Thursday 14th September 2023
Left the site around 9am and set off to drive towards our campsite on the outskirts of Nice. Part of the journey took us up a steep road with hairpin turns up the side of a mountain and down again! We passed many cyclists taking on the climb so it’s obviously a local cycling challenge! Had some road works to contend with but eventually we found our way to Camping Parc des Maurettes just outside Nice. Arrived around 11.15 but out pitch hadn’t been vacated so we had to wait until 12.00 for the previous people to leave. We are very close to the chalet that Laura, Ryan, Rob and Faye are renting. They arrived in their hire car from Marseilles airport around 1pm. Reception is closed so they parked and walked up to our van. We fed and watered them till the camp reception opened. Later we all went to the supermarket and pharmacy ( the mosquitoes are still biting). Afterwards we had some beers on the veranda of their cabin. At 6.30pm we walked to the marina and found a restaurant to eat in. Walked back at 9.30, it’s already pitch dark! I had a shower in their cabin before leaving them to shower and get to bed. They’ve had a long day and were up at 3.30am this morning!
Friday 15th September 2023
It felt hotter than ever during the night, at 3am we were both up drinking water! Had a cuppa in the morning and no sign of life from the kids chalet so we went on and had our breakfast then Del cycled down to buy fresh croissants. Laura and Ryan walked over to ours around 10am and we made them a cuppa. Faye and Rob were up soon after so we joined then for coffee and croissants. Today we decided to visit nearby Eze, about 30 minutes drive along the coast. As we can only fit 5 in the car, Del volunteered to ride his bike. He worked out a route along the coast that would get him to Eze. Unfortunately Del went to Eze Sur Mer which was right down the bottom of the cliffs from where we were in the town! He said to go on and he’d work out a route back and make it slowly back to the campsite. We explored the old medieval town, very thin winding alleys that led upwards to the top of the cliffs. We paid €7 each to go into the Jardin exotique d’Eze. This was a garden of mainly cacti set on tiered gardens with waterfalls and above all fabulous views from the top! After a stop for drinks and ice creams we drove to a beach recommended by the lady in the tourist office, called Cap d’Ail. We parked near the train station and had a 20 minute walk to the small coved beach. It was a path along the seafront, with steps that went up and down, hugging the edge of the cliffs. It was extremely hot and there was no shade down on the sand. Rob and Faye went swimming in the sea and Laura took pity on me and bought me a coke in a shady bar where we could get out of the hot sun! We left just after 5pm but got caught in traffic. Got provisions in the supermarket and got back just after 7pm. Del was already home and had emptied our loo and showered! We all ate together on their veranda then just before 10pm I used their shower and we came on back to the van. I have to say I’m shattered! A lot of walking today in extreme heat! I also got bitten by something in the supermarket and the bite has blistered and is throbbing. Ouch!
Saturday 16th September 2023
Around 11.30 we set off for the train station. There was a sea of red welsh rugby shirts milling on the platform and queuing for tickets. The ticket machine operation was left for Rob and Ryan to sort out, apparently it was quite a temperamental machine! We were packed into the train like sardines and I was glad to arrive at Nice. Had a wander down to the fan zone then found somewhere to get a drink and lunch. As we were finishing our meal the heavens opened and it poured with rain! Luckily, Tom, our waiter quickly set up a table for us under cover. We ended up buying either umbrellas or ponchos as it rained until it was time to catch the shuttle bus to the stadium. Ryan and Faye don’t have tickets so they are staying to watch the match on screens in the fan zone. It was about a 25 minute ride to the stadium and we had seats on the corner of the pitch, in line with the posts. Unfortunately Wales were warming up at the opposite end from us and were down the other end for the National Anthem! Still, the rain held off and Wales beat Portugal 28 to 8. We made lots of team changes and gave some of our better players a rest as we expected to beat Portugal fairly easily! It was a mass exodus and a walk to the shuttle buses to get back to Nice town centre. We met up with Ryan and Faye and found somewhere to get some food. We walked back up to the station and got a train back around 11pm. Loads of rugby fans walked back to the campsite with us from the train station, the site has been taken over by Brits!
