Station to Station

 Saturday 3rd September - Tuesday 13th September

The Great Train Job

Paris 3/9

Nice (Cote D'Azur) 4-9

Verona 9-11

Paris 12/9

Darlington 13/9

Saturday

Day 1

Plan goes west at first hurdle

9.30 to KX cancelled.

So jumped on the 08.30 instead, PL got us there just in time.

So got to St Pancras with loads of time before the 14.25 to Paris

Time for an alfresco lunch at Vinotecha on the plaza

Some blagger conned us into a ride across from the Gare du Nord to the Hotel Prince Eugine near the Gare du Lyon

Day 2

The Gare de Lyon has had a big make over since the 2010 trip

All aboard the TGV

10.31 

Some great views of the Cote D'Azur from the train approaching Nice

Made it!

Our spot for 5 nights at the Residence Lamartine

A studio apartment and use of a relaxing garden.

Perfect.

Time for a sally forth

Lovely evening.  Excellent eats at the Femme Boulangerie

Day 3

Monday meander

Round from our gaffe

Memorial 

WW1 and WW2

Lebanese Lunch at Socrates

Evening supper in the Lamartine garden

Day 4 

Up on the Castel Hill

Cool spot

Afternoon trip to Villefranche

Beach more gritty than sandy, too hot to hang about.

Walked round to the old town, grabbed a beer and some lunch in a shady spot looking over the harbour.

Villefranche harbour

Featured in a Bond Movie!

Dinner at Cafe de Nice

Vongole

Salad Nicoise

Day 5

Morning wander along the Promenade d'Anglais

By Opera Plage

Be back there day 6

All this promenading is thirsty work

The new hat is a good look, very Riviera!

Afternoon cruise around to the Cap Farat and Villefranche Bay.

Found some shade 

A bit overcast but very hot!

Above

White square - our place

Red "X"  Villa Nellcôte 

(Exile on Main St)

Red "O"  - Tina Turner's gaffe

Left  and below

Villa Nellcôte 

The Cunard Queen Elizabeth

Supper at La Claire Fontaine, Place Rosetti in the Vieux Ville

Buzzing.

Night life

Day  6

Bus ride to the Arenes de Cimiez

The Matisse Museum

Monastery Gardens

Afternoon at the beach

Blustery, hot

Heavy swell.

All set for travelling tomorrow

Goodnight Nice

Day 7 - Friday 9 September

Caught the 9.31 Ventimiglia train.  It stopped at Menton - breakdown everybody off.  Got on following train - packed!

Arrived late for our Milan connection, but it didn't matter - nationwide train strike!

Made all enquiries on arrival, no chance of making Verona, bought tickets for 15.15  next day arriving Verona 20.30.

Booked into Hotel Posta, last room free, decent hotel

Drinks at 14.00

First beverage since breakfast!

Lunch

Supper

Evening meal at three different venues in this peaceful precinct.

All good!

Day 8

Plenty of time before the train to Verona

Took a walk down the prom.

Reflected on travel options.

Talked it through over a long and delicious Pizza lunch  

Decided one day in Verona not worth the long train trip.  Plus an extended travel day to Paris via Milan, Basel and Strasbourg.

So returned to Nice with a booking at the Hotel Excelsior for 2 nights before our trip back.

Day 9 Sunday

A double beach day

Morning train to Beaulieu Sur Mer

Spectacular setting

Nice beach

Boiling hot

Back to the station by lunch for the Nice train

Jump on the trusty tram and a lazy lunch and afternoon on the Castel beach

Brilliant swimming

Both in

Out of depth in no time

A simple supper from Monoprix back at the hotel room, early night for tomorrow's 07.56 train to Paris

Day 10

Up at 06.30

Train on time

View from TGV near Toulon

Train at 180 mph

Arrive Paris Gare de Lyon on time around 13.30

Taxi ride (G7 very nice) to overnight studio near Place de Clichy.

Solid food across the street from the front door!

Day 11

Breakfast across from the Gare du Nord

Departing 11.25

Mr Speedy

As the French border guard called me as I walked straight past him.

St Pancras

Tuesday 13th

13.30 KGX -DAR

As planned

Makes a change!

A GREAT TRIP!