Maureen's Travel Blog

Good night in quiet dorm.  Up at 6.30 for a shower.  Cereal, cherries, toast and coffee before checkout.  I see Busabout logo on teeshirt of rep outside which is a welcome sight so all good! After a warm introduction by Ronata on board a big comfortable and modern coach, we are leaving Nice behind and heading into the mountains. Daviday is our Italian driver. My only concern at this point is that I wish I’d brought my fleece for St Moritz. According to my iPhone app it has now dropped to minus 2 there with snow! First pit stop 9.30 brioche Nuttello and a capuchino. Will wait a bit for my first Italian espresso! I had just got comfortable with French language and now completely thrown having to communicate in Italian! The scenery so far has been beautiful along the French Riviera – through tunnels, over viaducts, to negotiate the very hilly terrain. As we passed over Monaco, one of my fellow travellers told me that to live in Monaco it costs a million euros just to apply! Even Michael Jackson was rejected!

There is a bit of drizzle in the air now as we get back on the bus ad head inland. We’re offered a movie for the next hour and a half til lunch stop. Think I will have a snooze…..

We seem to be heading for Milan and the countryside has become fairly flat with purple mountains in the distance.  Just crossed the River Poe, apparently the largest and longest in Italy. Our Italian driver has just broken into song!  We are passing through the Lombardy – tobacco and prosecco area… very flat.  Lunch in a large motorway cafe was good. Delicious Cappiccio pizza with artichokes, olives and ham… a huge slice so have kept some in the box for this evening with the rest of my cherries.

The city of Como is much bigger than I imagined… and the Lake is 400 metres deep, created in the ice age. There is a beautiful Cathedral,  I wonder if I’ll have time to see that. Yes, we left our bags at Como Hostel, to do some exploring before getting our C10 bus to Menaggio.  Dominique, from Melbourne, had booked into the same hostel so we hung out together for the afternoon. First we had a look at the huge cathedral, very elaborate in true Italian stle.  Then wandered down to the lakeside in the warm sunshine.  Of course we treated ourselves to a gelato – bellissimo I said as I tasted it but was corrected… bonissimo!  The scenery here really is awesome.  I have been worrying so much about the zero temperatures in St Moritiz, the next leg of my journey, that I decided to search around Como for a fleece of sorts.  At last I found a zip up jacket that I think will fit the bill so got it off my mind! When Dominique and I finally caught the bus to Menaggio, an utterly sceneic journey round Lake Como.  It was a little walk up a hill but the views from our dorms were amazing across the Lake.  A glass of wine is definitely called for at this stage.  I then asked the owner about getting up to St Moritz.  His help went far beyond the call of duty…. these Italians are amazingly helpful. A glass of good Italian red to round off the day…. followed by another. There is a barbecue going on here tonight but I am just too tired to eat, will finish off my pizza from lunchtime and have an early night.

At last a reasonable night’s sleep! I had to change my booking for this evening as luckily I checked with reception that Busabout was going to pick up outside and not some 30k away! True to form, the pickup is at a hostel with the same name half an hour away near the beach, and not the one recommended!

I spent yesterday evening in the bar over an apple juice with Olivia hearing all about her day in Antibes and her chef job possibilities. She meanwhile was devouring the hostel’s 8 euros steak and chips. I really didn’t need any more to eat after my delicious 3- course meal in Vence.

This morning I will pack up, get the hostel shuttle to the tram station, then tram down to the centre to book in to the Beach hostel. I then plan to join a walking tour of the area which takes in a castle and the flower market. Maybe Matise Musée later today….
Just writing notes now as time could be limited later and who knows what the Internet will be like. Basically so far it is rubbish in France, the Internet that is! I have to stand by reception to get any sort of wifi signal, and pictures are out of the question!

Arrived at Gallery Lafayette by tram – very easy, and Beach hostel is just nearby. Left bags then went in search of new hat as lost my favourite travelling hat yesterday! I can’t believe I just spent 29 euros on a sun hat!! All of a day’s allowance!

Just completed the walking tour of Nice, some history, the flower market (where I bought Socco – local speciality crepe with chick peas – delicious.   Also bought cherries for breakfast as blueberries very expensive here).  Next a serious hike up to the non-existent castle.  It certainly took me some effort to get to the top, while the younger members of our small group thought nothing of the climb.  Well worth it though – the views of the whole coast of Nice and the city are spectacular!  I chatted to most members of the group.  Our guide was Finnish and it was her first job in France before taking her finals in tourism, then she hopes to go to New Zealand to work…. the world is her oyster I thought.  After a picnic at the top together, we descended and dispersed.  I had decided to make the 20 minute bus ride to Eze as we were on that side of town.  The transport system in Nice is so easy – up to 75 minutes anywhere for a euro 50!

