Month: October 2019

We are beginning the long trek to Amsterdam from Gourdes in Provence.

In which we acknowledge that trains are not very flexible in either timing or destination. Unlike a cruise missile. To the average reader our immediate dilemma may not be readily apparent. The French Riviera is surprisingly enough a train backwater. It’s pretty much five hours to everywhere and all in the local. Stops every seven minutes in towns with glorious French names lacking only people and sights to see. They always also have a church and a memorial to the glorious youth that were sacrificed in the Great War(s). Having seen enough of this we elected to rent a car. Not just any car.

We’ve set off with this noble steed as our ride. What could possibly be wrong? Another confession. We picked up the car last Thursday. It’s Tuesday as I write this. Manual transmission diesel Fiat. Absolutely foolproof I think.

Trying to be semi-chronological here. Not in the sense of a broken clock being right twice a day. We got booted from Monaco due to it being sold out because of the Monaco Yacht Show. So off to Canne we trained. It was a gorgeous day in a spectacular Mediterranean setting. Turned out we talked to a guy who knew somebody with a yacht at the show. All 70 metres of it. For those scoring at home that’s 227’6”. That’s a BFB. Thinking that this was a once in a long time opportunity. Back on the Uber to Monaco. As one of our company is a single male we were pleased that our driver was female, a great driver and very attractive in a French way. By that I mean she was beautiful and unwashed. In maybe a week. Or so. We reluctantly left the car just short of the show because of the throngs of traffic. Upon our arrival, we of course delighted and entertained the assembled hoi polloi with our tales of the hurly burly. And we took some pictures.

Monaco is a special corner of the world. Absolutely spectacular setting blessed with beautiful weather and compelling topography. And just like the rest of the world half the people are friendly and engaging. The other half all seemed to be on the train back to Cannes at the end of the day.