If You Want to Go Fast, Go Alone. If You Want to Go Far, Go Together (African Proverb)

Once again we enjoyed Stellenbosch, following our first visit 12 years ago. We stayed in a lovely cottage next to the owner's house, and found new things to see this time. Only 2 wineries were on our schedule this time (Kanonkop and Waterford) with a lovely wine and chocolate pairing at the latter. Saving the wine tastings for the end of the day, we spent most of our time visiting the garden farm playground at Babylonstoren (fresh vegetables and fruit, artisan shops, lunch outdoors) and the other day in Stellenbosch, including the Rupert Art Museum (contemporary African art). We also found time to visit a Strawberry Farm.

We then retreated to Cape Town to return our rental car and meet our G Adventures group for the start of a multi-country, 18 day tour. Interestingly, our group of 13 consisted of 10 females and only 3 males.....and 9 of the 13 were Canadians! Shadwell, from Zimbabwe, was our guide and Elwin, from South Africa, was our bus driver and assistant guide. It was a 25 seat bus, so almost everyone had a different window seat every day (2 seats on each side of the aisle). Our first stopover was in Lambert's Bay, on the west coast, where we had a tasting of Western Cape wines (Stellenbosch wines still preferred), followed by dinner. Along the way we made a stop at Bird Island (concrete walkway), where we were greeted by many thousands of gannets, who were there to breed when the seals weren't hunting them down.

The next day, after a long drive, we crossed the border into Namibia, a new country for us. Namibia covers 825 square kilometers with a population of 2,500,000 so is very sparsely populated. We settled into the Norotshama River Resort where we ate and slept beside the wide river. Once in Namibia, the real action began. Our first stop was at Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world at 127 KM's (after the Grand Canyon). We only had time for a 2 km walk along the ridge, so I didn't get the chance to hike down the second place finisher. We then moved on to Keetmanschoop, our home for the night, to escape the 38C heat. At 5 pm, when it had cooled down a little, we drove over to the Quiver Tree Forest (peculiar looking tree that can survive in desert-like conditions). The second stop was at the Giant's Playground (large, black dolerite boulders stacked up) but I don't believe they were as impressive as the boulders near Prescott, Arizona. The next day we made the 500 km drive (lots of gravel roads) to Sesriem, right outside the Namib Desert entry point, where we settled in for 2 nights. The Namib Desert near Sossusvlei is basically a reddish-brown sand sea and super-arid, receiving less than 100 mm per year, and that is where we spent our time the following day. With an early 6 am start, our tour group's first stop was Dune 45, 170 metres high. Most of us only walked about half way up as it was hard work in the soft sand. Then we moved on to Sossusvlei where Big Daddy (325 metres) stood. We walked one km across the Deadvlei white clay soil (hard base) to get closer to the massive dune but we only hiked a fraction of the way up with the temperature rising and on it's way to 38C. A quick visit to the Sesriem slot Canyon followed but our walk at the bottom was limited by some small ponds blocking the way. We then returned to the campground for a leisurely afternoon around the pool.

Our next destination was Swakopmund on the west coast, where we currently are. We have now escaped the dry desert area, and heat (high 30s), where we remarkably spotted quite a bit of wildlife including wild ostriches, oryx, guinea fowl, springbok, mountain zebra, and even a jackal. These animals all survive in the desert on little to no water (getting moisture from the limited plants) and even on the rare occurrences of a flash flood, will not drink fearing their bodies will become accustomed to an increase in water intake. The Tropic of Capricorn line was on our route so we stopped for pictures. We passed by Walvis Bay, a former whaling village, which was the last area turned over to the Namibian gov't by South Africa because they wanted to hold on to it's deep water harbour for cargo boat traffic. However, Nelson Mandela petitioned the S.A. gov't to give Namibia back what was theirs and in 1994 it was rightfully returned. We wandered about the town on a 'relax' day where the tour group could do whatever pleased them. With a German influence, there many old colonial homes, a promenade and an informative museum.

