The Cote d'Azur (Friday 12th July 2013)

Today we headed to the Antibes Train Station to get the train up the Cote d'Azur to Nice and Monaco. GPSs are great things in a foreign country. It is even better having a navigator confirming where to go. Even then, I still managed a couple of wrong turns! It's all got to do with how one interprets instructions.

There were plenty of spots in the car-park so that was one small problem out of the way. I was reasonably confident it would be OK because when the Google satellite flew over there were plenty then! Buying the train tickets was a bit confusing because the instructions on the vending machine were in French (no Anglaise button) and there were three different types of train one could catch. Anyway we muddled through that with about 5 minutes before the train arrived. The trip to Monaco took about an hour (stopping all stations) and cost about 11 euros per person.

First port of call was the main marina, Port Hercule. Man! There is some serious nautical hardware moored there. Most of the yachts are HUUUGGEEE!! Many were from the Cayman Islands. Obviously a whole bunch of the local sailors there decided to all holiday in Monaco at the same time ;).

We strolled over to Boulevard Albert I to get the obligatory photo of the Monaco Grand Prix starting line. I've got a winter one and a summer one now. No hot Renault R5 Turbos this time just dull Ferrari's and Maserati's cruising up the Boulevard. We walked to the Monte Carlo casino, enjoyed the view out across the Mediterranean and then around to the front door. The day was very hot and humid so we popped into the Cafe de Paris to a cool drink. Next we ventured inside the Casino to view the opulence – even in the smallish area where they allow the tourists to gamble.

The day going quickly so we headed back to the station for a train back to Nice. On arrival we headed straight for a little restaurant we ate in in 1987 only to find it had closed only a recently as a few weeks ago. We found the main street and wandered down there towards the beach. Nice is a very pleasant city to visit. The main street is broad, lined with mainstream stores and trams running down the middle. There are countless small streets and lanes off he main drag which is the part of the city which holds most interest. There is a big square at the far end where jazz musicians and other artists were entertaining the crowds. We had happened to arrive on the last day of the Nice Jazz Festival.

The beach was a welcome sight not very wide, lots of bathers and sun-bakers and no sand – just smooth, largish pebbles. Getting to the water for a paddle was a painful exercise for Emily and me. It was not hard to tell the locals from the tourists. We spent 30 minutes or so there and then went to find tea. We stopped in to an old church along the way. Large and dark and peaceful on the inside. A good escape from the crowds for a few minutes.

Down one lane-way we found and Irish pub. Here was our spot for tea. Irish beer and cider on tap, an inexpensive menu and the last session of Day Three of the Ashes was on the telly. We enjoyed chips and gravy and nachos for tea washed down with a beverage or two.

We wandered through the back-streets to the station, Kerry made some "crafty" purchases, caught the next train to Antibes and arrived home by about 9pm.