We sailed away from Genova on a sunny day – it seems the bad weather has passed for the moment and the next few days are sunny with light winds. We are going to cruise along the Italian Riviera and head towards Menton, France – which is right next door to Monaco. We had planned to be in Monaco itself but completely missed that we are arriving in the week of the Grand Prix – so train in instead. Only 20 minutes so probably in some ways easier

We passed through Savona, Imperia and past Ventimiglia. This part of the Italian riviera is very nice. Small towns with beaches, a bit off the beaten track especially at this time of the year. The train comes along the coast all the way through to Marseille.

Menton is where we end up and it is a town already in summer swing with the beach full and the sun just right. There is a Jean Cocteau gallery right at the end of the Marina complete with murals he created in the typical Menton style.

Monte Carlo – well, in full set up with hoarding everywhere for the track and Super yachts filling the harbour – it was nice for a day. Surprising how modern it is – lots of tall buildings in a very small space.

But now bad weather is coming at us again and we will have to get to a safe port. Winds and swell are forecast to be horrendous as we get closer to the Gulf of Lyon. So we choose to get to Cavalaire-Sur-Mer which we know from a couple of years ago.

And as it turns out the storm is ferocious – people died, there were floods, villages devastated by water and roads washed away – all just a few kilometres up the road. We are making our way to Marseille but now we know we will have to leave Marley here and go by bus which is easy and possible. Marseille is going to be too difficult as the weather again in a few days is going to rise. This is coinciding with the devastating rain that is happening on the East coast of Australia.

We are in a Hotel in Marseille in the old Port – last time we were in the marina and on the other side of the Port. This is quite a different experience. Huge boulevards – it feels like Paris – trams running down the centre. Very energetic and fun. Lots to see. The Museum area in the Old Port is fantastic and public areas very nice – lots of walking and watching. And food – the bakers, the patissiers, the gelato – all incredible.

We made the pilgrimage to L’Unitè Habitè -an apartment building designed by Le Corbusier in 1952. Conceived as a way of compacting living and increasing green space this building has 9 floors – two are devoted to shopping and dining – on Levels 3 & 4. It still impresses with its avant garde style. There is also a Hotel situated on the 9th floor. The views over Marseille are huge – we are glad we came.

Aix-en-Provence – we have arrived to meet Alex, Stephen and Francesca and we are having a few days here and in Cassis. Aix is gorgeous – full to the top of beautiful buildings, food, art – and lots more. Also quite nearby is Chateau Lacoste. It is a winery/ hotel/sculpture park – huge with several pavilions dotted around the extensive grounds designed by “Starchitects”. A real pleasure to be there – food and wine offerings too very nice. we hired a car and drove out there for the day. Being in the green is lovely.

Delicious chocolate gateaux and Lemon tart – we were watching with amazement as people were ‘smashing’ through one each of these. They were huge. anyway a great day with fabulous architecture, art and the nature setting – divine.

27 May This entry was published on May 27, 2025 at 7:16 pm. It’s filed under Uncategorized and tagged aix-en-provence, chateau-lacoste, europe, france, french-riviera, menton, travel. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.