You know your at the end of the holiday, sat at the Luton Departures when the flight back home is called.
Im sad in a way, but glad in others – it were a good trip, met some nice people and realy enjoyed where we went.
Saw M&D for a few days and got solidly drunk – not productive, but not too bad the same.
Whats happening next year???
Went to Monaco today!
Its all started with a bit of a bind as we missed the bus to “La Gare”, and so had to walk it! Wasnt too bad though, I guess all the training at the gym is helping!
This is the train station at Villefranche
Got onto the SNCF with just moments to spare – it was packed to the rafters, but we got squashed in for the short journey to Monaco station.
The station is really cool, actually built into a mountain, with a hundred spotlights inside it.
We walked out and you pretty much end up at the main harbour, where all the big boats are – and there are some seriously expensive boats here, its astounding how much money must be floating in that water!
Hiked round the harbour and then to the Casino, this made me laugh, millions of Euro spent on the place daily, and this was the sign to the best Casino in the world!
Heh.
After being dragged round the shops, bought some Fois Gras we then went through the gardens which were lovely and surprisingly peaceful, there are a load of scuptures dotted about the place and I even found a dinosaur!
Then of course I simply had to have a drink at the Cafe de Paris, its almost a tradition now! Its great just sitting watching the world go by, and even better that most of the world chooses Ferrari’s and Lambos to do it in!
After spending €60 on our drinks we decided enough was enough and to get back to the calmness of Villefranche, at least we know the prices there and the sun is the same tempreature, so back to the SNCF we went and had a much better journey back to Villefranche station, we even had seats this time!
Had a quick pizza at the Calypso bar (its great there) and watched the posh people being ferried back and forth to their sodding big cruiseliner in the bay and then throwing caution to the wind we got a couple of cocktails in the Welcome Bar!
I had something I cannot say, let alone spell, and Angie had a Champagne and something cocktail. All accompanied with nuts, bread sticks and olives. After drinking this I was somehow unable to walk in a straight line – sooo we staggered onto the bus and somehow managed to explain to the driver in hugly broken Fronglais where we wanted to go, and by some miracle, we actually got there.
We met some Aussies the other day, and as we were stumbling back to the Hotel, I got a greeting that I never thought Id here in the middle of the South of France, shouted from across the street.
“Alright, you bloody whinging pommie Bastard”
Was the cry from the bar!
Laughing like loons we then went over and had a couple of glasses of the local Vino and I had some more food.
Really good idea! They get all sorts of cured meats, ham and sausage, potatoes and all sorts and then get an ENTIRE camenbet which they then roast in the oven, its served with the top cut off and all the gooey cheese melted inside! Its marvellous!
I could move after all that so had to be rolled back to the Hotel, with a belly like a pregnant moose.
We both feel a little,.. delicate this morning 
We did nothing today, nothing at all. Just sat in the sunshine and got a sun tan.
I had a MASSIVE steak for dinner, a glass of wine and then we went to bed.
Sometimes, on holiday, you have to have days like that!
What a busy day!
After a bit of brekkie, in my case a Cafe au Lait as usual, we hiked down into Villefranche town to go to the Meerkat.
Having GPS on the Blackberry made life slightly more useful as its a rabbit warren of streets and lanes and what not, however after about 20 minutes we got to the harbour by the old castle (whos name escapes me for now)
Its really nice down there, and the Castle and Harbour remind me a little of being back Peel,… I jest, its bugger all like it!
Anyhow, after hanging around the Meerkat for a bit (which to be honest wasnt all that) we went down to the beach where I had a little paddle and collected some stones for the fish tank – the sea was warmer than the pool is – it was lovely.
We then went BACK along the sea front to the other market (the Meerkat jokes weraing thin) and had a look at the very expensive tat on offer, and then decided to go for a walk round the old town. Its great round there, all closed in streets and fountains, it really feels like your going back in time a little.
Anyhoo… We found ourselves not far from the train station after all this (this is about 4KM’s of walking at this point), so at a whim got two tickets to Nice, after decifering the automatic ticket machine, for €3 each, and jumped on the next 2 teir SNCF,… brilliant trains, Iv never seen a double decker before!
It looks a little grotty on the outside but on the inside its nice and comfy.
The train itself hacks through a bloody big tunnel to the other side of the mountain to Nice, so its 10-15 minute journey, perfect.