Tomorrow we head NE to Etosha NP where another safari awaits us.

One of the many gannets at Bird Island in Lambert's Bay (NW South Africa).

Tens of thousands of gannets gather each year for breeding season. Last year the count was over 45,000. It was hard to determine who was with who but apparently the birds are able to figure it out.

The Fish River Canyon, where at this time of year, the riverbeds are mostly dried up. They get somewhat replenished every year during the rainy season but that part of the year usually delivers less than 100 mm of rain. Catfish survive through the dry season by burying themselves in the mud.

These are Quiver trees. They grow very slowly in the desert like climate, with a lack of regular moisture. The tree on the left is approximately 450 years old, while the one on the right, around 50. The bushman used to peel the bark on the younger trees to make quivers for their arrows, which how the name came about.

 Large bird's nests created by weavers. We observed the small birds flying in and out of their nests.

Dune 45 at 170 metres in height, our first attempt of the day climbing a large dune in the soft sand.

To get close to the Big Daddy dune (325 metres high), we had to cross the hard white clay surface of Deadvlei. The dead and blackened trees from the scorching heat were victims but made for an interesting contrast along with the reddish-brown dunes.

While on our way to Walvis Bay on the west coast of Namibia we came across an area that was once under the sea but had been moved upwards millions of years ago by shifting plates. The landscape was comprised of thin layers of hardened seafloor sediment.

One of the many old colonial homes in Swakopmund. The town's museum did a good job of describing their past, along with the realistic models of the wildlife within Namibia.

"We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us"

Following delayed flights, and a missed flight for some, our family and partners have finally reunited in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was well worth the elongated travel time to be all together again. We spent 4 nights in a beautiful suburban home. Day trips included a full day guided tour of Soweto (townships, including a home visit with a local and Mandela House) and another day trip visit to the Cradle of Humankind (museum and cave network where human remains were found, dating back to almost 3 million years). Interspersed between the two, we had a relaxing day together at the house, playing games and enjoying each other's company.

 With our bodies readjusted to our new time zone, we flew to Hazyview, a small town outside the gate to Kruger NP. That was the beginning of a 5 day private tour of the wildlife-filled National Park. Our group of 7 experienced a sunset safari and three 5 am sunrise safaris that lasted until the late afternoons on 2 of the days. Our excellent Kurt Safari guide, Sammy, was a treat to be with and he had no trouble finding the Big 5 for us (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and Cape Buffalo) and we saw them all multiple times. Zebra, giraffe, impala, warthog, hyena and more, were common sightings every day. We were even fortunate to come across a large pack (22) of wild dogs which are difficult to find. We spent another day driving along the scenic Panorama Route, with stops at God's Window (views), Lisbon Falls, Blyde River Canyon and Burke's Potholes (water formed basins). All were impressive but it was just a sideshow to the amazing wildlife encounters that we experienced within Kruger NP. A highlight was an early morning discovery of a pride of lions (7) resting on the road, creating a traffic blockade. It was our second visit to the park and it never gets tired because we discover new memories. This time, being a late December visit, we saw many more newborn babies. 

Our group then flew to Cape Town at the southern end of the country for our final stop together. We rented another beautiful suburban home for a week, this time with a pool in the backyard, as we attempted to calm down the pace a little. Day trips with our van rental included visits to the V & A waterfront, Robben Island (Nelson Mandela's prison time), Table Mountain (the young ones hiked up like we did last time), and a drive down to the Cape of Good Hope. The Cape trip included a stop at Boulder Beach (Simon's Town) to walk along the boardwalk to where the African penguins are active in a protected area. That encounter was popular enough to earn a return visit. We were back home each day in good time and everyone took their turn being master chef for dinner, so we ate well. 

Sadly, the time has come for us to part ways again, with the younger ones returning home to restart their work commitments. Being able to spend both Christmas and New Year's together was special and we all have more wonderful memories to add to our cache. Once we saw them off we moved on to the nearby wine region town of Stellenbosch to spend a couple of days before venturing off to a new African country.

