John – Page 14 – Travels of John and Flo

March 24, 2013October 20, 2020

Pathways

There’s something about paths that I find intriguing and appealing in a number of ways. Where do they lead to? Who has gone on this path before me? Where would it take me? So what is around that next bend in the path? The end is usually not visible, just a portion of the journey is, and to see more you must take the path to discover what is around that next corner. And usually around the next curve of the path there is yet another one, and then another, yet again concealing what may lie ahead, beckoning and teasing one to journey onward. Twisting and turning the path draws me forward, my curiosity getting the best of me; what is around that next corner?

March 23, 2013October 20, 2020

San Remo-San Lorenzo Bike Path

Along the Ligurian coastline of Italy, just east of Nice, there’s a wonderful oceanside bike route that has been created from a previously removed train track path. This old coastal railway track operated in the nineteenth century and linked the Riviera to northern Europe, from Genoa to Ventimiglia, but was abandoned in 2001 and moved further inland. It currently runs 24 km from San Remo to San Lorenzo however it is a work in progress and when finished it will provide 70 km of great biking riding. For those who enjoy casual bike rides on flat surfaces, it’s a great excursion for everyone in the family.

February 16, 2013October 20, 2020

Sunday in Ventimiglia, Italy

It’s become a bit of a tradition now, when in Nice on a Friday and not much else is planned, to take the train over to Ventimiglia, an Italian town on the coast just on the other side of the border and about a 1/2 hour from Nice. It is quite a large market that meanders along the coastal boardwalk, featuring clothing, leather goods, scarfs and shoes at one and food booths at the other. We usually always stock up on parmesan cheese (try the samples to get the one that you like best) and wonderful salami sausages. I think it’s a decent market and enjoy going. But do avoid it in the summer months, there’s just way too many people.

February 12, 2013October 20, 2020

Back to Auron

We returned to Auron in mid’ February of 2013, but this time to ski not just to visit. We arrived on a Monday and it had been snowing all the night before and continued all the way up. We took the bus, which was a good idea as there were a lot of cars along the side of the road, and we reached Auron in 2.5 hours. When it cleared up in the afternoon we had more than 15 cm. of new snow on the hill. We took an afternoon pass (US$20), and enjoyed fresh power and sunshine. The next day they opened the other side of the mountain; so more fresh powder and even more sunshine. Not a cloud in the sky by mid’ afternoon.

January 8, 2013October 21, 2020

Sunday on Isla Cuale, Puerto Vallarta

One of my favorite places to visit when in Puerto Vallarta is Isla Cuale, an island in the middle of the Rio Cuale, a river/creek (depending on the time of year you visit) that runs through Vallarta, meeting up with the sea. Although it is in the middle of the town, there is actually very little traffic on the island, it is an oasis in a city of noise and traffic, a getaway from the hustle and bustle of what has been a town in a constant state of growth for a number of years.

December 17, 2012October 21, 2020

Lunch in Auron, France

There had been a lot of snow coming down in the mountains behind Nice lately, so we decided to go up and check out Auron, a place we’ll be skiing at in the new year. We took the #250 bus that leaves from the Nice train station, with a stop at the airport. Amazingly, the two-hour trip cost only 1 euro each. A similar trip, roughly same distance and time, from the Vancouver airport to Whistler, costs $63 dollars each. So for two euros each our transportation was taken care of up to the hill and back.

December 13, 2012October 21, 2020

Great Walks in Nice, France

If you’re in Nice, here’s some great walks you should consider. They are as simple as just walking the boardwalk in front of downtown central Nice, but most follow the sentier coastal paths that have existed for hundreds of years.

December 2, 2012October 21, 2020

Sunday in St. Agnes, France

For the past three weekends we’ve been visiting difference towns close to Nice but that are up in the mountains. This weekend we headed northeast and visited three towns; Peillon, Peille, St. Agnes and nearly made it to Gorbio. The drive is amazing, with great view points, a lot of hair-pin turns as you climb and some very narrow roads hanging, barely it seems, from the mountainside. You certainly need to keep your eye on the road! These towns are a little off the beaten path of the tourism circuit, like St. Paul de Vence or Eze, so there are less people around and tens to be less “Disneylandyish” – meaning people still live and work there like they have for hundreds of years.

November 25, 2012October 21, 2020

Sunday walk to Monaco

I hadn’t been to Monaco in over 30 years, so I didn’t have many memories of it, other than this feeling that it was only for the wealthy and perhaps a bit pretentious. Well, we actually very much enjoyed Monaco. Visiting during low season (November) is nice, but I’m sure the streets are just packed during the summer months. Although Monaco is very much over-built with high-rise condominium projects surrounding it, the downtown area has some wonderful architecture, making up for it. And on the “the Rock” where the palace is situated and the old part of Monaco, it is extremely pleasant, especially the garden areas and the views that follow along the cliffs looking out over the Med.

November 18, 2012October 21, 2020

Sunday drive to Saint Paul

We spent the past Sunday exploring the numerous small towns that are nestled in the hills behind Nice and Antibes. These hilltops towns, in many cases medieval, have been wonderfully restored, each with their unique characteristics and charm as they look out over the Mediterranean Sea. A number are part of affiliations such as the “Most Beautiful Villages of France”, and rightly deserve it. Each of these towns do not take long to walk, but they also offer many interesting shops, galleries and exhibits you should take time to explore. They are often not far from one another, so you can visit and explore a number of them in a day.