The bus ride up to Eze was amazing.  It followed the coastline, getting higher and higher.  Fortunately the weather continues to be glorious so the sea was a deep cobalt blue, which looked stunning as a backcloth with terracotta roofs dotted about below.

Eze is another of those picturesque little villages built on a steep hill with many narrow paths and steps reaching upwards.  Every few steps revealed a little artist’s gallery tucked in the crevices.  I stopped to chat to one of the artists who was busy with a small oil painting of one of the streets.  I guessed she had painted it many times.  Further up the path seemed to divide and my indecision must have been apparent as a young man offered me directions.  He then told me he was planning to have a coffee in this rather posh looking restaurant but was unsure if the’d let him in just for coffee.  Anyway, to cut a long story short, he invited me to join him and we spent a very pleasant hour or so on the terrace of probably the most expensive bijou restaurant in Eze!  Paul was from The Czech Republic and  had a job ‘babysitting’ in Grasse, a small village inland from Nice.  He wanted to be a carpenter… anyway I won’t fill you in with all the details but we spent a very pleasant time chatting about art and travels… as you do.

I left him finally to complete my tour of Eze including the peaceful little chapel.  The views all around from the Exotic Garden at the top were breath-taking.

I returned on the no 82 bus and walked back from Metropolis to Mencine and the hostel to check in.  A thirteen bed dorm.  This was all they had left when I booked the change the night before, but actually it looks fine, just 6 bunks in each alcove so quite cosy… all girls, 2 of them Canadian.  They reminded me very much of Jocelyn and Stacey who stayed in Charlbury earlier this year.

I must now go and find a bite to eat and maybe put up some pics I took today later…

At last found a way to resize pics so they upload faster.  Just had a nice chicken brioche from classy takeaway in the square…. beats the burgers and chips in the hostel!  Now off to bed ready for Como tomorrow!

By bedtime last night there were five of us girls in the room 2 from Chili who were friends, one from New Zealand, one from Russia and me – UK!  Very comfortable bed in room with en suite so lucky for first night at least, although not sure who I will be sharing with tonight as some of them may be moving on.  Here is a view of the Exupery Gardens Hostel.

The hostel offers a good continental breakfast.   I was picked up by my brother at 10 in his beautiful new BMW sports car as arranged.  Martin lives near Nice and offered to take me to Vence and nearby villages today and it was a thrill to be traveling in style on such a beautiful sunny day.  We went first to the village of Vence St Paul, very pretty narrow steep cobbled streets with art galleries in abundance.  We stopped for coffee in one of these quaint little streets in the by now hot sunshine.  We then moved on to Vence where we wiled away a few hours over a delicious lunch in a street café and put away a carafe or so of vin rouge!  Then we walked some distance in search of the Matisse Chapel.  Unfortunately when we finally arrived we found it to be closed.  I should have thought this would be the case as it was a French Bank Holiday ah c’est la vie.  I was very disappointed but had spent a very special day en Provence with my brother.

Transport to Gatwick via train and airline bus all went according to plan and fairly uneventful in the continuing rain.  You wanted an early update Dot but there is little to say as yet. I forgot how huge and busy this airport is – a far cry from quiet little Southampton airport just a few weeks ago!  113 boarding gates – crazy!!  An hour and a half before take off to Nice… not just rain to look forward to there but thunder and lightening!  Hey ho I will just relax and start living the moment with my coffee and duck wrap!  Who knows what lies ahead……

Easy flight with easy jet! The plane was full of excited French teenagers probably returning home after a holiday weekend in London. I sat next to a young French couple who knew little English but felt too tired to start trying to engage in French and promptly fell asleep – will leave that til I get there.

Got the shuttle bus to terminal 1 as suggested in hostel instructions. Then no 23 to Place St Maurice. ’twas a long bus ride – about an hour but a great opportunity to try out my French on the locals. And there was the sea at last. I had not seen that stretch of coast since I was 18, I told the person next to me on the bus. Then we chatted about L’eglise Matisse en Vence et le temps. YES I can do this!

But where is my shuttle bus to the hostel? The mobile Pizza man very kindly phoned them an hour ago and they said ’10 minutes’. In that time he has cooked me a delicious Margurite and I have eaten it and wished several customers ‘bon appetit’ in the meantime and also had plenty of time to write up today’s events. I have just called again on the very kind Pizza man’s mobile…. just another 10 mins – there is a big party arriving. It is now a quarter to eight…. an hour later of course, but I still feel very tired.
I’m now getting just a bit fed up with watching mad French drivers careering round this square, blasting their horns when motorists won’t move quick enough at the lights…. and the very nice pizza man has sold an awful lot of pizzas!!