The Apartheid Museum in Soweto, Johannesburg. Both entrances are available to everyone today but each displayed the discrepancies between skin colour, with stairs on the right and a ramp on the left. While progress has been made (slowly), it was still sad to see the condition of the township residences that a local walked us through.

Our group, minus our Swiss photographer, ready to enter the Sterkfontein Caves at the Cradle of Humankind. We didn't find any new ancient remains but we did discover some very narrow and shallow passageways, so the hard hats came in handy.

An African termite nest. Our first night safari guide took the second picture, looking down inside the nest.

On our first sunrise safari we came across the wildlife in harmony, a scene that was repeated frequently with all kinds of species, providing the lions were not close at hand.

The Bourke's Luck Potholes, where mother nature had created some remarkable scenes. The Panorama Route drive, between Kruger NP and Joburg, was worth a repeat performance from our 2013 trip.

On another sunrise safari we encountered a pride of lions blocking the roadway. Once we all had some good pictures our guide turned the jeep around to take another road through the national park.

The lion detour led us to a sighting of this rhino, feeding on the grasses.

Later, that same day, we observed a leopard stalking his prey. We waited 5 minutes for some action but only saw the continued stare. Later, on the radio, our guide heard that same leopard had captured a baby impala.

On our final safari day we came across some guinea fowls close to the dirt roadway. There were numerous colourful bird species within the park.

A warthog family, grazing. Warthogs are members of Africa's "Ugly Five", along with the hyena, wildebeest, vulture and marabou stork, all of which we were blessed (?) to observe.

On our drive down to the Cape of Good of Good Hope, during our Cape Town stay, we came back to the parking lot to find a baboon sitting on top of a nearby car. Did he do it for the view?

On our drive back from the Cape we stopped at Boulder Beach in Simon's Town, were there was a protected area for the resident African penguins. I took this picture from the boardwalk, avoiding a long line-up to get a much closer view. Others in our party waited for a quieter time to get up close and even came back early the next day for a second viewing. We got spoiled in Antarctica where the penguins sometimes walked between your legs while you were trying to take their picture.

Every Good Story Has an Ending

For our final time in Corsica we found a lovely villa in a remote area south of Porto Vecchio in the Santa Giulia area, which made it handy to also visit Bonifacio at the southern tip. We picked a spot closer to PV because it was a larger town (12K vs. 4K) since we have found more and more places shutting down as December dawns. In retrospect it might have been better to visit Corsica back in October and the Riviera in November. While it would have been a cooler November switch, the Riviera is busy all year long so more options would have been available to us. In any event we lucked out with a last minute nice, cozy villa and we adjusted with shorter day trips.

Our first visit was to Porto Vecchio which has a hilltop Citadel overlooking the harbour area. While easy to stroll around it was a little quiet up top so we descended to the port and walked along the promenade which was a little busier. The next day we drove to Bonifacio for a visit. Their massive Citadel perched at the top of a limestone cliff had a 100 metre drop into the sea. Monks had carved a stone staircase into the cliff, so a steep 189 step path was an alternative to the 100 metre dive if the fort was attacked from the mainland. While looking for a place to park, our chariot suffered a wheel fender scratch trying to navigate a narrow old town street. The cobblestone, downhill, small step (5 cm drop every 2 metres) with a narrow curve near the bottom did not seem like a reasonable choice. Then, the resulting 15 point turn didn't go according to plan. I blame that on the town planners from the middle ages who had no concept that cars might rule the road someday. We'll soon see who the car rental company thinks is responsible. After that episode we grabbed a spot on the outskirt of the Citadel and made the wiser decision to walk through the old town maze of streets and later settling for a meal back down by the port.

