Cannes and Monte Carlo

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Hi everyone



Malaga was a really quaint place to while away a few hours. Warm, sunny and beautiful light. We stumbled back to the ship full of rose’ and beer and good memories of our first Port in Spain. Today we docked in Cannes and were transferred via tender boat. It held about 300 passengers so it wasn’t exactly a tinny.

Because we were so close, we caught a train to Monaco. It just had to be done. Best 28 euro train fare we’ve ever spent. The trip ran along the cost and we saw some tiny beaches (20 feet of gravel) being lapped by Mediterranean Sea. It really is azure blue. Not sure I’m keen to lie on rocks. People don’t look all that comfortable.

From the other side of the train we saw cliffs dotted with small houses painted yellow and bigger buildings painted pink. It was just like being in a painting. I had to pinch myself to remember I wasn’t dreaming. We are passing lots of little towers and stone buildings which look like castles perched high on the hills.

Emerging from the station at Monte Carlo, the opulence was very apparent. Dozens of huge boats moored and Ferraris were a common sight. It really does look like the movies; elegant people in smart cars driving on those narrow roads hugging the coastline. Sigh!!!

We enjoyed a glass of wine of a footpath café on the F1 track. While the traffic was very thick and noisy, there were no F1 races on. I did smell nitro-glycerine though. Very weird to be smelling nitro while relaxing at a café though.

We had a huge day on the ship yesterday. It kicked off a lunchtime with an Indian curry cooking show and we sampled 12 different dishes. It was in a very grand restaurant (Portofino). We learned a few things like chicken tikka marsala was invented in the UK in the 1880’s. India promptly adopted and refined the dish into its current form. We also learned that fenugreek leaves are used a lot in Indian cooking. We haven’t used them before.

Ok so having eaten enough Indian food for 4 people (and we left some behind), we went to a wine tasting of Rothschild’s Chateau Latife wines from France. Sounds very impressive eh? The wines were mostly red and not to my taste but Peter seemed to enjoy having two glasses of everything.

The next event was a murder mystery dinner. It was a panto really and most enjoyable. This event lasted about 4 hours and started with a champagne reception and ended with the most sublime tiramisu I have ever eaten. It was served in a half Easter egg (especially made). I am so sorry that we didn’t get a photo. It was even more amazing than some of the food you photograph Matt.

We sat with a really great Scottish family from Livingstone near Edinburgh. We all laughed and laughed as we tried to figure out who the murderer was. Peter got it right as you would expect. The rest of us were utterly rubbish.

I took myself off to the sick bay yesterday because my tailbone was hurt in the fall. The doctor sent me off with some codeine and said to avoid the stairs. Like that’s possible! There seem to be hundreds of the bloody things (steps) in Cannes and Monte Carlo.

Today I have been walking like a stiff old lady and having to drag myself up steps-it’s very unsightly. I wish I hadn’t worn lime green pants and didn’t look so conspicuous. I might have to mug one of the old ladies for their scooter. I only need to get back to the ship J.

The train is about to arrive back in Cannes and will be taking a leisurely stroll/hobble back to the ship. I spotted a euro shop (like the pound shops in England) and am heading for that for a squiz round. No op shops here so that will have to do instead!!

We are visiting Barcelona tomorrow will be on the lookout for waiters called Manuel! Apologies for the Fawlty Towers reference but I couldn’t resist.

Love from pj and sandy xx

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