At last a young man lifts my bag and beckons me to the Toyota minibus I have been keenly looking out for for what seems like an eternity. Full of apologies, I am driven a very short way but up an exceedingly steep hill to the Exupery Gardens Hostel. I won’t go into too much detail here but after manhandling my rather heavy bag up 2 flights of stairs, I opened room 215 to meet Tiga, from Chili. She and soon Gloria, were to be my room mates tonight. After a brief introduction and preparing of beds, together we made our way down to the terrace bar. A quietly shaded area where we spent a pleasant evening with a beer. Tiga, a beautiful 27 year old with Italian looks from her grandmother, was an agricultural engineer no less and was traveling around Europe – unbelievable!! Gloria from New Zealand was in Nice to find a job. She had just completed a course as a chef in Auckland and wanted to work on the boats in Antibes. We were also joined by two others, an Irish man from Downpatrick who had a degree in media studies and had come to Nice to completely change the direction he was going with his life. The other was an older lady from Melbourne, who was a seasoned traveler and we shared experiences til bedtime.

I have now decided to leave out Ancona completely, sorry Ancona…. will miss the Adriatic I know and an interesting city (according to the reviews)…. but I just wasn’t giving myself long enough in Venice. Five days should give me plenty of time to acquaint myself with the all those alleyways and bridges, gondolas, vaporettas and cornettos!! ‘Twil be a long bus ride to Rome though…..

Anyway, in the meantime, I look forward to Provence on Thursday, where my brother, who lives near Nice plans to show me some local French villages. Here’s a taster if it’s sunny but the forecast is thunder storms  images of Provence  I didn’t realise there was so much lavendar!

Have caught up with Dot at last…. the adventure is really coming alive now! Dot and I will be meeting in Rome. We have lots of exciting plans for this great city but more of that when the time comes. Dot has just told me that she’s only booked an Italian Farmhouse Cooking Course for herself!!! ….in Chianti, just south of Florence for the period before we meet up again in La Spezia. Another “must-do” to tick off her list, she said. She is such an adventurer and this is why we get on so well!  Here is the link to whet your appetites: http://www.toscanamia.net/en/cooking-classes/chianti/packages/farmhouse/3-days-cooking-class-in-farmhouse/

Come on Marie, what have we got planned for Florence?

Now that Artweeks is over, I can concentrate on the finer details of my forthcoming European Adventure. Insurance sorted (just in case I fall off a horse….it happens!).   A few last minute essentials to pack like a wind-up torch and european plug. I wonder if plugs are different in all the EU countries or just UK. Now waiting to hear from Dot this evening……

My artist friend Marie Robinson expressed a wish to join me when I get to Florence… an artist’s paradise of course.  She wasted no time in booking her flight with Flybe from Birmingham direct to Florence and has even booked a room for three nights in Plus Florence Hostel where my Busabout drops off.  We will have a ball!  Many of her friends have offered lots of useful information with their experience of Florence which will prove very useful as we must make the most of our three…. well two and a half days in this wonderful city.  Here are some images to whet our appetite 🙂

Flights are booked!  I had planned to leave the trip open-ended but most of the itinerary is in place and the final leg will be spent mostly with my good travel buddy, Dot, who I first met in Kenya all those years ago.  So decided to take advantage of very reasonably priced BA flight home.  We have spent several days of intensive planning between Oxford Botanic Gardens, cocktails and Jamie’s…  Originally we had planned just to spend some time together in Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera but Dot has decided she would also like to see Rome so we will meet up there first.  My Busabout route takes me to Rome where I had planned to spend a couple of nights.  These places are the most expensive for accommodation but we have managed to find some reasonably priced hostels.

Venice is proving problematic.  Busabout offer 2 accommodation otpions, one on the mainland, which would involve a shuttle each day on to the island.  The other very expensive guesthouse can only accommodate me for two of the three nights I plan to stay there to paint.  So I checked out “lastminute.com”.  They have a suitable guest house quite close by and near to the Bridge of Sighs so I booked the last room.  These places seem to get booked up so quickly in the cities around Europe.  Arrgghh, just realised the pickup point for Busabout is on the mainland 8am!  No worries… have been chatting to Alex at the guesthouse I have booked.  These Italians are so laid back!  I will help you he says in broken English.  Several emails later, I am reassured there will be transport in time to catch the 8am bus.  An image of Venice I think…. just to get me in the mood.

Ok, to take advantage of the special deal of 20% off by booking before 12 January, I have booked the South Loop which takes in France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Italy, starting and ending in Nice.  I will have to book flights soon too but will wait until I firm up my dates as the Busabout is more flexible.  Now to research what each town has to offer and whether to take little tikki tours off the bus route.  I shall be hopping off at Lake Como to  visit my friend in St Moritz and then on up to Lucerne to call on another traveling buddy before hopping back on the bus for Munich.  I will check out the wild flowers of Switzerland… Eidelweiss come to mind of course!