Sunday 17th September 2023
Once everyone was up we walked down to the “Coffee Lab” a coffee and bakery place about 5 minutes walk away. It’s hot and sunny today and when we got back we sat out on the veranda of their chalet. Del and I did some washing and I used the airer that the kids had in the chalet!
Today is the England v Japan game.
We all walked to the train station just after 2pm, it didn’t appear as busy today. Once we got into Nice we had a wander around the old town area, which had narrow streets and very busy. We found an old square which had lots of cafes and restaurants, we managed to find a table and ordered drinks and some sharing dishes a great location.
Afterwards we went to a very popular ice cream shop in the square got our ice creams and wandered out along the promenade.
We decided to get to the stadium early, so we wouldn’t get caught in any mad rush .
We found our seats, which were nearly opposite the goal posts, with a good view of the pitch.
Beers and food purchased and we settled down to watch the England team warming up, directly in front of us.
A bit shaky the first half but in the end England beat Japan 34 to 12.
A great atmosphere in the ground and all the England fans were happy with the win.
As we did yesterday we caught the shuttle buses and walked to the station and the train left at 00.20hrs. It was around 00.45 by the time we got back to the campsite. Del nipped up and used the shower then we settled down to sleep just after 1am. It rained in the night, loud enough on the van roof to wake us up!
Monday 18th September 2023
Bit of a noisy awakening as there is a building site close by and they started working early! I was awake anyway around 8am, as my mozzie bites are itching so I went up to the showers.
Del went in the car with Ryan ( as it had been raining) and they did a croissant run! The rain stopped around 9am and it’s cooler and overcast this morning. We all had coffee and a mixed array of croissants and pastries together then the 4 kids went to a nearby Nike factory outlet. It’s raining again so they went in the car. Del and I put more water in our tanks and Del emptied the loo, then we sat and chilled awhile. It’s still grey and overcast but remaining fairly warm and balmy. We walked down to the train station later and caught the train to Antibes, just along the coast. It’s like a mini Nice, the old town with narrow streets and big open squares. After drinks in the square we walked to the promenade, there’s a small coved beach and we walked the old walls to a sculpture that looks out to sea.
The place is full of massive boats that shout MONEY!
We made our way back to the station and got a train around 5pm. It started to rain again as we got off the train. We ate on the veranda and played cards in the evening till about 10.30pm.
Tuesday 19th September 2023
Del and I were up when Rob wandered over for a cuppa. Del noticed my bike tyre was flat so he took the inner tube off to look for a puncture.
Laura then wandered over and she had a cup of tea too! We went to their cabin around 10.30 as they’d put the coffee maker on! Today we are taking the train to Monaco, Rob got the tickets on line and the railway line hugs the coast so fabulous views of the sea out the windows. It’s a steep walk down many many steps from the station to the port and centre of the town. The F1 fans amongst us were working out which roads they race on.
I’d researched a market square where there are many food outlets around the outside and shared tables in the middle to eat from. We all made our choices and met up to eat. Afterwards we walked to a gin distillery where they make Monaco Gin, one Del has had from his gin club! He ended up buying a bottle of gin plus a lemon liqueur.
In the square Ryan suddenly noticed Tadej PogaÄŤar, the professional cyclist who lives in Monaco! Del took a secret photo but Ryan and Laura were cheeky enough to get a hello handshake!
Next we climbed up to The Prince's Palace, the official residence of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. There are fabulous far reaching views over the town, up to the mountains and out to sea. We walked through the old town and caught the little tourist train that takes you on a guided tour of the town.
We went through the iconic tunnel that the F1 uses, then when we got to the Monte Carlo Casino we got off for a wander round. The kids all had a look in the foyer of the casino, but you have to pay if you want to go fully inside. Unfortunately we found that once you leave the tourist train you can’t re board it, so we had a drink near the casino then walked the F1 hairpin bends and tunnel. Afterwards we had the steep climb back up to the station, and caught a train around 6.45pm. We got off the train and headed for a restaurant that Ryan had seen on the seafront close to our campsite. I struggled to find something I’d like and settled for beef tagliatelle. The menu didn’t translate very well and I ended up with rare strips of beef on a rocket salad!! Everyone enjoyed their meals, and some of them finished with cocktails! Ryan and I opted for the dessert choices! Lovely way to end our holiday together as tomorrow we move on!
