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.

La Vie et Bien

Our stay in Saint-Raphael got off to a slow start with intermittent rain over the first few days. My CAO (Chief Accommodations Officer) did a great job however, securing a nice apartment less than 100 metres from the Mediterranean with a direct view to the sea, making it easy to head out for short walks around the town (40K pop.) when the opportunity arose. The seafront promenade went all the way to the adjoining city, Frejus, where we also ventured to see their Roman ruins (amphitheatre, aqueduct, wall) dating back to the 2nd century. 

Our first real introduction to luxury along the French Riviera came on a day trip to Saint-Tropez.....by bus, which is not how the rich and famous travel but it worked for us. Large yachts were parked in the centre of the marina for all to dream about and the main street was filled with Louis Vuitton, Gucci and many more high end stores for those who were in need of retail therapy. We walked uphill to the Citadel for some lovely views of the town (4K pop. but 6 million visitors a year) and surrounding area. Later at a late lunch in a square we watched the pedestrian traffic go by carrying their high-end store bags and the local men playing petanque (the French version of bocci ball). All is not well in the small town though. Louis Vuitton and his pals Moet (champagne) and Hennessey (cognac) started buying up property (including the top 2 hotels), as did other rich and famous people, driving many locals out of town. But the rich only stay for a few weeks during the summer, so when the tourists stop coming in the colder months the grocery stores have trouble staying open, as do other retail stores. The locals have started calling it LVMH-town.

The next day we took the train to Cannes, famous for it's film festival. The city was more crowded than anywhere we have been so far, even though it is an expensive place to stay. No complaints though, the food and wine all along the Cote d'Azur has been excellent and worth the money. Luxury yachts lined the harbourfront and we didn't come across anyone complaining about the cost of groceries or housing. Another day travelled inland to the mountain town of Grasse, now recognized as the perfume capital of the world. We took a tour in one of the more famous perfumeries, Fragonard, to understand the manufacturing process which provided a better understanding of why the cost is so high for a small bottle. The old town, with it's narrow cobblestone streets, was nice to stroll along providing you were heading downhill. 

The following day, with the temperature in the mid 20's we decided to take it easy and enjoy the sandy beach of Saint Raphael. The author even had a swim in the Mediterranean. On our final day we took the train to the seaside town of Antibes on the east side of Cannes. It's harbour was also filled once again with beautiful yachts. The highlight though was the Picasso Museum, showcasing his art from when he lived there for a short while (post WW2). We have always enjoyed his art which is unlike any other artist. We walked though the old town and then continued on to Juan les Pins, another seaside town on the opposite side of the Cap D'Antibes peninsula.

We loved our time in Saint Raphael. Being close to the train station made it easy for day trips and being so close to the beach and promenade was also a bonus. Our next short-term home will be further east along the coast in Villefranche-sur-Mer, on the east side of Nice. Stay tuned.

The view from our apartment in Saint-Raphael. We were also able to watch the sun go down in the evening.

Saint-Raphael also had an art walk through the town who had commissioned French artists to create murals on walls throughout the old town.

While on the art walk we came across groups of men playing petanque, similar to bocci ball, in an area designed just for that. We watched for a while and were impressed with the skills they displayed.

The sandy beach in Saint-Raphael, two hundred metres from our apartment, where we spent an afternoon on a 25 celcius day. The Mediterranean was cool to enter but once you were in it was comfortable. The sandy bottom made it easy to wade in.

While on our walk to Frejus and their Roman ruins we came across their North Harbour. It was a brilliant way to provide more docking spaces in a safe spot with easy access for those who lived nearby.

The view away from Saint Tropez from the hilltop Citadel. You will notice two very large homes, each with a pool, who were likely not owned by a local.

While strolling around the old town of Saint Tropez we encountered a popular oyster bar where the staff were doing the shucking and the tourists consuming their aphrodisiac.

The view of Cannes taken from the old castle on a hilltop. Just behind the yachts is the Palais des Festivals where the film festival is held every year. On the sidewalk at the entrance the stars handprints were visible on the concrete squares.

The harbourside area in Cannes filled with both restaurants and people. We later found out that the school children had started a two week fall break which helped add to the influx of people traffic.

