Monthly Archives: September 2013
Delhi … or is it New Delhi? Some thoughts on India travel
We are going to India and Nepal next February. This is a trip which I was not keen to organize, even though I now have a new career as a travel writer and a blogger (I invite you to visit my travel blog BonVoyageurs.com and enter your email address on the home page and perhaps become the 1,000th follower of the blog!). I have traveled to India several times for business over the years, made frequent stops in Mumbai during my travels to Asia, and even launched a joint venture company in Coimbatore in southern India about twenty years ago. My memories are not entirely made up of huge crowds of people, poverty, unimaginable bureaucracy, loose cows, dirt, flies and insects, untold number of weirdly shaped deities, and unpalatable food, but there were enough of those memories to make me squirm every time Lynn asked me about making a trip there.
And what would we do there? Visit crumbling temples or old maharajah palaces turned into hotels and show a picture of the Taj Mahal when we returned home? Hordes of tourists before us have defined that route in northern India, now called the Golden Triangle, which essentially consists of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. As usual, Lynn had the perfect answer. “I want to experience the colors and the tastes of India”, she said. Now, that was a challenge that aroused my interest and sent me back to the basics. What should we see and do in India?
With a population of 1.2 billion people spread over a wide area divided into thirty five regions (twenty eight states and seven territories), with a history going back thousands of years, and with a large number of various invaders having over the course of many centuries each added their own religion, culture, food and monuments to the myriad of previous ones, India offers a wealth of options to the interested traveler. Right away, I know that Delhi and Mumbai need to be allocated sufficient time in our trip agenda. This is not only because I am a city boy by temperament. More importantly, those two cities are not only and by far the two largest cities in India, they are at over 20 million each among the largest cities in the world. How can one claim to have seen India without having experienced life in those two megacities!
Delhi, by the way, is to New Delhi what the District of Columbia is to Washington. Delhi is the name of the special district (which they call NCT, or National Capital Territory) where the city of New Delhi, the capital of the country, lies. Which, of course, is not the whole story, because there is also an Old Delhi, the town dating back to the days of the Mughal Empire, until the King of England in 1911 decided to make the place the capital of his Indian empire, leading to the building of New Delhi around the Old Delhi.
We have a little over four months before this trip takes place so there is time to research and plan carefully our itinerary. What is bothering me more at the moment is the question of what I will eat while in India! Generally speaking, I enjoy tasting the local cuisine wherever we go. Our travels have been as much culinary adventures as anything else. We thoroughly enjoyed learning about regional Chinese cuisine during our trip to China last year, and we certainly enjoyed learning about the cuisine of Nice in our recent trip to the French Riviera. What about Indian cuisine? I am not particularly fond of chili, coriander or yoghurt, which unfortunately seem to form the holy trinity of indian cooking!
I still remember vividly the young woman who walked up to me as I was leaving the podium in Coimbatore after giving a speech to a ballroom full of people and as other young women were throwing rose petals on the floor I was about to walk on. She was holding up a tray with a food platter on it, and my host said: “You know the dish you said you liked so much last time you visited us - - - well she made it specially for you.” And suddenly, four hundred pairs of eyes were on me, expecting me to take and eat a large portion of the spicy stew and tell them again how much I enjoyed it. Well, in reality, I hated that food, that dish actually made me nauseous, but what is one supposed to do? Yes, you guessed it, I ate the darn thing a second time! I don’t even remember the name of the dish, which means that I could encounter it again unknowingly during our upcoming trip!
On the other hand, I also remember the young Indian chef whom we befriended when we were living at the Frantel Hotel in Besancon France about forty years ago. He had come from India to train at that hotel, and we got to know him well. After our household effects arrived from the United States and we moved into our apartment in Besancon, he came several times to visit us and cooked Indian food for us. I still have very fond memories of the curry dishes he prepared.
For some reason, I have had a hard time liking curry dishes as much since then. Nothing I have tried has matched my memory of those curry dishes in our Besancon kitchen. Curry is curry, right? Apparently not. Curry is not a spice; there is no such thing as a curry plant. It turns out that curry is a word invented for the British imperialists (from the Tamil word Kari which means sauce) to signify a dish made with a sauce of various spices. There was an attempt to standardize what curry was in 1889 when, at the Universal Paris Exhibition, it was decreed that curry would consist of : 34g of tamarind, 44g of onions, 20g of coriander, 5g of chilli pepper, 3g of turmeric, 2g of cumin, 3g of fenugreek, 2g of pepper, 2g of mustard.
Enforcement of the decree has undoubtedly been lax, because nowadays there are no standard definition of what curry is made of. Curry powder and curry dishes can be made with a variety of different spices. Diner beware!
Nice, France ~ The Niceties of Nice
Nice on our last day before heading home. Another glorious day!
Tout simplement, Nice exceeded our expectations. We recommend it without reservation to anybody looking for a home base from which to visit France’s renowned Cote d’Azur, aka the French Riviera, or simply as a perfect beachside vacation on its own. Why? In essence, because of the quality and diversity of the facilities of the city, including transport, restaurants, private beaches and shops, the climate, and the very warm welcome Nice offers to tourists. Let me be more specific.
Nice embraces tourism. The second most popular tourist destination in France after Paris – which by the way is the #1 tourist destination in the world – Nice has welcomed Anglophones for several centuries and makes life for tourists and travelers, including those whose primary focus is business versus pleasure, very comfortable and pleasurable. We’ve lived in France, worked here, and traveled extensively throughout the country and I would venture to say that Nice is the place where we’ve found more English spoken than anywhere else we’ve been. Plus, the Mediterranean ambiance, with its charming mixture of French and Italian heritage and languages, is such that the pace of life is relaxed and the locals are friendly. Many are clearly enjoying life in this bit of paradise, and they want the foreigners coming to support their local economy to enjoy life with them.
