NICE, FRANCE

Nice's main square

The Nice Flower Market

We disembarked Azmara Quest on April 11 and moved into an apartment downtown Nice for 2 weeks.  It was ideally located for exploring the city (old and new), the flower market and strolling along the Promenade des Anglais. 

Beautiful tomatoes at the Flower Market

Nice waterfron

In the 18^th century the mild Mediterranean climate attracted English and Russian aristocracy to the area.   The English loved  walking along the seaside and suggested that a walkway be built.  And so it is that the fabulous walking, biking path that stretches for miles beside the Mediterranean is called the Promenade des Anglais.

Promenade du Paillon

Stretching inland from the Promenade to the Museum of Modern Art is Promenade du Paillon, a 12 hectare park with beautiful gardens, fountains and walking paths.  (1 hectare = about 2 and 1/2 acres.)  

Rotunda of Le Negresco Hotel

A landmark in Nice is Le Negresco Hotel.  It is a National Historic Monument with a glass ceiling rotunda and world class art collection. The chandelier has 16,800 pieces of Baccarat glass.  Its twin hangs in the Kremlin.

Nice is the 5^th largest city in France and the second most popular after Paris.  Within the city limits, population is about 400,000 but climbs to over 1 million if you count the surrounding area. The earliest settlements occurred over 400,000 years ago.  Greeks settled here around 350 B.C. and named it Nike after the goddess of victory.  

St. Paul de Vence

Fortunately, we have a friend here who was extremely gracious in spending time with us and showing us the surrounding area.  He took us to St. Paul de Vence, a medieval mountaintop town. The cobblestone streets are lined with quaint shops.  The artist Marc Chagall lived here from 1966 - 1985. This was where Yves Montand and Simone Signoret met in 1949 and married a year and a half later.  

Shops & galleries line the paths of Eze

Begi drove us to and through some of the other charming Cate d'Azur towns (Antibes and St.-Jean-Cap-Ferrat) and  to Eze, a medieval village perched on top of a rocky cliff with winding pathways to the top. Flowers, galleries and shops line the way.  At the top are the ruins of an ancient fortified castle.  

We had a lovely afternoon with Begi in Villefranche, a charming village situated on what claims to be one of the most beautiful bays in the world.  It is encircled by the Cap of Nice on one side and Cap Ferrat on the other. 

Chef Ron's salad

With our friend in Villefranche

The weather was not always ideal but having interesting streets to wander and a friend to spend some time with made this a pleasant interlude.   And having a kitchen allowed us to have healthy meals at home.  

With Begi in Villefranche

 On April 25 we pick up the car we have leased for the coming months and happily look forward to returning to Italy.  

   

AZAMARA TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE TO FRANCE

Azamara Quest

ABOUT AZAMARA 
Usually you find the amenities Azamara Club Cruises offer only on 6 star lines and at a considerably higher price.  On the two Azamara ships, the Quest and the Journey, gratuities, water, soda and a variety of wines and alcoholic beverages are included.  

The Quest and Journey are two of the ships that originally belonged to Renaissance cruise line which went out of business after 9/11.  Now they belong to Azamara, a subsidiary of Celebrity. Oceania has two of the same ships and I believe Princess has two.   The rooms and bathrooms are on the small side.   We had a veranda but would opt for the extra space the suites afford next time.  The gym and spa are very nice.  

We thought the food in the dining room was excellent.  We were not as impressed with the nightly buffets in Windows Café.  However, different international cuisine is featured every night so there is plenty of variety.  We didn’t try the 2 specialty restaurants but heard they were good. 

With a passenger capacity of only 650, you are not going to find the same level of entertainment as on the big ships.  Nevertheless, the shows were good and the lectures were excellent.  A big plus for small ships is that they can sail and dock where the megaships cannot.

The Rock of Gibraltar

Our cruise was a transatlantic crossing from Miami to Nice, France with the following stops... 

Barbary apes are actually monkeys

GIBRALTAR Only 3 miles long and 1 mile wide, Gibraltar is famous for “the Rock” and the Barbary Apes, a breed of tail-less monkeys from Morocco.  Although situated on the Iberian Peninsula, Gibraltar has been a British colony since 1713.  Several times, Spain has tried to lay claim to the land but the citizens vote overwhelmingly to remain British.  Supposedly Winston Chruchill said, “as long as the apes remain, so will the British.” 