On a very windy day (50-60 km/hr) we decided on a road trip into the mountains to minimize any walkabouts. While we managed to see some wonderful sights (the Col de Bavella spiked rock mountaintop and L'Ospedale reservoir), the torrential wind brought down branches and some trees covering the road surface, and eventually we ran into a road closure due to the damage resulting in a return trip rather than the loop planned. Another day we drove over to nearby Palombaggia Beach, the top rated beach in Corsica. On a quiet day we walked along the white sand beach that stretched for almost 2 km's. It had a massive parking lot for the large summer crowds and a several hot weather beachfront bars to cater to their needs (all closed). Another day we did a coast-to-coast drive, heading inland to the large mountain town of Levie, then on to Sartene (piracy history), and finally to the west coast port town of Propriano where we had a late lunch by the harbourfront. We drove back along the southern coast on a blue sky day with the Italian island of Sardinia clearly visible. We saw Sardinia a second time on a day where we drove out to Cape Pertusato, east of Bonifacio. where we had excellent views of the lighthouse and the white limestone cliffs supporting Bonifacio.

As like many of our adventures we ended our French trip with a visit to Basel to see our Swiss daughter and her partner. Beyond the nice way to finish a long trip with them by our side, they always have interesting outings planned for our stay. This time it was not only to the enjoyable European Christmas markets, where participants wander amongst the multitude of stalls with a refillable cup of hot mulled wine in their hand, but also to an outdoor Illumination show in Zurich. It was accompanied with a fondue dinner beforehand.

Bonifacio harbour with the Citadel above, protecting the old town. It was a very popular tourist town in the summer because of the beautiful beaches along the SE coast and the short ferry to Sardinia.

The Col de Bavella on a rainy, windy day. We could make out more remarkable views along the way but they were not as clear as this one. It was truly a beautiful area with loads of hiking trails that made it very popular in the summer as a way to avoid the heat.

The strong winds left many fallen trees along our drive at the Col de Bavella, eventually ending with a road closure when the road was not passable. It meant for a more cautious drive to ensure there was no oncoming traffic.

The start of our walk along the lovely white sand beach of Palombaggio. Based on the size of the massive parking lots where we entered it was obvious that this popular beach would have been crazy busy in the summer.

The main square (Place de la Liberation) in the mountain town of Sartene which had an interesting backstory. With a long history of piracy and banditry, it became known as a gangsters' paradise. Today it is a friendly town where the locals share wine, food and stories in the main gathering spot.

On our drive back from Propriano on the west coast we took the southern coastal route and found a picturesque spot with the Italian island of Sardinia in the background.

On our walk out towards Cape Pertusato we had an excellent view back to Bonifacio, perched atop the white limestone cliffs. If you look closely at the cliffs under the tower you will see the King of Aragon steps in a tiny diagonal line down to the sea.

While on our Basel walk to the Christmas Market we came across this well decorated building.

The entry point for the outdoor Illumination show in Zurich. They had an animated show for the children first, followed by an Odyssey in Space show which included some hit tunes.

The large Christmas Market in Zurich with the Opera House in the background.

Slow Travel is Catching On

 We are now on the French island of Corsica, south of France and west of Italy, in the Mediterranean. We planned 3 weeks of travel around this small island (180 x 80 km's) allowing for our long-standing Slow Travel ritual. We started off in the capital city of Bastia, up in the NE corner of the island. We spent all of first day driving counter clockwise around the Cap Corse peninsula (40 km length, 15 km width), along the twisting, narrow coastal road. It is an iconic drive with brilliant scenic views on our right, with sheer drop offs on that side down to the sea. While we made many brief stops along the way, we walked into Erbalunga on the east side to check out their seaside 16th century Genoese tower ruins, and then again on the west side at Port de Centuri for lunch beside the small fishing port. Another day we walked around Bastia's old town and harbour area. The Citadel was imposing with views down to the harbour area. We had a nice seaside lunch watching the promenade traffic go by on another sunny, low 20's C day.

