Nice - clear why it is called the azure coast (cote d'azure) with stunning blue waters, rocky coastline, charming back streets of Vieux Nice with colorful shutters, welcoming Promenade des Anglais that pays tribute to the United States for its support in WWII, a fabulous Marc Chagall Museum, a delightful and aromatic street market, Place Massena with its fountains and floating yogas, Castle Hill with its lovely sunset views and so much more. Cap Ferrat with its belle epoch Rothschild Gardens was enticing and telling of a foregone era.
Gorges du Verdon- giant slabs of salmon colored limestone plunge into canyons built by the turquoise Verdon River. The River was low from droughts but still breathtaking at the bottom of the 2,000 foot walls. The roads, 1 1/2 ( at the very most!!!) car wide unmarked roads snake around these views, shared with insane motorcycles created a lot of white knuckles. Lunch with a view right in the middle! Stunningly blue Lac de Ste-Croix waited for us at the end with a glass of wine and relief that we had made it!!
Cassis - Back to the alluring waters of the Mediterranean and the sleepier (sort of) old fishing village of Cassis. Cap Canaille, France's highest maritime cliff that changes color with the time of day, overshadows the port with its 1,200 foot cliffs but the enticing calanques - high limestone cliffed valleys of sea inlets - delight either from hiking the tops or boating the waters.
Nimes - Day trip on the way to Arles to experience a 2,000 year old arena - one of the best ruins in the Roman world, the Maison Carree ( dating back to AD 4!!), and the Temple of Diana dating back to the first century ( intact until WWII). The Jardin de la Fontaine is reminiscent of the gardens of Versaille. Those Romans!!
Arles - an old Roman city full of surprises. We stayed in a 15th century manor house with a delightful courtyard, across the alley from the Reattu Museum ( a modern art museum worth a visit) but were charmed by the market, the Ariaten Folk Museum (which was fabulous!!), again another incredible arena, the Roman theater ruins, and of course the indelible influence of Van Gogh, everywhere, including the hospital whose gardens ( above) became part of some of his most famous paintings.
Pont du Gard - The incredible Romans!!! This aqueduct was built in the first century to transport water 30 miles to Nimes. At this point, it was spanning the Gardon River.
Avignon - was the "other" Rome housing the Palaise des Papes in the 1300's when they actually had 2 popes. It is a bustling, classy, city with a beautiful permanent market, lovely shops and delicious restaurants, the empty remains of the Palace, plane tree lined squares just begging for a glass of wine, and the St. Benezet Bridge (Pont St. Benezet) that was built in 1100 but was partially washed away in 1668 and never to be rebuilt. LOVE Avignon!!!
Cotes du Rhone Wine Road - The vineyards of this region follow the Rhone River and are encircled by the Montmirail Mountains with Mont Ventoux overshadowing them all. The roads are sometimes one car wide with hairpin turns up and down the mountains and jaw dropping landscapes of minute towns - like Crestet with only 35 people! Vaison la Romaine was full of Roman ruins (apparently they liked wine, too!), and Chateauneuf du Pape was where the popes planted the first grape wines in the 1300's! The grapes had been harvested ( hot summer) but a few clusters remained but mostly raisins in the sun!
Annecy- Swiss looking Annecy was PACKED with people....our first experience with crowds. But why not.......pristine skies on a holiday Sunday in France....so we escaped to Lac d'Annecy on a paddle boat! With the Alps dotting the edges of the gorgeous turquoise lake, we paddled silently....in awe. The early morning streets were silent and the reflective views of the colorful shuttered buildings and the Palais de l'Isle on the tiny island in the middle of the Thio River were worth the early hour.
Chamonix and Mont Blanc - a peak out of the window of our hotel left my knees weak......the snow capped mountains in the brilliant sunshine were right there - with kite runners dotting the scene and landing next to the hotel. In the morning, we took the crowded Aiguille du Midi gondola to an impossible peak - straight up!!! From there we jumped on to a moving tiny gondola, just big enough for the two of us, and swooped off the 12,602 foot peak with a whoosh. Silently, slowly, we drifted over craggy peaks and receding glaciers and cavernous crevises......with 15,780 foot Mont Blanc always in view with a wisp of a cloud hovering above the peak....to Gare Helbronner (11,371 feet) in Italy!! Jaw dropping vistas left us speechless. The lift had been closed for a week and would close the next day because of wind and weather.......a gift!!!
