| In October I flew into Nice, met up with a friend and hired a small Renault for 2 weeks. Nice has a wonderful holiday atmosphere with its great Promenade, beaches and its pedestrian shopping zone. We drove westwards along the coast to Cannes, then turned inland and visited St. Paul de Vence, an artists haven on top of a hill. Grasse, well known for it's perfumes was just down the road and we enjoyed driving along the winding country roads of Provence.  Marseille is a colourful harbour town and we stayed in a small hotel right on the water. The next day we took a ferry to Salin-sur-Mer and the famous Camargue. They really do have wild white horses roaming around. One thing is very strange though - in a country so obsessed with food it is impossible to get anything to eat, unless it's mealtime. We often ended up eating junk food, because all the restaurants were closed in the afternoons.
We arrived in Carcasonne, an ancient bastion and explored this walled city on foot. Then we drove towards the Pyrenees and through a forest dressed in beautiful autumn foliage. Ax-les-Thermes lies at the foot of the mountain range and is well known for it's thermal baths. Click here to read all about my trip to Madrid and Barcelona.
From Barcelona we drove back into France along the coast and stopped in Avignon, once the Papal seat and home to a huge cathedral. Remember the song "Sur le pont, d'Avigon..." - well, I walked across that bridge. The road took us through another beautiful part of the Provence and we stopped off at St. Tropez and other quaint towns along the French Riviera. Eventually we arrived in Monte Carlo and to crown it all, stayed in a suite at the Hermitage Hotel. We even had a balcony with a fantastic view of the Palace across the harbour. Dinner was served in a restaurant with a frescoed ceiling and very tall, velvet draped windows. It was a real treat. Staying at the hotel gave you an entree to the Salon Privee at the Casino too, so I had no problem getting rid of my extra pocket money :-)
Check out this 8 day Loire Valley Cycling Trip!
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