France - a WOW around every corner

Upon arrival into Nice on the famous Cote de Azur we drove along one of the longest and most picturesque promenades we have ever seen
Next morning we collected our rental car and were pleasantly surprised to receive an upgrade to a powerful convertible with electric roof and all the trimmings b/c they did not have the car we booked.....loving France already.

Simone was loving the upgrade and attempted to blend in with Sth of France high society trying to emulate the quintessential movie star look with scarf around head driving the coast in a convertible. Having reviewed the photo we decided the look she actually achieved was more like one of Colonel Gaddafi's wives!

The car was paying off immediately as we dropped the top, listened to French radio (difficult) and cruised the mtns to some of the most beautiful old fortified villages such as Eze looking over some of the wealthiest areas and peninsulas' of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat (photo) and Gourden literally high up in the clouds. These little villages carry a fascinating story and so much history. With very few inhabitants anymore, most are filled with shops, hotels and restaurants but are beautiful.

Next day we hit the town of Monaco/Monte Carlo synonymous with outrageously wealthy fat guys with supermodel girlfriends or wives, million dollar cars and yachts that rival cruise liners, posh hotels, a famous casino that is 007's backyard and an annual grand prix.

It's one of those places you have to see once although Simone thinks she will be returning to stay at "The Hermitage" hotel one day.

A three hr drive from Nice, Nimmes was a very important city to the Ancient Romans during their glory days and boasts the most well preserved Roman amphitheater and Roman temple in the world.

We visited some French countryside on the way stopping at Chateaux Simone (wonder why) to purchase a bottle of vino followed by a picnic of soft cheese and fruit to eat under a tree.

The Pont Du Gard is a famous section of a 2000year old, 50km long aqueduct built by the Romans which is rather special to look at and even better to swim under. The water was so fresh and clean. Rich was able to engage in some more rock diving/jumping.

On the way back to nice We took a detour and visited two little quaint French villages in the Luberon valley. We made it to Apt for their fresh food markets with fromaggeries and delicious pastries, fruit and the like.

Paris - this city really has a wow around every corner. So many amazing buildings, monuments and historical stories. We hit a river boat upon arrival to explore the Seine River and get better acquainted with the centre of Paris which was fantastic.

The next 2 days after that were frantic as we had a 2 day museum and monument pass and plenty to see.

At the end of each day, Simone was thankful she booked a nice hotel in Paris with excellent water pressure and fluffy bed.

In addition to Paris, we ventured out to see the royal palace in Versaille where all the King Louis' played with their court and finally the rebels stormed and conquered in the 1779 French revolution.

You have to see this palace and gardens to believe it's size and grandeur that cannot be appropriately articulated. I think the most appropriate comment we heard while visiting came from a young boy who said, the Palace should be featured on MTV Cribs because it surpasses any modern celebrity's mansion. The level of lavishness and outrageous opulence is out of this world.

When Aristocracy is wasting money on palaces like this and starting wars it is no wonder the people revolted.

For our last tour day in Paris I did the romantic thing and took Simone up the Effiel tower to see someone else propose to his girlfriend. It has a fantastic view over Paris and looks nice when it is lit up after dark.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in France and spent many evenings planning our next trip back there.