Excerpts from the Malta to Nice tour

(7/5/05)  After a good night’s sleep we enjoyed coffee and croissants on the balcony, then joined Herm and Laverne for today’s adventure – a daytrip to Antibes by train.  The ticket office was closed and we didn’t have enough coins for the ticket machine, but we were told we could buy tickets from the conductor (who never came into our car!).  The 30-minute local train ride was smooth and pleasant in our double-decker car, with some beautiful views of the sea.  When we arrived in Antibes, we had just a short walk from the train station to the immense and beautiful yacht basins (they have four!) –  then to the interesting old walled city, with sandy beaches outside the ramparts.  We first headed to the market (“Marche Provencal” on the Cours Massena - only open until 1:00; closed Mondays), oohing and ahhing over the fabulous produce, olives and cheeses.  After purchasing some goodies to sample, we found a boulangerie that was still open and bought 2 fabulous still-warm-from-the-oven baguettes and took our “picnic” to the marina park to enjoy a wonderful snack in the shade.

Then we headed back inside the walled town, got cold drinks and a map at a café, then walked through town to catch “Le Petit Train” for a relaxing and pleasant tour of Antibes and Juan Les Pins – a huge, popular and beautiful seaside resort.  Our round-trip ticket (7 Euros) allowed us to get off and have a pleasant lunch (great salads for the girls with shrimp and avocado and pizza for the guys).  We took the 3:30 train back to Antibes where we parted ways – shopping for them and the Picasso Museum for us.  “Musee Picasso” in Chateau Grimaldi (12^th century – rebuilt in the 16^th) had an interesting collection of paintings, sketches, ceramics and photos from the time he lived here in 1946 – all left to the city under the condition that they never be lent out.

We met the Hannans at 5:30, were able to make the 5:55 train (bought a ticket at the station – 18 Euro for 4 persons, but it was never collected!) and returned to Villefranche with no problem.   After a shower and rest, we went to Le Carpaccio for another great dinner along the water, including the salade carpraccio (thin slices of cured beef and cheese on a bed of greens), fish and veal dishes – delicious, and slightly less expensive.  The wonderful Cote de Provence wines have also been terrific.