While dining in one of those Cannes waterfront restaurants we enjoyed a tasty meal of slightly grilled tuna, chicken salad and grilled vegetables, complemented by a nice bottle of Provence wine.

Inland to Grasse we toured the famous Fragonard parfumerie. In this area the perfected eau de parfum was being bottled (in aluminum where it will last up to 6 years) and packaged for distribution.

While walking around the Antibes harbour, Pocahontas thought this beauty would help her navigate the waters more easily than the canoe we once owned (McKenzie Lake cryptic).

Cows from Heaven

 Our fall trip got off to a wonderful start with a visit to our Swiss daughter and partner's home. It was a very short stay as the next day they took us into the Swiss Alps to the Alp Abzug festival in Prattigau (one of many in Switzerland), where it was time to celebrate the cows returning from their summer high Alpine pastures and back to the their cozy winter homes in the valley. The cows were decorated with flowers and wore large, noisy cowbells as they paraded along the town streets. Several thousand people ascended on the small village for the spectacle which also included local food, drink and music. We had an overnight stay nearby where our balcony had fabulous views of the Alps and the valley below us.

Saying goodbye, we left Basel and took several trains into France to the southern region where we rented a small house apartment in Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer (Saint Cyr by the Sea), our base for the week. The Mediterranean seaside cities and towns we visited all had low 20's C temperatures so it was a nice introduction to the Cote d'Azur. Our French is slowly coming back to us and I have stopped responding in Spanish which we have used more often in the recent past. We have enjoyed many meals around the various harbourfronts, eating fresh seafood and watching the promenade activity from our table. Our day trips included visits to Cassis (busy marina area, even in October), Marseille (old port area, climb to Basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde for great views), and Toulon (large harbourfront filled with restaurants, Hotel des Artes for some contemporary art).

Our hosts treated us very well, greeting us with local Provence wine and later homemade vegetable soup (au pistau), while also offering us use of their hot tub whenever we wanted. Saint Cyr turned out to be a terrific place to stay. Beyond the seaside walks we tripped over the popular 20th Alsatian Market festival where food and wine kept everyone in a good mood. It was a wonderful start to our French Riviera adventure and more lies ahead as today we moved east along the coast to Saint-Raphael which will be our next Cote d'Azur base.

Au revoir

The Alp Abzug festival we attended in Switzerland. With their large cowbells ringing, it became very obvious the next herd was right around the corner.

When the parade ended, the crowd moved from the streets to one of two food and drink areas where local musicians (under the tent) entertained those who wanted to listen.

The view from our balcony that our daughter booked for our overnight stay in the Swiss Alps. The base of a ski hill was right behind us, and was busy with mountain bikers using the snowless ski runs.

The marina in Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer which had a population of 15K. There was a nice boardwalk that went all the way to the villages on either side of the town which we walked on different days. 

While out on a long walk one day I tripped over an annual festival in Saint Cyr celebrating food and drink from Alsace, a province in the NE of France. With almost every stall selling wine, beer or Alsatian food the audience was all in a good mood.

The Cassis harbour. Cassis is nicknamed the small Saint-Tropez and the seafront promenade was filled with people enjoying the seafood restaurants or just having drinks and observing the foot traffic and views.

The Grand Staircase outside of the Marseille Saint-Charles train station. The detailed sculpture work on the sides dates back to 1848.

A view of the Basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde in the background overlooking the city of Marseille. Our workout for the day delivered a stunning interior of the church.

A view from the Basilica to some outer islands. The small island in the middle was a former fortress turned into a prison. In the Count of Monte Cristo, the prison was featured as the place where the Count spent 14 lonely years.

One of the many wall murals found in the artsy Le Panier neighbourhood of Marseilles. It is the oldest

 section of the city, first inhabited by the Greeks.

The lovely seaside promenade in Toulon with a statue letting everyone know on which side the water was.

While seated by the water in Toulon we both ordered mussels for lunch and each received a pot

 which had to contain at least 6 dozen fresh mussels. It took quite a while to consume them and we almost required a second bottle of wine to go with them.