Following our short stay in Bastia we headed SW across the island to Ajaccio to greet our Swiss daughter who was joining us for 4 days. We settled in Porticcio across the bay from Ajaccio with easy ferry access. one day we drove south to the Isolella peninsula where the weather-rounded rocks were in curious formations and the Genoese tower stood proudly at the top of a small hill on guard. Another day we took the ferry across the bay to walk around the old town of Ajaccio, visiting the Napoleon House (birthplace), Citadel (reused in WWII) and the Cathedral. On our final day we drove out to view the Iles de Sanguinaires, a volcanic archipelago. It was an easy 1.5 km walk out to the point lookout (said the only one of three with two good legs). The next day we exchanged hugs with our daughter at the airport, but it will be a short term separation as we will finish our European trip in her Basel home.

From the airport we drove up the coast to the Gulf of Porto, where we settled for 2 nights in the town of Piana (5K pop.). Our primary reason for a stop here was to take a boat cruise out from nearby Porto to see the spectacular Calanques de Piana and the myriad of weather formed rock formations and crevices did not disappoint. We were also hoping to see the Scandola Nature Reserve from the water's edge but that part of the boat tour was scaled back in non-tourist season. Before heading further north the next day, we did an inland and back drive thru the scenic Spelunca Gorge to the village of Evisa. The narrow, winding road had spectacular views, not counting the mountain goats and small pigs that were also on the road at times. It had a speed limit of 80 km/hr which I'm not sure anyone could achieve, other than Tom Cruise in a Mission Impossible movie, as there was a risk around every bend. I haven't even mentioned yet all the Tour de France wannabes who seem to love all these mountainside twisting roads who form another potential hazard. When we are done here it actually might feel good to drive on those flat, pot-holed Saskatchewan roads!

We made our way to the north coast of Corsica and settled in Ile Rousse for 5 nights. While we had a lovely apartment with a large balcony overlooking the Mediterranean, our stay got off to a rough start trying to communicate with the remote VRBO property management team. It took us way too long to gain entrance and then found out the Wifi and cable TV would not work. An agent was sent out from another town to fix the issues a day and a half later but in the meantime it took it's toll on my cell phone data plan. Remote management did not work well in our case. Our first foray was to check out the neighbouring towns of Algajola (15th century castle), Lumio (built on a mountainside with great sea views) and our own Ile Rousse (lovely promenade and a great restaurant for lunch). The next day we drove to Calvi in the NW corner of the island. With it's massive Citadel protecting the old town within it's walls, it was a treat to walk around especially for the views. We had an excellent lunch at a nice restaurant (Le Nautalic) watching the seafront promenade traffic walk along on a warm sunny day. On our final full day in Ile Rouse we drove inland for a loop tour of 10 mountain villages, each with their own interesting make-up but all with fabulous views from up high. With very little activity going on, one wondered if it was the time of year (November), or a slowly dying small village with younger generation seeking out the pleasures of a bigger world. The one thing that could be counted on, as we have found in all mountain villages, was a group of 4-6 older male locals having a drink by a roadside establishment and likely trying to solve world hunger.

Tomorrow we will leave the north coast behind us and drive 3 hours to the SE corner of Corsica, the sandy beach haven, where we will make our final Corsica stop in the 15K pop.,seaside town of Porto Vecchio. Maybe there will be one more Mediterranean swim before we leave this lovely island.

Our drive along the Cap Corse peninsula, north of Bastia, Corsica. There were plenty of Genoese towers along the coast, built during the 15th century to stem pirate attacks. The drive provided picturesque views around every corner.

South of our Porticcio base on the west coast we came across the Isolella peninsula and it's weather-formed boulders. A few clouds ruined our planned sunset pictures.

 

The port of Ajaccio with the Citadel in the background. The 20 minute ferry across the bay from Porticcio was less stressful than having to drive into the old town and find parking. It is hard to imagine what it would be like during the prime tourist season.

