EASY PACE FRANCE
Tour Director Laurent Millet
Tour Driver Jacquie (Paris)
Alain (Nimes to Nice)

Saturday
Day One
Pullman Bercy Hotel Paris
The Pullman Bercy is a beautiful hotel, I feel like I have fallen in the lap of luxury. I arrive at around 11.30am and was able to check in right away. I was feeling a little tired after my flight so once I arrived in my room I collapsed on the bed and napped for about two hours. I awoke around 2pm feeling really hungry. I had been up at 4am that morning, had not had breakfast, didn’t get anything to eat on the short flight from London so no wonder I was hungry. Not one to be shy, I venture out of the hotel and soon find myself in the Village of Bercy, wonderful al Fresco restaurant line the cobbled streets. I settle in at a table in one of them, chosen on the basis that is was full of ‘locals’ and the table cloths looked pretty. I don’t know how you choose your restaurant, but I figure if there are a lot of locals eating there, then it has to be good. And it was fantastic. I had the best shrimp and scallop risotto I have EVER had. I paid 27 Euros for this meal and decided not to convert it back to AUD at the time because it may have spoiled the experience!! Now I am home I can think, good God, what was I thinking, paying that much money for one dish. All I can say is that it was really the BEST risotto I have ever had the pleasure to eat, when I add the cost of the wine and the coffee, it was nearing 50 Euro for lunch. I have blown the holiday budget already!
In the evening, around 6pm I had a date to keep. Meeting the Tour Director and my fellow travellers. It turned out to be a full group of 40. A mix of American, Canadian and Australians. There were mostly ladies on the tour, which I had expected, this being a tour of France. There were a few men and a male couple who were very interesting, and I mean that, they were a wonderful couple to tour with, delightful company.
First night dinner was spent with two ladies, one from New York and one from Brisbane’s Gold Coast. We had dinner at the Hotel, the cost was really very reasonable and the meal was great. Service was really fast, which surprised me. Maybe I am used to the Italians who don’t seem to have any sense of time!!
First night at the hotel, wonderful, I slept like a baby, probably because I knew I didn’t have to be up early the next morning.

Sunday
Day Two
Breakfast at Pullman Bercy is on the lower ground floor. I had been given vouchers and these needed to be handed over on arrival at the breakfast room. The food was really good, though the scrambled eggs seemed to be a bit suss, I think they may have been powdered. Everything else was excellent. The dining room really big and roomy, coffee was good enough to drink. I am afraid I have never had a REALLY good cup of coffee at a hotel breakfast. It usually varies from thick Turkish type coffee to river silt. I am afraid the only really good coffee you will get will be at a cafe where they specialise in coffee. Most of the time I took a jar of instant coffee to breakfast with me and asked for hot water. It still was not the best coffee, but at least it was drinkable!
First day out is a Sunday. The traffic is really good. No traffic jams today. We have a lovely tiny local guide named Deborah. Deborah is really a pocket rocket, she also has a wonderful sense of humour, and is very PINK!! What is it with Female European Tour Guides. I have had several over the years, they all seem to have a favourite colour and mostly it is PINK. Travelling down the Champs Elysee is a moment to remember, mostly because of the number of red Ferraris on the road. I have never seen so many in one go. Mind you if you are going to drive a Ferrari, what colour would you choose? Red, Yes. Well, there were more than dozens of them and in the middle of the pack a solitary Yellow one. All out for a Sunday drive. Deborah also pointed out the Paris Fire Department out on exercises. The right hand side of the bus leans as all the ladies move across to look out the window. Ooh la la. It is a lovely drive around Paris without the traffic. We stop to view the Eiffel tower, but not a good time to take photos as the sun is up and the glare is too much from our vantage point to take photos. Next stop is the river to embark on our cruise of the Siene River. What a beautiful day it is. The sun is shining, not a cloud in the sky, Edith Piaff on the PA system, singing in French, just fabulous. The views along the river are spectacular, I have done this before in the evening, it is of course wonderful in the evening, but you try to take photos in the evening and you really can’t get many great shots. Notre Dame is looming close, I never get tired of seeing her, the twin towers, the rose windows and the flying buttresses. She is the queen of all cathedrals, exquisite and medievally beautiful. On a previous tour, I visited her on the inside, and now she never fails to bewitch me with her enormity and beauty. We pass under many bridges on our cruise, I make my wish under the old bridge. Of course I can’t disclose my wish, I wait in hope for it to come true.
After the cruise, a visit the Invalides to see the tomb of Napolean and to have lunch. The little restaurant next door to the Invalides is quite reasonable. The food was very good as cafe food goes, but the queue for the bathroom............ This is the beginning of our tour and we are soon getting used to queuing for the loo.
The afternoon is the optional tour to the Palace of Versaille. Most of the group elect to go. The Palace stunning. A pity the crowds are still quite thick, it was hard going through with so many people. Difficult to take photos without people stepping in front of you. Having experienced this before, I lingered behind to get my photos. I still had on my headset so I could hear what the local guide was saying, and caught up, eventually. The gardens here are spectacular. We had around three hours here, so plenty of time to see most things, though you did have to pay the extra to go into the gardens. The optional only covers the cost to see the palace. I would recommend paying to see the gardens, and the fountains.
The evening is a Welcome Dinner at Chez Nous Jeanette, but first a drive around Paris to see Paris by night. Spectacular!! The meal was good, there was a varied choice of entrees, though I was not fussed on trying snails, so stuck with the quiche Lorraine, as did most. The mains were hard to choose from, they all sounded delicious, I went with the Duck L’orange, since I have never had it before, it was very tender and juicy. The dessert was a favourite of most, Tiramisu. The drive back on the coach is quiet, everyone is tired after our first full day of sightseeing.

