This morning I ventured to the Nice airport to drop off our much loved car – Vicky. Surprisingly, this may have been the easiest part of the road trip! I was in and out in around a minute and on a bus back to Nice before I knew what was happening!
Back at the hotel, Roisin and I had decided to go for a little explore around Nice and Max was going to had a “me” day and see Nice while going for a run (ew 😉 ).
We found a funny little cafe where we grabbed some brunch before making out way into the old town. The narrow, winding streets (which have barely changed since the 1700’s) were packed with delis, restaurants, boutiques and bars, not to mention the locals buzzing around. You could really imagine this place permanently thronging in summer. We strolled along, making our way up to Parc du Château.
Parc du Château is the city’s original site, once boasting a reputedly impregnable citadel that was entirely dismantled by the soldiers of the French King Louis XIV in 1706. Only the 16th-century Tour Bellanda remains. We made our way up the steep steps through a maze of greenery and undergrowth until we came across a surprising waterfall! It was so random and unexpected that it made it all the better!! We walked on through all the greenery and shady trees, until we can to the highest viewpoint in the park. It was a glorious day and we were granted a wealth of stunning views over the old town’s red-tiled rooftops, the port and inland to the Provençal hills all the way to the Alps.
It was starting to get late, so after we had enjoyed listening to some random reggae-style music in the park, we headed back to our hotel along the most famous stretch of seafront in Nice – if not France – the Promenade des Anglais. Named for the English expat patrons who paid for it in 1822, it runs for the whole 4km sweep of the Baie des Anges with a dedicated lane for cyclists and skaters (we nearly got knocked off our feet once or twice). We spent a bit of time reading, and being moved by, the memorials from the Nice attack earlier in the year.
With the road trip over, I must say that it was definitely one of my favourite parts of the trip so far! Not only did we have freedom of a car but Provence was simply spectacular. From the olive groves, vineyards, Mediterranean pine forests, lavender fields to the limestone massifs of the Alpine foothills, flowing rivers and pebble beaches, the region is nothing if not diverse. I also learnt many things on our road trip – including how difficult it is to be both a driver, and a passenger when driving for the first time on the other side of the road. Signs we didn’t understand, advice that we didn’t quite understand (like keeping your shoulder to the line), directions that didn’t make any sense and soooooo many round-a-bouts. But I also learnt that despite a few ups and downs, as a trio, we are a pretty indestructible group of friends.
stefanysees 