Day 12 Nice to Monte Carlo to Home

Well this is the last post.

Sorry it’s a bit late but was a little tired yesterday for reasons that will become apparent.

So packed up and off for the hours drive to monaco, loads of traffic but I take the coast road with some stunning views.

So I arrive in Monaco, strangely there is no passport control and drive down the hill into Monte Carlo.

This is looking across to the Casino.

The traffic is quite bad and the parking is even worse, so I decide to drive around and try to learn the route of the F1 track.

The route around enters casino square, but during the day they are not happy to let just anyone through the square. But I have a word with the nice policeman and say I would like to go round 3 times, he looks at the car says “it’s red and shiny so no problem”.

So if you have not seen the link below here is one lap. Filmed with my 12 quid bullet cam.

So after that I decide to find a place to park, I get lucky and find a place in the swimming pool complex in front of the Marina.

You can see max to the right

Have a little lunch then off for a walk around the circuit

This is the hill after turn 1 , and it is very steep this doesn’t show in photos or tv

Casino square

The tunnel

The bump on the exit of the tunnel, that has cause so many incidents over the years

The swimming pool complex, and a beautiful view of the Marina.

So then off home

I was going to drive the route home over 2 days, but there was a mx5 owners club BBQ I wanted to get to.

So I decide to do a Cindy Lauper and drive all night. It’s going to take 11 hours and is 720 miles to Dieppe (that’s the same as Exeter to John O’Groats). I ring the ferry company and change my crossing to the 5am one.

The drive goes well and I arrive at Dieppe two and a half tanks of fuel later at 03.00. Roof down all the way until Paris when the rain starts.

I sleeps on the crossing for a couple of hours and dock at 0800. Two hours later I’m home.

So 2 weeks away over, max was faultless and has done 2450 miles. Fuel wise he has returned 36.7 mpg over that distance which isn’t bad for a 20 year old.

Well that’s it hope you have enjoyed it, see you all soon.

Fergy x x x

Just Home

Will Update Day 12 a little later, but here is a taster

http://youtu.be/cPLQIn5BK0g

Day 11 Nice

Well as I said last time today was a day of rest.

Had a lay in the sat around all day, drinking tea and watching the world pass me by.

Then at 5 I got ready and left at 6 for the 30 minutes to Nice. Well the south of France especially around the major towns is bad for traffic so took a hour. But there was a nice Nice breeze so no issues there.

Nice is the showy rich part of the south of France, with French, Italians , Russians and Spanish trying to out bling themselves or if your Russian who has the youngest girlfriend.

Nice is split into new and old, the new part sits along a 5k promenade (Promenade de Anglais), were as the old part sits around the Marina.

So here are the pics.

Looking towards the old town

Looking down the promenade

There are lots of these old hotels, in pastel colours

Spend a day in a beach club with sofas etc, but it will cost you 50 euro for the privilege

The back streets of the old town, the blur is a bird

The light at sunset is just glorious

Old town frontage

The old town harbour, with the alps in the background, got to love Mediterranean light.

That’s it for today.

Tomorrow will drive into Monaco in the morning, and yes les I will try to follow the F1 circuit around Monte Carlo. Then it’s start the drive home

See you all soon, only one or two more posts and I’m done. Hope you have enjoyed it?

Fergy x x x

Day 10 St Tropez to Nice

So feeling lots better after drinking loads of water.

Started today with a walk to Cap Taillat. It’s not accessible by road, so the nearest road is 45 minutes walk away via the Coastal path. As said before safety is not the going concern of the French, and the Coastal path is a example of this. Unlike in the UK where paths are cut and follow a safe route they don’t here. So climbing over rocks as the waves break is not unusual,if you are going to try this then good shoes are in order.

We like a beach with somewhere to get a cuppa and a ice cream, the French prefer seclusion. They will walk miles lugging all they need to reach the perfect beach. After about 40 minutes I get to Cap Taillat.

Then walk around the headland and onto the first beach

Then the second

A arty postcard view

I then decide to have a sit, and a drink ( remembered to bring some ) and watch the world go by for a while. Various naked +60, families well all sorts just getting on with their day in the sun, a complete mix something that would never happen back in old blighty.

So time to walk back to the car and have the usual cup of tea at the only food and drink hut in miles. This part of the coast is full of secluded bays only accessible by foot, you could spend days and days exploring them.

So why Cap Taillat? Well it features in one of my favourite childhood and Christmas films ‘chitty chitty bang bang’, the first time the car is driven, they drive through Kent/Sussex and along the bluebell railway. Suddenly they are on a beach, yes in the south of France .

So back into the car to Nice.

A complete mixture of roads, from the coast to up in the mountains.

After a hour we get to Cannes

And max has a police escort along the front.

