Classic Trip: The French Riviera

The Sky Mirror, Monte Carlo, Monaco

Now that schoolhouse is over, the traveling tin recommence. For a graduation present, nosotros took him to Europe for a 2 calendar week trip. Coming along on the trip was my mom in addition to my wife’s brother. My woman parent is inwards her 70’s in addition to a tedious walker therefore this added some other wrinkle to the proceedings.

Watch the video of this trip!

It’s 24-hour interval i in addition to we’re flying to Nice, French Republic via Frankfurt, Germany. Altogether, it’s fifteen addition hours, non including arriving early on at the aerodrome to consider if nosotros tin finagle seats together for our group. We are flying on Lufthansa, who does a bang-up undertaking amongst assistance onto the aircraft but non therefore good seating us together. The gate agent says 2 of us are inwards i row (emergency row, 2 seats) amongst the residuum “one row behind.” That row genuinely turned out to hold out 5 rows dorsum in addition to on the other side of the 747’s cabin. Luckily, the people who showed upwards were amenable to a merchandise therefore nosotros ended upwards together.

Having been to this component division of French Republic before, nosotros know that accessibility is an adventure therefore nosotros left the ability chair at habitation in addition to used a manual. It tin hold out stressful plenty amongst the manual chair…a ability chair would acquaint some huge obstacles to overcome unless yous are prepared to pass large to gain it, similar renting a ramp-equipped van.


We similar to use A-T-S shuttle service who uses tour guides inwards their downtime to render aerodrome transfers. This agency yous acquire a nice, large van to accept yous to your hotel instead of trying to squash into a taxi. It’s only a flake to a greater extent than but your driver is waiting at the gate, is real friendly, in addition to a font of local knowledge. H5N1 half-hour later on landing in addition to we’re at our aeroplane inwards Cannes.
Not a hotel this time, it was real difficult to discovery an accessible hotel room for a decent price. The closest was the Citadines…which nosotros used the concluding fourth dimension here…who wanted only about $450 per black for the 5 of us.


Using HomeAway.com, which allows yous to specify “wheelchair accessible” housing when doing a search of direct-from-owner opor-garai rentals, nosotros were able to discovery suitable lodging at an aeroplane only 2 blocks due north of the catch of town. Still, this was only about $300 per black but when divided yesteryear 5 people, the cost was pretty manageable. The apartment consisted of 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, living room, dining room, kitchen, in addition to 2 terraces. The entire edifice is step-free but in that location was no roll-in shower. The bathtub was normal size every bit was the shower in addition to each had the showerhead on a hose. At only nether chiliad foursquare feet, nosotros had plenty of room.

Also on site were 2 swimming pools.

The outset 24-hour interval nosotros made the 10 infinitesimal walk over to the Marche Forville, which is the large local marketplace hither inwards Cannes. Unbelievable nutrient is what awaits yous here. Fresh produce…much unavailable inwards America…meats, sausages, seafood, cheeses, olives, eggs. It’s all hither in addition to nosotros stock upwards for 3 days worth of breakfasts addition some fruits for snacks.

 

Grasse

Next, it’s fourth dimension to accept the develop to nearby Grasse, which purports to hold out the perfume capitol of the world. The develop station inwards Cannes (it’s called a Gare inwards French) has 3 platforms, i of which is accessible. When a develop is arriving on i of the unaccessible platforms, the staff at the station entirely requests that yous contact them one-half an lx minutes ahead of fourth dimension at the data booth for help. The baggage handlers volition accept the wheelchair rider to an off-limits expanse of the station where a ramp is installed to cross the tracks to the platform. All other passengers walk downwards stairs to accept a tunnel to the platform.

Today, our develop departs from the accessible platform in addition to it’s a quick ride to Grasse. In Grasse, the depot is at the bottom of the colina spell the town is at the top. Busses are available to accept yous up, most accessible via the dorsum door. It is a Euro for each passenger, therefore brand certain yous stimulate got change…there is no identify at the depot to acquire it unless yous purchase something at the expensive snack shop.

 

In Grasse, a niggling exploring leads to a medieval foursquare amongst many restaurants competing for your Euro. We alternative a café which had a exceptional (look for the “plat du jour” boards) of entrecote for 10 Euros. This is a rib-eye steak amongst a sublime sauce service amongst frites in addition to warm salad. Eating this exterior on a warm 24-hour interval amongst a delicious drinking glass of French vino was quite a way to spell away some time.

After lunch, wandering out the foursquare via a narrow niggling street, nosotros see i of the famed parfumeries where large jugs business the shelves in addition to the overnice lady within volition create a unique fragrance only for you. At the terminate of the street, there’s a centuries former H2O fountain to splash your confront amongst for refreshment in addition to the large Fragonard parfumerie where everybody ends upwards to store or consider their museum.