Monday
Day Three
Today we head for Giverney to see Monet’s home and gardens. All I can really say is wow. Look, if you didn’t go for any other optional you would really be mad to not do this one. I honestly felt like I had stepping one of Monet’s paintings.. The gardens are exquisite. The colours, the flowers, the lake, the bridge, rowing boat, it is a paradise. The house itself was wonderful. You are not allowed to take pictures inside, but in the gardens you can take as many as you like. I could have easily spent a whole day here, just roaming around the vast gardens. Sitting on a bench, taking in the beauty. The couple of hours we had here went very quickly. The afternoon optional was a visit to the Louvre, which I decided not to do, as I have visited the Louvre on three occasions and did not feel the need to see the Mona Lisa again. Those of us who decided to give the Louvre a miss took advantage of the free time and went SHOPPING. I found my own way to Galleries Lafayette, took some photos of the beautiful stained glass dome and of course did some shopping. I managed to limit myself to one purchase, a lovely pink YSL lipstick. A girl can never have enough lipsticks!!
The evening, a night out at the Moulin Rouge. Not everyone had booked to go on this, as it is quite an expensive optional and as it was the beginning of the tour, some were worried that they might overspend on optional outings. Of course, I just had to go. I have been once before, I have also been to Nouvelle Eve, which is where some Insight Tours go instead of the Moulin Rouge. I am pleased I went a second time. The food on the second visit was far better, and we had a much better table, and of course the company you have at your table makes a difference to how much you enjoy the evening. Only problem was, there are two whites and one red wine on the table as included in the price. Our whole table drank red wine so the one bottle of red was gone in one round. We asked for another bottle of red and were told it would cost us 60 Euro. We managed to convince the waiter to take away the two whites but he would only give us one red in exchange, which we all thought was a rip off. The drive back to the hotel was wonderful, our last night in Paris and the last chance to see Paris by night with all the lights.

