A little further on, we recognised our bus stop and knew which way to head home. After a hot walk back, a cold beer was great!

We'll have a few more days in this area now the weather is warm, then we'll move on. Our next stop is in Spain.

This blog describes part of our 6 month motorhome trip around western Europe, which began in Prague.