The Rock of Gibraltar is 1,400 feet high, has several limestone caverns, is carved with 32 miles of roads and was inhabited by military during the war.  From Europa Point at the southern tip, you can see Morocco 14 miles away.  It is said that this is the point at which the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. 

Walkway past marina and into Cartagena

Roman ruins in Cartagena

CARTAGENA is situated on the southeast coast of Spain and has a history dating back to the Bronze Age. It was the home of Hannibal who led his army of 60,000 men and 37 elephants across what is now known as France, over the Alps into Italy in 218 BC. 

The town of Mahon on island of Menorca

Sailing around Menorca

MENORCA The Balearic Islands are beautiful Mediterranean Islands off the southeast coast of Spain.  We stopped at Menorca, the 2^nd largest at 30 miles long and 14.5 miles wide.  
Though not as well 
known 
as Majorca and Ibiza,  Menorca attracts its fair share of tourists and has a population of about 90,000. The capital city of Mahon where we docked boasts one of the finest natural harbors in the world. 

Cannes Marina next to site of Cannes Film Festival

CANNES was one of the first tourist resorts on the French Riviera, better known as the Cote d’Azur.  During the 18^th and 19^th centuries, English and 
Russian aristocracy discovered 
Cannes’ beautiful 
beachfront and mild weather, and soon turned the sleepy fishing village into a world renowned resort.  Every May, the city hosts the famous Cannes International Film Festival.    

 
We arrived in Nice, France on April 11 and will be here until April 25.  

This is our home for the next 2 weeks... 
  

A FOND FAREWELL TO EUROPE (for now)

The high speed trains are wonderful

First hotel (Amaragua) in Torremolinos

Spain's railway system includes high speed trains and we took one from Madrid to the Costa del Sol where we enjoyed a sunny  month in Torremolinos. 

View from our room at first hotel

TRAVEL TIP:  If traveling by train in Spain, book direct with Renfe Rail System and book early for considerable savings.

View from our room at 2nd hotel (Melia)

We were here 2 years ago and knew it would be an ideal place to relax after all our travels.   We stayed at 2 different hotels right along the beach.  Both packages included breakfast and dinner so it was nice not to have to think about where to eat each day.  The walkway along the beach stretches for miles and we enjoyed walking it several times a day. 

Sand Artists

On November 8, we took another high speed train to Barcelona.  From here we board the Seabourn Spirit on November 10 to cruise back across the Atlantic.  

We look forward to the familiarity and comforts of the United States and seeing friends, but have enjoyed this trip so much that we are already thinking of doing a similar one next year.  

Hope you have enjoyed the blogs.

CONCLUSION

Our trip amounted to 7 months out of the U.S.  It included 2 ships, 1 car, 2 high speed trains and 1 plane. 

DEPARTURE:  April 20 – May 1, 2013 Norwegian Epic to Barcelona.

CAR: We picked up a leased car in Barcelona and put 8,600 km (about 5,400 miles) on it driving through through Italy, France and Spain over a period of 5 months and 10 days. 

LODGING: We stayed in 50 different places (not counting the 2 cruises). 

RETURN: November 10 - 23 we cruise from Barcelona to St. Maarten on Seabourn Spirit and from there fly back to Florida.                                    

Sailing back on Seabourn

                               HAPPY THANKSGIVING

SEGOVIA and MADRID

The Aqueduct of Segovia 

Aqueduct runs through the city

The curve of the arch - no mortar

One of the most amazing structures we’ve seen in all our travels is the Aqueduct of Segovia.  Built by the Romans in the 1^st century, it is almost 3,000 feet long and 94 feet high at its highest point .  It carried water to the city from the a source in the mountains 11 miles away.  The 167 arches are made of 25,000 granite blocks joined without mortar and held together by force equilibrium.  

Segovia Cathedral

Alcazar

Segovia’s massive 16^th  century cathedral is known as “The Lady of Cathedrals.” Situated in the main square of the city, it was the last Gothic church built in Spain.  