Tuesday
Day Four
Paris to Nimes
Hotel Imperator Concorde
This is an Easy Pace tour, so no early morning departures. This morning is no different. We catch the TVG train to Nimes. We all enjoy our last breakfast at the Pullman Bercy, then once our suitcases are loaded on the coach by Jacquie, we take a short coach ride to the railway station. We had around an hour at the station before getting on the train. There are a lot of shops and places to buy something to eat. It is a very big railway station. You can even buy English newspapers at the newsagency. The TVG train ride was very smooth, I can’t remember how long it took but the time seemed to pass very quickly. We were on the top deck. There is a cafe carriage, so a few of us headed down to purchase bottles of wine and nibbles. Once we arrive at the station in Provence, we are met by our new driver Alain. Once our suitcases are on the coach, Alain takes us for a short drive to Pont du Gard. Laurent escorts us to the Pont du Gard, which is enormous. It is on the world heritage list, a demonstration of Roman technical skills. The finest and the best preserved part of the aqueduct built to convey water from a spring in Uzės to Nimes. The work to build Pont du Gard started in AD 38 and was completed in AD 52, it contains more that 50,000 tonnes of stone. The more agile amongst us climbed up the steps to enjoy the view from the top, and to take some wonderful panoramic photographs.
A short ride on the coach brings us to Nimes. Laurent leads us on a short walk to visit the Roman Arena. The Arena is quite spectacular. It has been the venue for rock concerts by Cold Play and Sir Elton John. It also is the venue for bull fights. Laurent takes us all inside, we are able to sit. The inside is well preserved, It is obvious that some restoration work is being carried out, the acoustics are wonderful. To our astonishment one of our tour members begins to sing a classical song. A star is born!! We walk through the city streets to our hotel, which Laurent has warned us about, this is a traditional Hotel he tells us. It is a not going to be as luxurious as the hotel in Paris. I was pleasantly surprised. I actually couldn’t believe it was my room it was so huge. I had a really lovely room, though the room key did take some getting used to. I had a lot of trouble getting in, so had to ask a hotel employee to show me how to use it. Simple once you know how, but never in a million years would I have worked it out on my own!! The meal at the hotel was superb, the main meal being baked salmon on a bed of French green beans. I like it here!!

Wednesday
Day Five
Breakfast at the hotel was pretty good, the dining area was lovely, quite a good selection of food, the coffee was excellent here. The plans for today are to leave for Avignon, to see Le Point D’Avignon, as from the famous French song. On arrival we are all loaded onto a road train and taken for a drive around Avignon. It was fun, but the ride was rather bumpy. We are given free time in Avignon, about two and a half hours. I spend an hour looking around the shops, then meet up with a couple of others for lunch in one of the al Fresco cafes. Quite getting used to enjoying a beer or a wine with lunch. Holidays are great!! We do end up with a dilemma after lunch. The public toilets that are for use of all the al Fresco restaurants are closed down because of flooding, so there are a few caught on the hop needing a bathroom, and none anywhere in sight. Laurent to the rescue, he knows where there are some, but they are a ten minute walk away, it was a challenge, who could walk the fastest to get there first.
We are taken back to the hotel for some free time, the evening is a dinner at a Gypsy Restaurant. Alain takes us on a scenic drive to the restaurant. We are dropped off on the street, then we walk the rest of the way to the restaurant, which is inside a walled medieval village. The restaurant is lovely, we are eating outside and the evening is beautiful. There are stars in the sky and it is a warm night. The tables look wonderful. The entree was probably the best I have ever had. Each table had a large pedestal with a bowl containing all types of peeled vegetables, fruits and even boiled eggs. There were dishes with sundried tomatoes, olives, roasted eggplant, capsicum, olive tapenade etc. It was a meal in itself. When the main course came, I think most of us were full already. I had the fish, followed by a dessert of strawberries and cream. The wine of course was also included. It was a really great night with gypsy music and dancing, a few tour members joined in with the singing too. My victory tonight was – managing to open the door to my room with that silly key, even though I had quite a lot of Sangria (delicious) and wine.