Our walk back from the mainland tip of the Iles de Sanguinaires peninsula. We were going to walk to the top of the hill where an ancient Genoese tower stood but unfortunately the path was under restoration.

The mountainside town of Piana that we used for our base after leaving the Porticcio / Ajaccio area. We stayed in an apartment higher up the mountain from where this picture was taken.

A roadside view of the Calanques de Piana on our way to the small seaside village of Porto. A few hours later we were on a zodiac (8 passengers) viewing the Calanques (weather formed crevices into cliff faces) from the sea.

Calanques de Piana view from our zodiac. There were numerous sea caves where our small boat was able to enter and cliffside rock arches that we were able to pass under. The natural coves were used by pirates, et al for protection from weather and enemies.

A roadside shot of the Spelunca Gorge inland from Porto. The road from there to Evisa was incredibly scenic.....and dangerous if the driver still had his foot on the gas while admiring the views.

Calvi was the highlight of our stay on the north coast of Corsica, with the Citadel visible down by the sea. This picture was taken at the sacred Notre-Dame de la Serra chapel with it's great views. At the chapel visitors left hundreds of painted rocks in remembrance of lost ones.

The Cathedral inside the Calvi Citadel. There were many homes inside the walled Citadel as well, that used to protect the owners from unwanted intruders, who in these days are tourists who are too lazy to walk up to the Citadel.

The Calvi waterfront where we enjoyed a delicious lunch outdoors on another beautiful day. Our seafood meals (tuna, mussels, dorado and more) have all been fresh, tasty and well presented, making us wonder why we don't live closer to the coast at home.......oh yeah, because it is not this warm in mid-November!

The mountainside village of Belgodere inland from Ile Rousse where we stayed. As we drove through these old villages it was apparent that time had caught up with them and the narrow roads dictated lots of one-way traffic to get to the centre of town, and prayers on the '2-way' roads that there was no oncoming traffic.

Live your Life and Forget your Age

Our last temporary home along the French Riviera was in Villefranche sur Mer (free port by the sea), named for being a tax-free port in the 18th century to encourage business. The Citadel, down by the sea and built in the 1550's, was massive and served it's purpose centuries ago. It was easy to get lost in the old town narrow alleyways, although the stairs helped guide you to the sea below or the new town above. Our apartment was in the new town, close to a bus stop which we used for our day trips instead of the Iron Horse. Later in the week we made a couple of return trips down to the old town for outdoor dinners.

Our first foray was to the neighbouring town of Beaulieu sur Mer (beautiful place by the sea). We stopped in to tour the Villa Kerylos, built in the early 1900s to replicate ancient Greek style. The floor mosaics, furniture and ceilings were impeccable. Another day we took the bus into nearby Nice to visit the Chagall and Matisse art museums. There were lineups to get into both museums, the first for 30 minutes and one hour for the second, reinforcing the popularity of these two great artists. We went back into Nice a second time to stroll around the seafront promenade and wander in the old town. The street market was busy and the building architecture was something our young country could never replicate. The surprise highlight was our visit to Eze Village on another day. Perched 427 metres above the Mediterranean the charming medieval village with its narrow alleys was a treat to walk around. The views below to the sea and surrounding area from the fortress ruins were spectacular.

Monaco was next on our list, only 15 km's from our base in Villefranche sur Mer. The opulence was evident immediately upon arrival with the building architecture, statues of prominent inhabitants and expensive cars. We toured the Monte Carlo Casino before play started....the only way allowed.....so no sign of big stars but the fact that they had private gaming rooms indicated they had a home there. Even though we didn't gamble, the Casino still got $60 out of us, the entry for wandering through the various games rooms that were immaculately constructed with serious money. There was even a dress code "to perpetrate the legend of the Casino". The harbour was filled with superyachts and the Gucci-type stores abounded. We walked up to the Rock of Monaco where the old fort was along with the Cathedral, the Royal Palace and the old town narrow alleys. The next day we went to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat which 10 years ago was determined to be the second most expensive residential area in the world, second only to Monaco. Not a lot has changed. We saw many palace-type homes (we liked one for sale for C45,000,000) and we toured the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, built in the early 1900's by a Rothschild Baroness who wanted a winter home to visit. With many of it's contents dating back to the 16th century and 7 different gardens outside, not to mention hilltop views of the Mediterranean on either side the peninsula, the power of money was apparent.

