IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK IN FRANCE

3rd - 15th OCTOBER 2010 SAN REMO TO FRANCE

We stayed in SANREMO until 10th October and only left in the end as I started to get itchy feet to be moving and the weather became very windy for the last 2 days, prompting a decision to head down to HYERES, only about 100 miles away but about 50 miles more southerly.

The days at SANMREO passed in a most pleasant fashion, alternating between beach and swimming pool and occasional trips out on the scooter.......but after one particularly hair-raising ride up a mountain to SAN ROMOLO (patron saint of SR) the GF was loathe to venture much further afield. Trips into town.....which really is a very nice to roam....became increasingly a walk there and a bus ride back as taking the scooter was not worth the wear and tear on the nerves. Everybody rides a scooter, from smart business women in tight skirts and high heels to mama picking up the weeks groceries and papa bringing the produce from the allotment and every category in-between.......and that's not mentioning the 'youth' element. And they have powerful scooters, not 50cc jobbies and they ride around at top speed. Unfortunately, the car drivers are used to this and expect everyone on a scooter act like a maniac and disobey all the rules and are therefore surprised when someone like me has an over-developed sense of self preservation and doesn't conform to the maniac stereotyping. Helle & Jan left early one morning, after staying a week longer than they intended, with much hugging and kissing and promises to visit then in Denmark next year.

A day out to MONACO by bus to VENTIMIGLIA and train to MONACO (15€ return for 2). The station is weird and tries very hard to ignore the fact that whilst it is in Italy, trains are coming to and from France..(they go no further)... and whilst everybody appears to be going to or coming from France, there is no mention of these trains on the arrivals and departures board which steadfastly maintains that only Italian trains going to Milan and Turin stop here or originate from here. Its actually quite funny and confuses the hell out of everyone as there are also no staff to ask so everybody walks around the train with SNCF and a french flag on it asking everyone else if this is the train to Monaco,Nice or Cannes and looking harassed as they all shrug. Once it gets going of course, a very reassuring french voice assures us all that this is indeed the train back to civilisation, so sit back and enjoy. Only takes 30 mins to Monaco, along scenic coast and the difference between Italy and France is very marked. The station at Monaco is fantastic as is the whole of the city. Give me the money and I would move there tomorrow as it is the best city I have visited...only sorry I have never been to a Grand Prix there. No problem to find the circuit and walk round it as all the red/white curbing is in place permanently......so we walked it and then after lunch took the tourist train trip which went round it again ( and other places). A very walkable city (albeit quite small) but exceptionally clean and tidy and SMART. We passed a ferrari dealership which must have had 50 cars on display in the showroom and forecourt. Great place.

So we left SANREMO on Monday the 10th in rain (first in 3 weeks) and had rain until HYERES, where this was changed for high winds. Pretty scrubby campsite near GIENS at TOUR FONDUE opposite the Golden Isles of Porquerolles,Port-Cros and Levant for 3 days. The wind got worse, over 50kph. We walked into GIENS on market day and caught the bus to HYERES the next. Both places very pleasant esp. Hyeres which we noted last year as a possibly interesting place to visit. Decided not to linger here as I took against the campsite and it was very remote (most southerly tip of FRance) and head round to SANARY SUR MER where there is a campsite highly recommended which takes Camping Cheques...of which I have 4 left, bought early 2009 and expire at the end of 2010 and must therefore be used or we lose the value.