All packed up....just small bags but still have to get it right for the plane... Out at midday, tram to centre (Gare Thiers) and made our way to the bus stop for the Aeroport bus 99....every half hour from the train station at 6€ ea. Half hour trip with only 2 stops... oops make that 3...we got off at the wrong terminal and had to make our way over to the other (free shuttle). We were early so our plane terminal had not been acknowledged by the airline untill we had actually arrived. I'm not sure why they do this when the airlines work from he same area all the time....may be security. So with our packed lunch we sat and waited in the lovely Nice airport. 16.45 flight. The security at the airport was the ... read more

They celebrate nationwide here 'Armistice Day' with parades, flag waving, wreath laying and prayer at the memorials. Nice's Memorial sits under Du Chateau hill on the Port Lympia. It can be seen if you are driving into Nice on the high Corniche road and from sea if you are approaching the harbour. In Paris, an unknown soldier was placed in the chapel of the Arc de Triomphe then later buried under the Arc and an eternal flame has burned on the tomb under the Arc since 1920. We stayed away from the gatherings as per advice of 'safetravel.govt.nz'. It is significant that Grandad Stanley served in Ypres (near Belgium) and returned home to start a family. The 'Allblacks' playing France tonight in Paris - wearing the poppy. We can clearly see there is a huge spread ... read more

Raining and doubtful whether to head into the hills... 10.30am and plan A&B were devised...tram to Massina & walk to Albert Ier to catch the 400 bus. So far so good. Once on the bus and made the many many stops along the promenade towards the Var valley it really started to rain....do we get off & go to plan B or carry on. Stuck with it and by the time we got inland most of the rain had settled to a mild drizzle. A heavily overcast day (not much good for photography) we decided to get off the bus on an earlier stop to get a view of the hilltop village from a distance. Walked up the hill to the village where a few bus tour groups were just arriving. This is an amazing working ... read more

Bonjour, il pleut aujourd'hui! Raincoats on and we had to get outside for a walk. A 'little' incident (smoke alarm) with a 'big' response further up the main street. I don't blame them one bit (when they are having to deal with apartments) for blocking off 3 blocks. All sorted by the time we got back. A walk up to Place St Maurice noting the now vacant Le Ray block will be reinstated with a training football field and a park for residents to enjoy. All the surrounding residents will be pleased they will now get a great view over the park and not into the back of some stadium. A little drizzle and a cool breeze coming off the Alpes. Snow on some of the Alpes which we will get to see when we fly ... read more

Apparently it's going to rain this Samedi night (Saturday) for a few days. We are looking forward to having a day of doing zero but we thought better to save it for when the rain comes. Saint Jean Cap Ferrat is like a small peninsula covered in wealthy looking Villas and cedar trees. It lies between Villefranche and Beaulieu ser Mer. King Leopard II bought 'Villa Les Cedres' (Cedars) which he left to his nephew Albert 1er who during WWI converted it to a military hospital which specialised in lung disease. He being of Belgium extract, the hospital housed many Belgium soldiers. Many of those Belgiums that died in the hospital are buried atop the Saint Hospice hill. Saint Hospice is named after the 'Saint Hospice' who was to be known to have hidden in some ... read more