Loads of money around and yachts bigger that in St Tropez, and a English BMW YD07OLJ driver who tried to write us off. If you know him can you punch him from Max and I.

its late by now and time to find somewhere to sleep, we are about 10 k from Nice so turn inland looking for a spot. Archies POI for campsites lead us to valiant rouge and I decide to upgrade to a chalet for a couple of nights as I’m knackered and filthy and need a long hot shower in my own space. Thursday I’m just going to relax and head into Nice in the evening, Will head to Monaco Friday morning for a quick visit then start the 11 hour drive back to Dieppe (via tolls) stopping overnight at some point.

Bye for now

Fergy x x

Day 9 Ciotat to Saint Tropez

So just over a hundred miles today. The drive started well heading along the coast.

Problem is got stuck in a jam just outside Toulon for a while. It was baking and the heat from all the cars and trucks was making it even worse.

Max though kept his cool, even though the new electronics in the temp gauge turns it into a worry gauge as you can see the temp increase then drop as the fan kicks in.

But once out of Toulon the roads opened up as most of the traffic uses the tolls.

Lots of vin yards and trees now olives.

Arrived in St Tropez very hot and bothered so decided to take a boat, I asked at the tourist info and they said it was cheaper to use the water bus so of I headed to port Grimaud. The Venice of St Tropez, very very pretty.

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On the way back, did some boat spotting

Small

Medium

Large

That done off to campsite for a cool down and a light dinner as by then was feeling pretty rough by now. Not enough fluids and the heat don’t mix

My view for dinner

Just in mac d’s using their WiFi and having a ice tea peché (remember that Charlotte ?)

Been walking since 10 (now 13.30) to visit that place that was truly scrumptious.

More soon

Fergy x x

So Bloody Hot

Been in the sun too long today, and not feeling to well, the two hour jam just outside toulon probably didn’t help Hopefully will feel better come the morning. Will update when i get some wifi tomorrow with lots of pics and the story of St Tropez.

Oh and cape Taillat.

Has anyone got any milk of magnesia ?

Sleep well all

Fergy x x

Day 8 Millau to Ciotat

Day started with that pitter patter of water on canvas.

Overcast and grey today with scattered showers. So pack quickly and off we go.

So from Millau I’m taking my first toll road the A75. This is so to take me across the viaduct. So I workout I have to ignore the gps and re cross the river to join on the correct side of the valley.

Got it right for once.

€8.30 to cross the viaduct, it more expensive in summer, should they not reduce the price on grey days.

Well to be truthful the toll actually takes you all the way to Montpellier, that about 100k and through some beautiful scenery and the trip first long tunnels, sorry no photos as a bit dangerous on the motorway no handed. So then turn towards marseille avoiding the tolls now. Marseille is the second largest city in France and as such doesn’t really interest me. I drove through the centre but it could be any busy metropolis. The area around the harbour is very nice but that’s just rammed with people.

So once through the road open up and it time for some lunch, so I stop at the typical road side Le Snack to find it opposite France’s answer to Peter Pans Playground, for the you that’s adventure island Southend.

So lunch was had and the off back on the road towards Toulon. I spy in the distance on top on a hill, what looks like a fort. I then see signs to La Castella.

It a small hill top fortified village. All these fort come from when everybody was try to get a little bit of France in the 1500’s, be it the celts,Gauls,Italians,Spanish and not forgetting the Germans (they succeeded some time later).

These Hotel De Ville never seem to have vacancies.

A bit commercial

Nice view , that’s the toll road down there.

The back streets are nicer

So it’s time to think were to stay I decide to head towards Ciotat, this town was once a major ship builder. Until 86 when the yard closed with the loss of 6000 jobs. Now it’s earns it’s keep with tourism ,nice beaches and repair facilities for yachts.

Huge Marina

That’s it for today,off down towards St Tropez today, to try to find Cap Tallinat, to have a dream on the beach about German Barron’s and windmills, and maybe some toot sweets.

Byeeeeeeeeee

Fergy x x<br

Day 8 Millau to Ciotat

Arrived here very late and no wifi will update tomorrow

Pitched again got it down to 20 mins now.

Can’t make that panoramic clickable so here it is

Day 8 Cahors to Millau

Very hot today 35 plus, but then again I’m only 100 miles from the med and 1100 miles from home

Bright and early start for the 3 hours to Millau, it’s only 120 miles but slower twisting roads

I have been spoilt by the roads and views so far, this drive was not quite so interesting but a few nice views along the way

Max is doing well but still has the rattle, but he is enjoying the views

After about 60 miles of twisty roads they straightened out and disappeared into the distance.

Millau town is nothing to speak off, you wouldn’t come here just for the town what you come to see is the Millau viaduct

Designed by Norman Foster, the French don’t like that bit and at a cost of 400 million euros just to bypass Millau (told you it was a dump). It was built by Eiffel steel and stands 343 metres tall, thats tall enough for the Eiffel tower to fit under it. It took just 3 years to construct.

Here is max under it.

And from the other side of the Tarn river.

Will drive over it tomorrow, on the way down to the med coast and this takes me into Provence .

At a strange little campsite, I’m the only English person here but the view is quite nice.

More tomorrow, thanks for reading. Hope I’m not tooooooooo boring

Fergy x x

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