Our bus left the port town of VilleFranche around 12PM. We headed up into the mountains and could see our ship sitting in the harbor.
As we drove along through the curvy, mountainous roads, the tour guide talked about how this area is home to many celebrities, such as Tina Turner, Elton John and Shawn Lennon. They've all got villas on the French Rivera. He pointed to the areas where they lived but the bus was moving is such a sporadic way, with people holding cameras at every angle, that I couldn't see anything. Which is okay because it's not like I'm getting an invite to drop by anytime.
He also mentioned that we would see a memorial on the side of the road as we made our way up the mountain. This memorial was in tribute to Princess Grace. From this memorial on the side of the road, one could see out across the bay to where the famous princess of Monaco actually died.
In the town of Nice, our bus drove around in the city for us to take it all in. The tour guide started talking about the most famous site in the city which is the Hotel Negresco. Well the place is a magnet for the rich and famous. Dali, Matisse, Picasso, Chagall Cary Grant, Lauren Bacall, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Ava Gardner, Winston Churchill, Anthony Quinn, Michael Jackson all stayed at the Negresco. Richard Burton left an emerald necklace and earrings that he'd bought for Elizabeth Taylor, on a stool in the bar. And a famous rock band - not named - stole a famous painting from the hotel and were stopped at the airport with it. The painting was returned to the hotel. Scandals galore!
After we drove around for a while, the bus parked and we got out and took a walking tour of Nice. We were all wearing ear buds so we could hear what the tour guide was talking about. We saw lovely cathedrals, and colorful apartment buildings. Yet the most wonderful part of the walking tour was through the narrow streets. As we passed by the various merchants, one could smell such lovely aromas. Herbs, tobacco, flowers, perfumes, fresh bread - hot from the oven and then at one point we turned a corner and the smell of fresh brewed coffee lifted me off my feet. I loved this tour.
We then had a short time to look about the town and meet the tour bus back at the town center. And then we were off to see a place called Eze.
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Philip photographed this lady doing caning work.
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Yeah, this is a cannonball in the corner of a building. It was fired from a Turkish fleet in 1543. It seemed like an interesting item to point out.
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