Well... its only a week and a half late but its here! My trip to the French riviera. Like the Italian Riviera but along a bit. The plan as we set off (myself Nigel again, and John) was to get into France through the southernmost alps through the pass above Cuneo and then who knows. The pass didnt really finish until you hit the sea at Ventimilleia (?). Well then it was obvious what to do. Just a short hop into Menton and then in to Monaco. I was a bit excited as its somewhere I have never been and I really enjoy ticking off countries and seeing new places. The first pics are of Monaco from the coast road and the ones after are of the harbour (where we parked easily surprisingly, it was v quiet for a warm Sunday). Obviously had a look around the harbour for nice yachts but my attention was distracted by cars as usual. Infact I think the best yachts I saw during my stay were in Verazze if you want to dig through my old posts . I had lunch there and it was a very nice nicoise salad and I paid as I wanted to expense a bill that had Monaco on it! Oh that yacht 3rd pic in was amazing. A gold star to whoever can tell me what it was. I particularly like the pic I took of the Jag 120 infront of the harbour.

The Beach pic wasn't taken by me though. It was taken by Nigel who, when reaching Cap Jean Ferraud, decided it would be the best thing to go for a paddle. There is no space on the Riviera, not even for a Panda and we just abandoned the car in a car park, inconsiderately. I, being 21 and the most responsible it seems, decided to look after the car and make excuses if we got in bother. Sure enough as soon as Nigel and John disappeared around the corner, a very disgruntled and very very old woman started talking to me in a less than pleasant tone. Ok, I speak enough French to get by no probs but could I understand a word this woman was saying??!! Hells no. The only bit I got was when I asked if I could do a 360 in the forecourt of the business ahead she said yes (I reckon) then when I pulled forward she called me a crazy bastard (I got that bit). Anyway I made some token gestures to make it look like I was trying, made some very unkind comments about her to her face in my finest Etonian accent and saw Nigel laughing his head off watching this happen as he walked back. Grrr.

We continued to Nice but only as far as the view point as you enter said "ain't that nice" and turned round again as we had heard the traffic get biblical later on Sundays. On the way back we took the bigger roads above the coast and we got to the 70's hotel above Monaco and some of the best views I've ever seen, what a view spot (these are the last pics). Despite setting off early we still ran into what is the most impressive migration in the animal kingdom after those Wildebeest in the Seringhetti. Every Italian in Piemonte/Lombardia coming back from a weekend by the sea. You have never seen traffic like it. We decided I was nowhere near worth the pain on the Autostrada so we headed for the B roads. Turns out we wern't the only folk to think of this and it was just as bad. Going the other way was a huge queue up a hill to get into the main jam! The smell of clutch was choking. So we got to Spotorno and bunkered in, deciding to let the traffic go. We had a meal in the town, had a wander and dicussed how daft you would have to be to do that to your self every summer weekend, getting wilfully stuck in a 4 hour jam. By 9.30 (arrived at 6) the traffic had gone enough to set off. What a hassle, why doesnt everyone just hang fire until later, its common sense!

In conclusion Its a very pretty part of the world... but there are too many folk and not enough room. It go mad if I had to stop for any period of time. Too many people know how nice it is! I'm glad I went but I won't be rushing back.