Thursday
Day Six
Today we are given the option of free time all day, or three options. Since I have never been here before I decided to do all options. Morning is a visit to an olive farm. We really did enjoy this, it was very informative and we were given samples to try. The owner showed us the olive groves, then took us to the factory where we were shown how the olive oil is produced. It was very clean, lots of shiny stainless steel, very impressive. We were also invited to a small morning tea, which consisted of croutons with four different types of tapenade, made on the farm premises, all very tasty. Last but not least here, there was a shop. The shop was indeed a treasure trove of wonderful products, all made from the olive. I purchased some body lotion made from olives. It is delightful, feels very luxurious when you massage it into your skin, and smells lovely. Most bought tins of olive oil to take home, I would have loved to have bought some too, but it was too heavy.
Next stop, our lunch stop is Chateau des Baux de Provence. Perched on a rocky outcrop, this wonderful place offers views of vineyards and olive groves. On arrival though, there are several ladies anxious to use the loo. Mmmmm, the loo’s here are holes in the floor. This was the first experience of this type of loo on this tour, though I had experienced them on previous trips. These were not very clean, but if one had to go, this was it. Laurent walks us up to the village and gives us directions of where we can have lunch. We have two hours here, so the first hour is spent walking the outer roads and enjoying the views. There are some lovely shops, but what I felt like was gelato, but unfortunately no one selling gelato. Reaching the top, I found an ancient church and went inside, light a candle for my sick friend, then head back down closer to the meeting point to find somewhere to eat. I meet up with a few other ladies and we find a lovely little restaurant. Turns out to be quite expensive, but once we had sat down and realised we didn’t have much time, we just ordered anyway – the cheapest item on the menu, a salad of tomatoes, buffalo cheese and basil, drenched in olive oil and balsamic. I reckon we had about six sliced tomatoes each on our plates, lots of basil but not much cheese at all. I guess it was worth it in the end, we could use the loo, and at least this one was normal, and clean.
The last excursion is to Chateauneuf de Pape for some wine tasting. Chateauneuf was a fun experience. The owner was a very animated Frenchman, though you know Laurent was very animated too. I particularly enjoyed his narrations on the coach when we were travelling from one place to another. He punctuated his scripts with sound effects, most of which had me and the other tour members in stitches. Laurent is an excellent and passionate story teller. Getting back to the owner of the winery, he was a very good looking man who I’d say was in his mid forties, tall and slim with dark eyes and long dark hair. We were able to taste three or four wines, it would have been nice to have had some cheese or some bread with it. The wine by the way was delicious, and I also learned some more about wine tasting.
Dinner tonight is on our own. I have dinner with one of the ladies who is travelling on her own. We choose a restaurant opposite the Roman Arena, what a spectacular view, a well chosen spot to eat. We notice that nearly everyone eating at the restaurant is ordering muscles with French fries. We felt like the odd men out, we ordered steak and vegetables. The steak was great, but couldn’t help wondering what was so good about the muscles. They came out to the tables in huge black pots, most tables had four people sitting at them so it seemed strange to see all these black pots that looked like mini deep fryers, and huge plates of French fries in front of everyone. The stroll back to the hotel was lovely, it is still warm. Arriving back at the hotel, it is still relatively early, some of us sit up a while and have a few drinks at the bar before going to our rooms to pack up for our departure to Nice the next morning.