Left the site around 9am and set off to drive towards our campsite on the outskirts of Nice. Part of the journey took us up a steep road with hairpin turns up the side of a mountain and down again! We passed many cyclists taking on the climb so it’s obviously a local cycling challenge! Had some road works to contend with but eventually we found our way to Camping Parc des Maurettes just outside Nice. Arrived around 11.15 but out pitch hadn’t been vacated so we had to wait until 12.00 for the previous people to leave. We are very close to the chalet that Laura, Ryan, Rob and Faye are renting. They arrived in their hire car from Marseilles airport around 1pm. Reception is closed so they parked and walked up to our van. We fed and watered them till the camp reception opened. Later we all went to the supermarket and pharmacy ( the mosquitoes are still biting). Afterwards we had some beers on the veranda of their cabin. At 6.30pm we walked to the marina and found a restaurant to eat in. Walked back at 9.30, it’s already pitch dark! I had a shower in their cabin before leaving them to shower and get to bed. They’ve had a long day and were up at 3.30am this morning!
Friday 15th September 2023
It felt hotter than ever during the night, at 3am we were both up drinking water! Had a cuppa in the morning and no sign of life from the kids chalet so we went on and had our breakfast then Del cycled down to buy fresh croissants. Laura and Ryan walked over to ours around 10am and we made them a cuppa. Faye and Rob were up soon after so we joined then for coffee and croissants. Today we decided to visit nearby Eze, about 30 minutes drive along the coast. As we can only fit 5 in the car, Del volunteered to ride his bike. He worked out a route along the coast that would get him to Eze. Unfortunately Del went to Eze Sur Mer which was right down the bottom of the cliffs from where we were in the town! He said to go on and he’d work out a route back and make it slowly back to the campsite. We explored the old medieval town, very thin winding alleys that led upwards to the top of the cliffs. We paid €7 each to go into the Jardin exotique d’Eze. This was a garden of mainly cacti set on tiered gardens with waterfalls and above all fabulous views from the top! After a stop for drinks and ice creams we drove to a beach recommended by the lady in the tourist office, called Cap d’Ail. We parked near the train station and had a 20 minute walk to the small coved beach. It was a path along the seafront, with steps that went up and down, hugging the edge of the cliffs. It was extremely hot and there was no shade down on the sand. Rob and Faye went swimming in the sea and Laura took pity on me and bought me a coke in a shady bar where we could get out of the hot sun! We left just after 5pm but got caught in traffic. Got provisions in the supermarket and got back just after 7pm. Del was already home and had emptied our loo and showered! We all ate together on their veranda then just before 10pm I used their shower and we came on back to the van. I have to say I’m shattered! A lot of walking today in extreme heat! I also got bitten by something in the supermarket and the bite has blistered and is throbbing. Ouch!
Saturday 16th September 2023
Around 11.30 we set off for the train station. There was a sea of red welsh rugby shirts milling on the platform and queuing for tickets. The ticket machine operation was left for Rob and Ryan to sort out, apparently it was quite a temperamental machine! We were packed into the train like sardines and I was glad to arrive at Nice. Had a wander down to the fan zone then found somewhere to get a drink and lunch. As we were finishing our meal the heavens opened and it poured with rain! Luckily, Tom, our waiter quickly set up a table for us under cover. We ended up buying either umbrellas or ponchos as it rained until it was time to catch the shuttle bus to the stadium. Ryan and Faye don’t have tickets so they are staying to watch the match on screens in the fan zone. It was about a 25 minute ride to the stadium and we had seats on the corner of the pitch, in line with the posts. Unfortunately Wales were warming up at the opposite end from us and were down the other end for the National Anthem! Still, the rain held off and Wales beat Portugal 28 to 8. We made lots of team changes and gave some of our better players a rest as we expected to beat Portugal fairly easily! It was a mass exodus and a walk to the shuttle buses to get back to Nice town centre. We met up with Ryan and Faye and found somewhere to get some food. We walked back up to the station and got a train back around 11pm. Loads of rugby fans walked back to the campsite with us from the train station, the site has been taken over by Brits!