Nice around the train station was a surprise, its a little down market, and full of sex shops and porn cinema’s, …. I was right in my element
Again, resorting to the Blackberry GPS we walked straight to the Boulevard Des Anglais, and then walked down almost all of it! I really dont know where we got the energy from. Even though I have been there before, I didnt really recognise any of it, its nice though, full of skaters and people on the beach and the sea is lovely.
A nice passing photographer took this for me after catching me trying to balance the camera on a post – I had visions of Clark Griswold when he did it and him running off with it But he didnt.
Stopped for a bit of lunch at one of the 16,000 pavement cafes in Nice, and then got the train back to Villefranche.
We were both shattered at that point and got a taxi back to the hotel.
It feels like we have done a weeks worth of holiday sightseeing in a day, but made it to dinner at our favorite (the only) Brasserie, and then had some drinks with some passing Aussies and I pretended that I knew a lot about criket – that was a mistake, I can only blame tiredness and one too many glasses of Vin Blanc for my behaviour.
To be honest we have just been very lazy, sitting by the pool and catching some sun. Local vino is cheap and nice, but beer is expensive.
Today we are walking down to the port (its about a 20 minute hike) to go to the local meerkat for a skeet and see whats there and then maybe an hour or two at the beach, its nice here, cos its not sand but not stones, imagine like what you get in a fish tank and its a little like that, so it doesnt get everywhere.
Im having to wear trainers as my feet have been blistered in my sandles through walking ;(
Its a lot more “French” here than we thought, not everyone speaks English (and why should they) so we are getting by in Pigeon French and a lot of hand waving 
Not been to either Nice proper yet, or Monaco, but both are just 20 minutes on the train, but Im determined to find a decent bike hire shop for a days use and we can hack around the roads that way.
French drivers are lunatics here as well BTW.
After getting back to the Hotel (€15 taxi!) last night we couldnt be bothered to go anywhere so had a few 1664′s in the hotel bar and then went to the local Supermarche. Bought some wine and some other bits and bats and due to a moment of miscommunication a HUGE block of ice.
What I wanted was a bag of ice cubes, what I got was a block the size of two house bricks. So we put it in the sink and called it the fridge (isnt one in the room which is a disapointment!).
Bit of a lightning storm last night, very impressive with bit of rain but it only lasted a few minutes and cooled the air down nicely, if I had a tripod I would have took some pics, but I dont, so i didnt.
This morning sees a a couple of Cafe au Lait’s and a lazy day down the pool to try and catch some sunshine.
Looking at the IOM weather, makes me glad Im here and not there!
Arrived in Nice at 10:45am French time, Taxi was a little late picking us up, but when he did turn up it was in a big old Chrysler, very comfy.
Bounced around the hills around Nice for about 30 minutes and then dropped off at the door.
Hotel la Fiancee du Pirate Villefrenche-sur-mer is a great little place, friendly and clean, good balcony and the rooms ace!
Our room over looks the bay itself, all in all really good.
Took a wlk into town for some lunch, had half a carafe of house white (lovely) and then went down the beach and had a small paddle.
Investigated the train station (we are only 20 minutes from Monaco here), and then tried to hike back.
Its a bit of a ‘mare uphill so had to get a cab (bloody hot too), so we need to work out the bus routes.
Just had a couple of beers on the hotel balcony over looking the bay:
Heres what it looks like:
Loads of photo and video will be upped as the holiday comes to an end, but to be honest I have better things to do at the moment
Back in the room now for a wash and brush up, and then out for a light dinner and a vino.
Tomorrow is our Anniversary, but we have already decided to have the day off and relax by the pool for now. Maybe Monaco on Thursday!
They may be budget but they know what they are doing, lovely flight over to Nice, no problems at all, cheap to!
Currently sat at 25,000 feet at 485MPH watching Red Dwarf on the laptop – waiting for the drinks trolly.
Is a Gin and Tonic too early to have at 8:20 in the morning?
Checked in nice and quick, the EasyJet quick checking is well worth the money, we were straight through with no issues, and also the tickets that get called are the 1st of the lot,… nice.
Just a note about going through *to* departures.
How long have we had the law about sharp objects and liquids? It beggers belief how many people STILL get stroppy when they get bits confistated.
There are signs everywhere and its not like its new, get a grip people.
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