Friday
Day Seven
Nimes to Nice
Hotel Radisson
On the last morning in Nimes we are allowed a little sleep in, we are going to leave at 9.00am. Breakfast is lovely, most of us eat outside in the open, it is a beautiful day. On the road for about two and a half hours before we reach Aix En Provence. It is supposed to be the most beautiful town in France, maybe, but not the part we saw first hand. You know I am talking about the loo!! Holes in the floor, oh, and not very clean. This is supposed to be a modern town. I mean all the chic boutiques are here, lots of lovely shops. There is a lovely fountain where the buses drop us off. The one thing I can say is that there were some lovely little restaurants along the main street (they did have nice bathrooms). There was a small problem with gypsy women who would come along and stop at your table to ask for money for their babies. The restaurant staff were very quick to come out and move them along. There seemed to be a lot of beggars and poor people here. We stayed for around two and a half hours, time enough. There was a very good cake and chocolate shop, that just about everyone in the group made a purchase.
Another two hours and we are finally in Nice, arriving at our hotel the Radisson, which is in a superb location. Right across the road from the beach. Wow. On the rooftop there is a swimming pool, bar and restaurant. Wow!!! The rooms are lovely, very luxurious and upbeat decor.
This evening we are going to Monaco, a night to dress up, get out the tiara and diamonds, we are going to the Casino. Very exciting. Alain drops us off a few streets away from the centre of Monte Carlo, Laurent walks us the rest of the way in. Our first stop is the foyer of the Casino. No camera’s allowed, if you have any bags aside from your handbag, you are asked to put the in the cloak room. The inside of the Casino is pretty impressive, some of the group went into the millionaires room, but you do need your passport to go in there. Aside from that there are the usual slot machines. Once seen, that was enough.
Some of us ventured over to Hotel de Paris. Wow, the foyer is like walking into a 50’s movie. The floral arrangement is astonishingly beautiful. Truly is a beautiful hotel, both from the outside and on the inside. I would not like to ask how much it costs for a room here.
Across the street is the new casino. Inside there, rows and rows of pretty slot machines. Not too many people actually using them, but the sight is wonderful, all the coloured flashing lights. Well, that is Monte Carlo. A couple of us find a gelato stand just outside the new casino and sample a few different flavours, then we have time for dinner, but finding somewhere to sit??? The outside dining area is pretty packed. We finally find somewhere to sit, but we are only able to order drinks here. The other ladies order wine, I order a gin and tonic, when I get the bill, it was 18 Euros. Daylight robbery. It was also the smallest gin and tonic I have ever been served. There is a little shop close by that sells grand prix memorabilia, my son is formula one mad so I go in to have a look at what they have. I end up buying myself a singlet top. Time runs out, we didn’t really get time for dinner, but we need to catch the coach back to the hotel. The hotel is in a great location, but it is not close to restaurants if you are on foot. It is quite late, some of us go up to the roof to try our luck in getting something to eat but the hotel restaurant has finished for the night. The bar saves us, we can get plates of cheeses and cold meats, so this is dinner. Actually, it was rather good.

Saturday
Day Eight
Day two in Nice, we have an excursion to Monaco to see the Royal Palace and the Principality. Alain our driver drops us off in a very large bus park, of course there is the trip to use the loo before moving on. We are taken first to the cathedral where Princess Grace and Prince Rainier are buried. They have quite simple graves, each have small vases with flowers, nothing spectacular, rather sweet actually.
The next stop is the Principality. We are given free time and given directions of where we can go. IT is the day of the change of the guard for the palace. Laurent shows us our vantage point for photos. It is great to be well informed, his vantage point was spot on, and it was true, no one else had bothered to line up there. There are lots of lovely shops, but all touristy stuff, great t.shirts and caps, if you are looking for gifts. There are also plenty of places to eat or to grab a quick coffee or gelato. We spent about two hours here.
I have to tell you here that Laurant is a gossip. Yes he is the biggest gossip in France. Today we learn that Princess Caroline and Prince Ernt are separating. Laurent is FERIOUS, I know he meant furious. Laurent is really an hysterical story teller. All of his 'history' lessons came with sound effects and actions. He really demonstrated everything he told. His doing this, also really made the trip for most of us. I certainly will never forget his 'history' lessons.
The afternoon was a visit to Cap Ferrat to see the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. This is something else. It is really grand. First impression from the outside, it oozes wealth. It truly is a beautiful pink palace, with lovely cerise bougainvillea and a variety of pink impatiens flowers. We are taken on a guided tour around the rooms inside, each room has a different surprise. Baroness Rothchild loved monkey’s, there are monkey ornaments and paintings everywhere. The views from the window are absolutely spectacular. Who would not want to live here, the views are billion dollar views, looking at royal blue ocean, and manicured gardens. It is not just the palace that is beautiful, go out into the gardens and there are surprises everywhere, ornamental gardens, statues and fountains. After visiting the Mansion and the gardens some of us went to the little cafe. They had the most delightful lemon meringue tart. Service was a little slow, probably because it was quite busy, I think everyone had been told about the wonderful lemon meringue tart.
The drive back along the coast to the hotel is very relaxing. When we arrive back at the hotel there are decisions to make about where to eat for dinner, since tonight is a free night. I join a couple of lovely Canadian ladies. First we go for a long stroll along the beach, we have a paddle along the way, the water is a little rough, the pebbles are hard going in thongs!! We elect to walk along the promenade instead. After about a half hour we stop at a beach bar and decide to stop in and have a drink. The Canadian Girls order wine, but I decide on a Cosmopolitan, I have never had one so thought this was the place to try my first one! I am a gin and tonic girl, so to divert from my usual pleasure is unusual, though I have been doing it a lot this trip with all the wine that I sampled!! After our drink we walk back along the roadside to find a place to eat. There are a lot of restaurants to choose from, we choose a quiet little restaurant where we can eat outside, it looks really clean and it is really busy, so we figure the food must be good. That is how I measure a good restaurant if you had not already guessed. If there are a lot of people, especially locals eating, it has to be a good sign. I order the salmon with saffron rice, I have to tell you, French food never ceases to amaze me, this meal was so delicious. I am not really such a seafood lover at home, but on holiday I seem to eat a lot of it, and you know what, these have been the best meals I have eaten. The seafood risotto in Paris, the Salmon with French beans in Nimes and now the Salmon with saffron rice in Nice. The waiter was pretty cute too!! By the time we had finished our meal it was getting pretty late and we still had quite a long walk back to the hotel. I felt like I made two lovely new friends on this evening. Funny how you travel with a group and get to know each other slowly. It always seems that by the end of the tour you know everyone, but the people you end up having the best times with seem to always come at the end!! I am not saying I didn’t get along with everyone, it is just that I felt I had the most in common with the people I got to know better at the end of the tour.