Sunday 17th September 2023
Once everyone was up we walked down to the “Coffee Lab” a coffee and bakery place about 5 minutes walk away. It’s hot and sunny today and when we got back we sat out on the veranda of their chalet. Del and I did some washing and I used the airer that the kids had in the chalet!
Today is the England v Japan game.
We all walked to the train station just after 2pm, it didn’t appear as busy today. Once we got into Nice we had a wander around the old town area, which had narrow streets and very busy. We found an old square which had lots of cafes and restaurants, we managed to find a table and ordered drinks and some sharing dishes a great location.
Afterwards we went to a very popular ice cream shop in the square got our ice creams and wandered out along the promenade.
We decided to get to the stadium early, so we wouldn’t get caught in any mad rush .
We found our seats, which were nearly opposite the goal posts, with a good view of the pitch.
Beers and food purchased and we settled down to watch the England team warming up, directly in front of us.
A bit shaky the first half but in the end England beat Japan 34 to 12.
A great atmosphere in the ground and all the England fans were happy with the win.
As we did yesterday we caught the shuttle buses and walked to the station and the train left at 00.20hrs. It was around 00.45 by the time we got back to the campsite. Del nipped up and used the shower then we settled down to sleep just after 1am. It rained in the night, loud enough on the van roof to wake us up!
Monday 18th September 2023
Bit of a noisy awakening as there is a building site close by and they started working early! I was awake anyway around 8am, as my mozzie bites are itching so I went up to the showers.
Del went in the car with Ryan ( as it had been raining) and they did a croissant run! The rain stopped around 9am and it’s cooler and overcast this morning. We all had coffee and a mixed array of croissants and pastries together then the 4 kids went to a nearby Nike factory outlet. It’s raining again so they went in the car. Del and I put more water in our tanks and Del emptied the loo, then we sat and chilled awhile. It’s still grey and overcast but remaining fairly warm and balmy. We walked down to the train station later and caught the train to Antibes, just along the coast. It’s like a mini Nice, the old town with narrow streets and big open squares. After drinks in the square we walked to the promenade, there’s a small coved beach and we walked the old walls to a sculpture that looks out to sea.
We made our way back to the station and got a train around 5pm. It started to rain again as we got off the train. We ate on the veranda and played cards in the evening till about 10.30pm.
Tuesday 19th September 2023
Del and I were up when Rob wandered over for a cuppa. Del noticed my bike tyre was flat so he took the inner tube off to look for a puncture.
Laura then wandered over and she had a cup of tea too! We went to their cabin around 10.30 as they’d put the coffee maker on! Today we are taking the train to Monaco, Rob got the tickets on line and the railway line hugs the coast so fabulous views of the sea out the windows. It’s a steep walk down many many steps from the station to the port and centre of the town. The F1 fans amongst us were working out which roads they race on.
I’d researched a market square where there are many food outlets around the outside and shared tables in the middle to eat from. We all made our choices and met up to eat. Afterwards we walked to a gin distillery where they make Monaco Gin, one Del has had from his gin club! He ended up buying a bottle of gin plus a lemon liqueur.
In the square Ryan suddenly noticed Tadej PogaÄŤar, the professional cyclist who lives in Monaco! Del took a secret photo but Ryan and Laura were cheeky enough to get a hello handshake!
Next we climbed up to The Prince's Palace, the official residence of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. There are fabulous far reaching views over the town, up to the mountains and out to sea. We walked through the old town and caught the little tourist train that takes you on a guided tour of the town.
We went through the iconic tunnel that the F1 uses, then when we got to the Monte Carlo Casino we got off for a wander round. The kids all had a look in the foyer of the casino, but you have to pay if you want to go fully inside. Unfortunately we found that once you leave the tourist train you can’t re board it, so we had a drink near the casino then walked the F1 hairpin bends and tunnel. Afterwards we had the steep climb back up to the station, and caught a train around 6.45pm. We got off the train and headed for a restaurant that Ryan had seen on the seafront close to our campsite. I struggled to find something I’d like and settled for beef tagliatelle. The menu didn’t translate very well and I ended up with rare strips of beef on a rocket salad!! Everyone enjoyed their meals, and some of them finished with cocktails! Ryan and I opted for the dessert choices! Lovely way to end our holiday together as tomorrow we move on!