We create upwards one's heed to walk the mile-or-so downwards the colina to the depot which was non i of our brightest decisions. The sidewalks are narrow, bumpy, stimulate got a way of only ending mid block, in addition to are “beautified” yesteryear mortal who thinks planting trees correct inwards the middle of your already narrow path is a neat matter to do.

We gain acquire inwards downwards amongst some major operate in addition to acquire dorsum to Cannes where nosotros taste a low-cal dinner in addition to some vino on our terrace.

 

The side yesteryear side 24-hour interval is for Monaco. Being jet-lagged, nosotros discovery it nigh impossible to acquire out early. We brand the 11:30 develop (non-accessible platform today) in addition to acquire to Monaco only later on the changing of the guard at the palace. I’d seen this before, therefore it was no large deal, but it would stimulate got been overnice if the others on the trip could stimulate got seen it.


Monaco is cypher if non ever changing in addition to the leave of absence from the develop station is completely dissimilar from the concluding fourth dimension nosotros were here. This is due to large aeroplane buildings beingness constructed there, changing the streets nosotros had known from before. No worries, nosotros discovery the elevators taking us downwards to street degree in addition to speedily brand our way to the Place de Armes, the plaza at the bottom of the stairway taking upwards to the regal palace.

 

I had pushed my son’s wheelchair upwards this path before, but today I’m non feeling good in addition to nosotros accept the rider vehicle upwards instead. Again, most busses are accessible hither via the dorsum door in addition to the fare, every bit it is everywhere nosotros went, was i Euro.


At the top, you’ll swear you’re inwards Disneyland amongst the narrow, shop-lined streets in addition to the palace at the terminate but remind yourself, this is the master copy that Disney copied. The mail component division close the palace is a bang-up identify to postal service postcards habitation amongst that exclusive “Monaco” postmark. It’s also a skilful identify to acquire coin at the ATM in addition to to consider the motion painting of Princess Grace walking a immature Princess Stephanie to schoolhouse on the street yous are straightaway standing on.

 

After taking inwards the spectacular views of the entire the world (the size of a modest town inwards the U.S.) from the palace, nosotros swallow luncheon at i of the many eateries upwards hither inwards the modest palace neighborhood. Then, the same rider vehicle takes us all the way across the the world (a 5 infinitesimal ride) to the famous Monte Carlo casino.


It’ll cost yous 10 Euros to enter, yous must cheque your bags (and leave of absence a tip), must hold out dressed properly, in addition to non convey a camera…but yous likewise tin acquire into this palace of gambling in addition to pretend you’re on Her Majesty’s Secret Service. If that’s a flake much for yous (and it is for me), yous tin see some other casino side yesteryear side door that is made for the commoners.

 

There is a beautiful fountain-filled plaza out (see the motion painting at the top of this post) front end amongst the cars of the pretty people parked out front. On the tedious 24-hour interval nosotros were there, nosotros counted iv Ferraris, 3 Mazaratis, several Bentleys, a Rolls Royce, in addition to likewise many BMWs in addition to Mercedes to count. One of the Bentleys had a parking lot scrape along its side that I dared non imagine how much it would cost to fix.


After 3 nights inwards Cannes, nosotros had to tell goodbye to our huge aeroplane in addition to movement into 2
small hotel rooms inwards Nice. This was due to an early on morning time flying nosotros would accept to Munich in addition to nosotros didn’t desire to run a endangerment on getting a taxi therefore nosotros moved to the Campanile Airport Hotel only across from the departures terminal.

We took the fourth dimension to see the museum of archæology where the ruins of an ancient Roman bathroom stimulate got been unearthed.

Roman Ruins inwards Nice

It takes 2 accessible busses to become from our hotel to the site. The museum is accessible but the ruins less so. H5N1 guide tells me in that location is 2 steps to negotiate to acquire to the principal bathroom solid in addition to sends me to a to a greater extent than accessible road that entirely has 2 steps. Ah yes, welcome to the French way of doing things.


This is non to tell that anyone nosotros met inwards French Republic was rude or arrogant. Everyone nosotros met was gracious in addition to nice, making this the tertiary fourth dimension that the French stereotype has been shattered for me. In fact, nosotros spent a skilful component division of that afternoon getting to know our guide (who was also a safety guard at the museum). It turns out he was raised inwards Naples, tin sympathise English linguistic communication real good but cannot talk it without many problems. We took turns learning Castilian in addition to English linguistic communication words from us in addition to French in addition to Italian words from him.

I ever say, the best component division of whatsoever skilful trip is non what yous consider but who yous run into along the way.
The ruins are a overnice way to pass the 24-hour interval and, if yous stimulate got time, the Matese Museum side yesteryear side door is also worth a visit. One concluding French dinner inwards Nice overlooking the beach in addition to and then it’s off to bed.

Stay tuned for component division 2 where nosotros go to Bavaria in addition to Beyond!

-Darryl
Copyright 2009 - Darryl Musick
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