Sunday
Day Nine
Today, we are visiting Old Nice. Alain drives us the short distance from the hotel, but guess what ?? There is a traffic jam and we end up being diverted. Old Nice is wonderful, the colours, lots of pale pinks, and pale yellows and mustards, all with the standard green shutters. It is just how you imagine an old French place to look. I love it here. The market are wonderful, you can buy everything fresh, lots of fruit and vegetables, flowers and fresh food. It is a wonderful atmosphere. Laurent takes us for a short walk around the street, and points out the Gelataria where you can choose from 100 flavours. I have enough trouble with 20. I made a mental note of exactly where this gelataria was, because I would definitely be coming back to procrastinate over which flavours to sample. I saw a shop where they had chicken on a rotisserie, I had only been saying to my fellow travellers that I had not seen any chicken on the menu anywhere we had been in France. Would have loved to buy a quarter with chips, but the queue was a mile long, I thought they would run out of chicken before I reached the counter. Lunch was in a small cafe, there were lots of cafes around the perimeter of the markets. Nothing too exciting, just a salad, but you know, I really enjoyed the salads in France, everything was so fresh and tasty. On the way back to our meeting spot I couldn’t help but buy a punnet of very delicious looking strawberries and six beautiful oranges, which I can tell you now, were really juicy and delicious. I just love my oranges!! I’ve eaten one a day for almost my whole life. Probably the reason I hardly ever get a cold!
The afternoon is a trip out to Eze and then to the perfumery. As I have trouble with my sinus’ in perfumery’s I have told Laurent that I would love to go to Eze, but will have to give the perfumery a miss. I have this advice for anyone who is like me. Don’t do this. I thought I would be ok if I just sat outside whilst everyone else went inside the perfumery. What I didn’t account for was that when everyone got back on the bus, they were all going to smell of all the different perfumes they had sampled. I ended up having a terrible reaction that made me physically sick, and there was nothing I could do but to put a handkerchief over my face to try and block out the scents. By the time we arrived back at the hotel I was in a real state, so my advice to anyone who is sensitive to perfumes like me is to avoid this option. I mean I loved Eze, the perfume factory ruined my day.
I had a couple of hours back at the hotel to relax, there is a dinner tonight and I am hoping I will feel ok to go. I do feel somewhat better but not fantastic and we do go and guess what ladies, we played petanque. Now usually the ladies are not allowed to play this, but Laurent allowed us to play the men. Guess what girls. Three out of Three, the girls won. I was excited, my shot won it for my Dinner was lovely, but I found the meat to be a bit too rare for me, but aside from that the meal and the company was great. Plenty of red flowing too! I shared a table with some more new friends who just happened to be Australians. It really does go to show, when you have a full tour, it does take take to get around to actually sitting and eating with some of your fellow tour members. I have been with both small groups and large groups. Sometimes it is nice to have a small intimate group, but really, I do love the camaraderie of a larger group, especially when everyone does get on so well. So it is a merry drive back to the Radisson. I think the tour director was also the ‘director of fun’. Laurent, ever the entertainer, kept us amused on the drive back to the hotel. Have you ever hear Brigitte Bardot sing the song ‘Harley Davidson’? It is quite catchy, but to see our tour director doing his moves to it in the aisle of the coach, was really something else.

