A Day in St Paul

Dr Anne and JD headed for the 400 bus to St Paul de Vence. They knew that they were going into the hills but they were delighted to find a medieval walled village perched high in the hills.  Dr Anne thought she was finished her shopping therapy but no... this was an art and craft haven.  

Quaint streets.

Amazing windows.

Shops packed with goodies.

Exotic door knobs.

Narrow alleys and pebbled surfaces.

JD looking forward to her patisserie.

St Paul perched high on a precipice.

The Kill List

Forsyth, F. (2013). The Kill List. London: Random House.

Dr Anne has long been a favourite of Frederick Forsyth having read his early novels and some of his short stories.  This one was very apt in that it was about a radical Islamist known as The Preacher.  His sermons inspired his followers to kill Western targets in Britain and the U.S. The Tracker, an effective terrorist hunter, took on the job after his father became one of the targets.  It is a tight and lean thriller after reading I Am Pilgrim a few weeks ago.  All very possible.  Dr Anne awards 7/10.

A Day in Nice

Dr Anne and JD have meandered the Old Town Streets in Nice.  They had a Niçoise Lunch.  Until now, Dr Anne has eaten Italian Food rather than French Food.  Almost every restaurant is Italian.  

The Niçoise menu.

Zucchini and Eggplant Fritters on a large bed of lettuce.  

They then went around the shops and stopped for tea.

JD choosing a macaroon.

Dr Anne's strawberry macaroon - magnificent.

JD paying the bill.

The bottle of champagne has bee purchased.  The paper cups are at the ready. 

A Day in Monaco

Dr Anne and JD set off early to Monaco.  It took fifty minutes by bus and they had to stand all the way to Monte Carlo. They had coffee on the terrace of the Cafe Paris.

After coffee they took the bus to the Jardin Exotique.  This was built in 1933. The garden was on the side of a cliff looking over the Principality of Monaco.  The plants were mostly cactii.

Overlooking Fontvieille, a recently reclaimed piece of land.

The highlight of the trip was a visit to the Grotto. It was 300 steps down into the cave and of course 300 steps back up.  Everyone's heart was pumping fast by the time they got to the top. 

The stalagmites and stalactites were amazing.  The caves were discovered when the gardens were being developed. Awesome...

The views of the Principality from the garden were amazing.

The Grimaldi Palace and Monaco Cathedral.

The Louis - 2 Stadium.

The Port, then looking towards Italy.

Dr Anne and JD headed back to the Casino.  They enjoyed the illuminations and music.

In the Casino Hallway.

Looking towards the Casino.

The Casino Entrance.

Trip to Antibes and Cannes

Dr Anne and JD headed to Antibes and Cannes today.  They travelled by a slow bus.  It took an hour to Antibes.  They went to the Picasso Museum but unfortunately it was closed.  They walked around the old town then headed for Cannes.  

Looking over the bay at Antibes.  Note the snow on the hills.

Picasso Museum

JD bought some olive oil for a gift.

At Cannes Dr Anne and JD walked the designer shops, then had a cocktail at the Carlton Intercontinental.. Dr Anne had a Pink Panther and JD opted for a Nuit d' Ete.

The two walked the promenade and the Christmas markets before heading back to Nice.

Visit to Matisse's House

Dr Anne and JD headed for the house where Matisse lived his latter years.  There was a good representation of his development over his lifetime.  

It was a sunny day.  The citizens were out and about.

Some were playing boules.

Some were sitting in the sun.

JD was walking the beach and people watching.

The Flat in Nice

The flat above the garage.  It is very comfortable.  However, the heating was inadequate for the cold weather.  Dr Anne thought that she would heat up the living area by turning up the hob plates to full.  Silly girl... It blew a fuse and Dr Anne and JD were left in the dark.  There was no light.  There was no heat.  There was no TV.  There was no broadband.  

Dr Anne was in charge of trying to rectify the situation but unsuccessful.  There were instructions in a folder bit each instruction concluded with the statement that the customer would be liable for any bill.   The flat representative Anca arrived after three hours and clicked the correct switch... She replaced the lamps with dead bulbs.  She reprogrammed the heater in JD's room.  All is well that ends well.  

After Anca left Dr Anne put on the oven to heat some nice quiche.  The fuse went again - two times but Dr Anne knew what to do.