Kings Room Alcazar

The Alcazar of Segovia was has been a fortress, royal residence, prison and military academy. Today it is a museum and one of the most famous castles in Spain.  Supposedly, it inspired Cinderella's castle in Disney World.  

The Alcazar is designed like a ship, built around 2 courtyards and surrounded by a deep moat.  The rooms house antiquities, ancient artillery and works of art.  The ceilings are works of art in themselves.  In the Hall of Kings, the upper wall bordering the ceiling is lined with statuettes of Spanish monarchs.  

Our hotel in Segovia - former monastery

Plaza Mayor Madrid

The car trip portion of our journey came to an end in Madrid.  We said goodbye to our trusty Citroen after 5 months and 10 days on the road.  After returning the car to the leasing agent, we spent a few days in Madrid.  

The Royal Palace Madrid 

With a population of 3.3 million, the capital of Spain is a big, vibrant city. In fact, it is the third largest city in the European Union after London and Berlin. Madrid is a mixture of modern and historic.  Filled with museums and public plazas, it a wonderful city to explore on foot.  The largest square, Plaza Mayor, stands on the site of the medieval market.    

Almudena Cathedral

The Royal Palace with 3,418 rooms is one of the biggest palaces in Europe. Nowadays it is used for official functions only. The royal family reside in a more modest palace on the outskirts of the city.   

Ancient Egyptian Temple Madrid

The Prado Museum

Right across from the Royal Palace is the Almudena Cathedral, the only Spanish cathedral consecrated by a pope (Pope John Paul II in 1993).  Construction began in 1879 on the site of a medieval mosque that was destroyed in 1083 when the Spaniards defeated the Moors and reconquered Madrid.  The interior is beautiful and has a wide variety of art from historic to contemporary.  

One of the most unusual sites in Madrid is the Debod Temple.  The  2,000 year old temple was gifted to Spain by Egypt in appreciation for their help with dismantling and relocating the temples of Abu Simbel which would have been submerged when Lake Nassar was created.

Madrid deserves more than the few days we spent there.  We didn't have time to do more than walk by The Prado, a world famous art museum.   Perhaps next time!  Now it is on to Torremolinos and a few weeks in the sun.   

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA and SALAMANCA

Front of the Cathedral of  Santiago

We visited many churches, cathedrals and basilicas on this trip but nothing compared to what we saw in Santiago de Compostela and Salamanca. 

The Botafumeiro - Incense Burner

The tomb of the Apostle James

Ornate sculptures adorn Cathedral towers

According to legend, the Apostle James brought Christianity to the Iberian peninsula in 44 AD. Upon his return to Jerusalem, he was martyred. Legend claims that two of his disciples brought his body back to Spain and buried it in what is now known as the city of Santiago de Compostela. The site of the tomb was forgotten over time but in 814 a local peasant rediscovered it. The bishop authenticated the relics and with that a Holy City and eventual World Heritage site was born.  

The Way of St. James became one of the most important Christian pilgrimages in medieval times. The giant incense burner in the Cathedral was used to overpower the odor of the early pilgrims.  Today   hundreds of thousands of modern day pilgrims make their way to the city as it is considered one of the most important Christian sites in the world.   

Salamanca's Roman bridge

Plaza Mayor: social center of Salamanca

One of Salamanca's many churches

Sunlight shimmers off sandstone buildings in Salamanca making the 'golden city' one of the most beautiful in Spain. A Roman bridge with 15 granite stone arches spans the Tormes River and leads into the city. It was built in 89 AD and reconstructed in the 17th century. 

University of Salamanca philosophy building

Numerous pedestrian walkways wander around and through the Old Town which was declared a World Heritage site in 1988. In the center, the huge Plaza Mayor is filled with shops, outdoor cafes and people.   

Birds make a home atop a bell tower

Birthday lunch in Salamanca

Salamanca is especially known for its old and new cathedrals, just 2 of many churches in the city, and its university.  Founded in 1812, the University of Salamanca is the oldest higher learning institution in Spain.  

Salamanca was a lovely place to spend my birthday. Beautiful city, ideal weather and a great lunch at a charming little restaurant. 

Our hotel with typical golden facade