Monday
Day Ten
Sadly, our last day together as a group. Busy day for those of us doing the optional. Morning is Cannes. Those of us who have elected to go on this optional gather at 9am. It is a really hot day, typical weather really for this region. Cannes is stifling hot. The drive in was spectacular, especially as we followed the ocean. We arrive in Cannes, Laurent does a brief orientation, then we have around two hours to do as we please. The beaches are lovely, the ocean is so blue, and you know where the Azure comes from in Cote d! There are a lot of topless women on the public beach, all shapes and sizes, it doesn’t matter, they are all bronzed bodies. I know a tan looks nice, but I can never understand why people bake themselves like that and end up looking like shoe leather when they are forty. I can say that, I am fifty two and still have the skin of an English Rose, never have let the sun weather my skin. Not really much to do in Cannes, the shops are all far too expensive, so a walk along the promenade and a morning tea in a cafe to pass the time.
Once everyone has gathered together, Alain comes to collect us at the pickup point and we make our way to St Paul de Vence. So lovely here. I have been on two other occasions, it is rather like San Gimignano, I guess really it is better in some ways, there are more arty shops, and probably more nicer places to eat. Both places have a lot of character, but for some reason San Gimignano wins my heart. I take a walk up to the cemetery to find the grave of Marco Chagrin, and as others before me, lay a pebble on the grave and then take my photo. I meet up with one of the ladies from group, we go in search of somewhere to have our lunch. We decide to eat at one of the outdoor restaurants, only trouble is that they don’t have any tables outside. As time is of a premium we elect to eat inside. Actually turned out to be a good move because before our lunch arrived at our table the skies opened and it bucketed down with rain, so weren’t we lucky. Lunch was beautiful. Mine was a creative masterpiece. There will be a photo of it when I get around to posting my photos. All I can say right now is that it is amazing what you can do with a piece of watermelon, some rockmelon, prosciutto, prawns and crabmeat. It was so beautiful, I didn’t want to eat it. But I was starving, and so the monster in me devoured it .
We arrive back at our hotel at around 3pm. Tonight we have a special dinner, our farewell dinner. I make the most of the time I have, wash my hair, pack my case in readiness for tomorrows flight to London. I wear my new dress, a lovely little mini dress in silk. I should have checked the weather first though before deciding what to wear. Before dinner we have been invited to drinks on the rooftop by Laurent, for a little surprise. Well I did have a surprise but not in the way I was imagining. When I stepped out onto the roof, the wind caught the skirt of my dress and blew it up, so, I had to spend the next five minutes, until I found a seat, holding my dress down. One can never predict these things. I can at least say that I provided some light entertainment for the few people who had actually already arrived. The surprise of course was that Laurent was handing out little presents to the people who had previously travelled with Insight. There was a build up of course for the person who had taken the most Insight tours, now Laurent, ever the entertainer really did build this up. Of course the recipient of this coveted prize was me. I have to say, that I have never had such a presentation in such a regal way. I was in stitches, Laurent, if you read this, I want you to be my tour director whenever I take an Insight Tour. You are the best!!! After our drinks, it is time to take the bus to the restaurant for our Farewell dinner. Again, I am holding onto my dress to stop the wind turning me inside out.
The restaurant is not too far away, it is on the seafront, a seafood restaurant. The food is wonderful, plenty of it. I know everyone is feeling a little melancholy because it really is the last time most of us will see each other. I know for me being on my own that I am not likely to see anyone after tonight. But I have made some wonderful friends and I will keep in contact with those who I have exchanged email addresses with. The night ends, and I find myself on the footpath, again holding down my dress, but after all the wine feel more relaxed and what the heck if it blows up again. There is nothing there that hasn’t been seen before. Funny how when you’ve had a drink and you couldn’t care less how things seem more relaxed. Well, after that my dress didn’t blow up after all.
The trip back to the hotel was very noisy, not far to go to the hotel, but still time to sing and listen to Brigitte Bardot again sing Harley Davidson!!
Well that was that. Early to bed as I had to be up at 4am. A taxi collected me at 5am for my 7.30am flight to :London.
A wonderful, wonderful trip. Sincere thanks to my travel companions and most especially to Laurent Millet, who was and always will be unforgettable, always put in the extra mile and paid attention to every detail in order to make this trip, the trip of a lifetime . You are a FIRST CLASS TOUR DIRECTOR!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Gennevive,

