4. Jun, 2016

4. Jun, 2016

3. Jun, 2016

FRIDAY 03-06-16

We awoke to a cloudy but quiet campsite. I think all of the Italians were having a lie-in, probably tired after their flight to freedom having escaped Italy as refugees.

Our plan today was to visit Juan-les-Pins, just round the corner from Antibes. The Chef fancied it and so we thought it would make a nice little trip out.

As so often happens we both had our shower blocks to ourselves, the French and Italians must be saving their armpit odour for something important today, maybe the local supermarket has an infestation of flies they need help with repelling.

Cameras and thin fleece tops in the backpack just in case the sun didn't come out, followed by a short trudge up the hill to the bus stop, found us catching the number 200 Cannes - Nice service to Antibes. From there it was a short bus trip across the peninsular to Juan-les-Pins.

It was a really nice place to have found, almost like a poor man's Cannes.  Lots of nice sandy beaches, which is something you don't get much of around here, lots of beachside eats and drinks establishments, and most importantly, the feel of a nice family holiday resort.

The sun by then had come out and it became a glorious day. We decided to have a nice long walk along the promenade around the Antibes bay. We walked and walked, eventually ending up in a place called Juan Golfe. Now here was where the money was, fabulous yachts, lots of eats joints and an air of money, and unlike Antibes marina, a far more laid back approach to security around the yachts. After a few pictures we started to make our way back stopping off at a beachside eatery I'd spotted on the way out. Our lunch was an American-style sandwich which had steak in it as well as other goodies, plus a portion of chips, plus a small beer each - €17, nearly half the price of our artery-clogging burger and chips plus a beer in Nice last week. We both really enjoyed it, the portion size was just right, and the beer was big enough to accompany the food, but not too big to make us feel snoozy in the afternoon.

As we wandered back towards the heart of Juan-les-Pins the sky started to cloud over a bit, making it feel a bit cooler, but still comfortable. Once we arrived back in the town centre we walked in the opposite direction, we were continually being steered inland around what must have been privately owned land near the beach. The one upshot was on arriving at a marina on that side of town was stumbling across a garage which looked as if it hired out 'interesting' cars. There was a Shelby Mustang, a cream coloured Rolls Royce Corniche, a Morgan soft top sports car, plus others, and my favourite of all - a Mini Moke (you have to be of a certain age to remember them).

By now the cloud was building and we felt we'd seen enough, we must have walked a few miles. So it was up to the bus stop near the promenade, and the commencement of our journey home, which was much slower due to the rush hour.

When we got back it was good to relax for a while before setting up and igniting the barbecue. Lots of the Eyeties were leaving the campsite for the evening, probably going down to the restaurants by the marina here for a pizza and chips.

Having downloaded the pictures taken today I see that The Chef has given me a large shrub in the foreground with lovely yachts in the background, she just can't get out of the habit, and this was intentional, the shrub didn't suddenly jump in front of the camera the way things like that do when she's photographing out on the road. "I thought it looked artistic" was her miserable excuse. If I had a naughty stool she'd be on it.

3. Jun, 2016

3. Jun, 2016