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 caf�, 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.