Same Shirt, Different day-2012 Adventures of the "Devonport Wonder Babes"

Thursday  6^th September 2012  S’ Eufemia, Italy  to Nice, France.

Breakfast this morning was out on the deck by the hazel nuts

 

Left S’ Eufemia about 11 am and went with Dagmar and Juergen  to wine cellar down in Gallo where we bought some nice wine, before heading off across country to the road across the Alpes Maritime, out of Italy and down to Nice in France.

I had thought the road would be a major motorway as shown in red on the map, but it turned out to be just a 2 lane highway with lots of twists and turns. At the tunnel at the top of the pass we had to wait 10 minutes for the northbound traffic to clear the as traffic only goes one way. The tunnel looks as if it is quite old.

 

There are major hairpin turns as you descend the French side and once past the turn off to Ventimiglia   ( back into Italy but down by coast) you then start to climb again over another pass before heading again down into Nice. Took longer than anticipated.

 

Mrs Tom Tom was pretty good in guiding us into Nice at rush hour and by about 5.30 pm we were outside the Star Hotel.   Here we received a very cheerful welcome from Philippe Horowitz, the owner/manager who had stayed with us in Auckland 2 summers ago with his wife Maura and son Leon.  Our room was on the 3^rd floor and there was no lift  but Philippe had kindly carried up our suitcases. Nice room overlooking the street with usual window and shutters.

 

Spent evening walking down through the town and along the beach front where people (including the whole crew of a fire engine) were still swimming. Beach is free but very stony and difficult to walk on.

Interesting nights activities in the street below, about 11 pm  man across the street had a great shouting match with someone on a balcony  ( maybe his wife ? ) as he couldn’t get in front door of apartment building so proceeded to kick the door in, which just seemed to be great amusement to people on street.

Then rubbish track came about 1 am plus some young men racing on Vespas.