Our final day trip was to the seaside town of Menton, beside the Italian border, so it had the feel of Italy with many pizza / pasta restaurants. The pedestrian-friendly, narrow old town roads were great to stroll along. We stopped for drinks near a small square where a good guitar player was churning out the tunes for tips. The Basilica Saint Michel was beautifully adorned with art, architecture, mosaics and more, as were the hundreds of other European churches we have been blessed to see.

We are now finished with our time along the Cote d'Azur. With a 28 night stay we helped the economy and kept the locals happy (not that they needed our money in some places). It was nice to have 3 different bases from which to make our many day trips, allowing us to visit almost 20 towns along the Riviera. It was also a good workout, as every seaside town seemed to be built on the side of a hill, meaning there was a lot of up and down walking. Our French adventure now takes us to the Mediterranean island of Corsica. It is a mountainous island so our legs still have some work to do.

Villefranche sur Mer, which was our base for this segment of our journey. Similar to most of the places we visited along the French Riviera, unless you walked along their lovely seaside promenades, your legs were in for a workout.

The reception room inside the Greek-style Villa Kerylos in Beaulieu sur Mer. Positioned beside the Mediterranean the views outside were scenic, just in case one got tired of the amazing interior of the palace home.

Marc Chagall's Garden of Eden, on view at his museum in Nice. The audioguide, cleverly accessed by your phone's QR code reader, was extremely helpful in describing the many stories within each of his paintings.

One of the narrow streets in the enchanting medieval village of Eze. With no vehicles of any sort allowed in the old town, all shops and restaurants were required to hand deliver their supplies.

Our restaurant window view in Eze Village of the chapel and down to the sea. We found a local bus to take us from the seaside to a spot just below the old town avoiding the grueling 2.5 km Nietzsche path, which on a cooler day would have been a nice challenge for at least one of us.

The Cours Saleya market in Nice. We always enjoy visiting the markets when we travel for their local traditions and items. While here we had a local specialty, Socca (chickpea pancake).

Our view of Monte Carlo taken from on top of the Rock of Monaco where the Royal Palace stood. There was a fair, with rides for the children, going on down by the harbour. We had lunch in the old town by the Cathedral which was also up on the Rock.

One of the handful of Games rooms inside the immaculately designed Casino de Monte-Carlo. Although daily play didn't start until 2 pm, I did notice a well dressed man playing in the Private Room which was roped off for special participants (that did not include us).

The Reception Salon inside the extravagant Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in Cap-Ferrat. The divorced Baroness had the villa designed, built and embellished with 17th and 18th century treasures, using a small fraction of her enormous wealth to create a winter seaside retreat to relax.

The Baroness had the garden area designed in the shape of a ship with the Mediterranean visible on both sides of the Cap-Ferrat peninsula since it was built on a hilltop. There were 9 gardens and this was the main one (the bridge of the ship) behind the Villa. She had 30 gardeners and they dressed as Sailors for this very peculiar woman.

The Basilica Saint Michel in Menton. I'm not sure why they keep naming so many churches after me. I haven't even achieved sainthood yet, but it must be in my future.

The beautifully embossed stairway down from the Basilica to the water, with quite a few switchbacks. There seems to be a common theme to build these beautiful churches near the highest point in a town, ensuring patrons need to make an effort to enjoy the interior design.

On our final day in Villefranche sur Mer we headed back down to the seafront for a late afternoon lunch. At our table beside the water, I had a fresh tuna tartare meal that was excellent while my better half enjoyed their house special pizza.