A wonderful Tour Tale with much detail. I have visited many countries, but not France, so now I feel I have visited France.

Thanks for the Tale,

HT2

Gennevive-Great tour tale and it was interesting to hear from a single travelers point of view. As I just returned from the 38 day European Heritage in August and visited some of the places included in your tour, it brought back such lovely memories.

solittletime
It is a bit different when you travel as a single. Every trip is different, sometimes I feel like part of a big family, sometimes I have to work a little harder, especially with small groups because not every couple wants a single tagging along. I found that on my Easy Pace Italy Tour. There were only two other ladies who were travelling single and they were 25 years or so older than me and did not go on many of the optionals. So on that tour, I did find I was eating alone rather a lot. But, I had a great time - and some pretty special times, especially in Venice! I never realised until that tour just how much fun you can have on your own.

Dear Gen

As always, a magnificent read. I suppose you are already starting to plan your next trip!!

I hope you will provide a TT of your Italian tour to tantalise us as we all know how much you love Italy and must be an Italian in disguise.

Happy travelling.

Many thanks Gen for writing such a wonderful tour tale. I felt like I was travelling with you while I was reading it. Your description of the places and the food was very enticing.

You are an inspiration for single ladies who would like to travel but hesitate to go alone.

Good luck & happy trails.

Loves2Travel
One of the reasons I go to so much trouble to write a very descriptive tour tale is to try and encourage single travellers to pluck up the courage and do it. Being a single traveller, you really do hope that there will be lots singles to mingle with on a tour. I have been lonely on some tours, but on those occasions I have made the most of being on my own and to be quite honest, those tours have been the tours where I have stumbled across some pretty good sights, that have also become some of my best memories. Like the night I found a restaurant near the Rialto Bridge and had the most memorable dinner of any holiday.

Enjoyed reading your tale very much especially as the first sections on Paris kindles up happy memories of that magnificent city. My husband would return again and again to Paris. I love Tiramasu too but had to laugh that it was served up at your special first night French restaurant. That hotel gets glowing reports from other BB members.
LOVE Monet's garden - magnificent - also loved the interior - I wanted to pinch some of his Japanese prints, but would settle for a waterlily painting instead!!
I havent been to the south of France,just around the chateau area so it was interesting to read your thoughts.
Thank you!

quote:

Originally posted by Eve777:
LOVE Monet's garden - magnificent - also loved the interior - I wanted to pinch some of his Japanese prints, but would settle for a waterlily painting instead!!
Thank you!

The interior of Monet's house really was wonderful. Not only his Japanese prints, I wanted to cook in his kitchen - all it was lacking was the aroma of French Cuisine. The kitchen was fit for a king it was magnificent, most especially the stove. The colours, the blues and the yellows, it was fully equiped. Such a pity we were not allowed to take photos!!

Thanks for your tour tale Gennevive, I enjoyed reading every detail. I too love Monets house, I just loved the yellows in the dining room. But it was the studio sitting room with the large windows opening out onto the garden that I especially loved and I could just imagine him working there with the beautiful garden almost part of the room. Going here will always be a highlight for me

Your description of the south of France has only made me want to visit here even more

I too am a single traveller who quite happily often does things on my own on tours. However, like you it is nice when you can make friends and enjoy the company of others.