Nice offers a wide range of options for getting around, both inside the city limits of Nice, and to neighboring towns on the Cote d’Azur or a bit further to the Maritimes Alpes and Provence. Nice Cote d’Azur International airport, which is conveniently located less than 4 miles from the city center, is the 3rd largest airport in France. “Kiss and Fly” is its catch-phrase. The TGV (“Train grand vitesse”) arrives from Paris in 6 hours.
There is a wide selection of regional train service (“TER: Transport Express Regional”) from Nice to many other cities and towns, and the trains run frequently and pretty much on time … and sometimes, even a bit early (!) They are extremely comfortable, clean and well-managed, although the train stations themselves can be a bit disorganized and very crowded during rush hour. That being said, the central train station is very conveniently located just above the city center.
Buses run frequently, with many stops throughout the city of Nice, for both inter-city and intra-city travel. These two are well-managed, clean and easy to use. In fact, in some hot spots – such as the premier departure point for Monaco – the city of Nice employs someone to stand there, answer questions, and ensure that the foreign travelers manage to board the correct bus.
In 2007, the Tramway de Nice debuted its first of 3 scheduled high-tech inter-city trams.
A favorite option for traveling from Nice to Cannes, St. Tropez and Monaco is by tour boat. The views and the narration of these views by the captain provide a stunning documented panorama as you travel.
From Nice, the tour boats leave from the charming old port.
And if the public facilities don’t excite you, you can rent a rent an Auto Bleue Peugeot IOn electric car with its own parking space in the city and built-in GPS system – which will talk to you in British English — and a range of 100km (approximately 60 miles), or a standard rental car from one of the major car rental agencies located at the train station and elsewhere in Nice. Major autoroutes pass by Nice, connecting the city with the principal Cote d’Azur cities, so travel by car offers you both high-speed toll roads and scenic routes, both of which also offer you a heckuva lot of traffic. But if you are on vacation, you can simply go with the flow and enjoy the views if the traffic crawls along.
Finally, if you are not into public transportation and don’t want the hassle of driving yourself, then go to one of the taxi stands located throughout the city or call a taxi which should arrive within 5-10 minutes. They are quite a convenient but pricey option. Or hire a car and driver to take you anywhere you want to go. The latter, by the way, is our transport of choice to and from the Nice airport.
Of course, walking can be a fabulous means of getting around within Nice … you get to walk off all the extra calories that you ingest from the irresistible French food and you get to really observe the French way of life, peer into the shops, converse with the locals, peek into the inner courtyards, and see life through the eyes of the locals.
We love doing this, and Nice being in France, you can rest assured that there are pedestrian streets brimming with restaurants, cafes, shops and tourists as well as steep, narrow, streets in the old part of town that are accessible only by foot. If you are up to the climb, the latter streets can be fascinating as they take you back into medieval times.
While Nice offers many cultural activities, from museums (for example, Chagall and Matisse), and opera during the end-of-September – May season at L’Opera de Nice, the city also is world renowned for its 10 km length beach, dotted with 15 private beaches and 25 public ones. The famous Promenade des Anglais extends right from the airport along the entire demi-lune stretch of beach at the edge of the Baie des Anges (“Bay of Angels”). Our favorite beach is well-covered in a previous blog on Nice, but let me add that I could easily spend every day , all day, at Plage Beau Rivage enjoying a 3-hour gourmet meal at the restaurant, or lying under an umbrella on one of the comfortable beach lounge chairs, or enjoying a drink at the large outdoor bar with its many comfy sofas, and simply stare at the azur water and listen to the waves, indulge in the French sport of people-watching, and watch the planes fly low into and out of the Nice airport and the ferries arrive and depart from the Old Port and the glorious yachts of the rich and famous move around the coastline. La vie est belle a Nice.
Julia Child once very aptly said, “In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport.” Down along the Mediterranean where olive trees and fresh herbs grow in abundance and fresh fish is often the star of the menu, the cuisine is lighter but no less a “serious art form”. No matter what your price range, you will find it very easy to have a delicious, memorable meal in Nice with its large selection of cafés, bistros, brasseries, restaurants and even take-out food.
Lodging options are plentiful. There are lots of hotels servicing all price ranges and a large selection of apartments to rent. We chose the latter option, situated no more than a 10 minute walk to the beach, the train station, and most places we want to go. And we’ve been delighted by the range of conveniences available, including air-conditioning, bedrooms opening up into a quiet courtyard, a fully-equipped kitchen with dishwasher, a laundry-room, and wi-fi throughout the apartment.
Shopping serves both tourists and the locals, so the variety ranges from a fabulous outdoor marché in the old square of Nice, Cours Saleya, to local corner shops, super-markets and hyper-markets, and from the discount Monoprix at the charming Place Garibaldi to the Parisian department store, Galeries Lafayette, to the haute couture shops of rue de La Liberté, not to mention the multitude of souvenir and other shops catering to the needs of tourists.
Despite media hype about robberies on the Cote d’Azur, one feels safe and secure walking the main streets of Nice, even in the evening. As long as you don’t wander off the beaten path, it’s not a city that makes you want to grab your purse or watch your back. While there are indeed lots of tourists and travelers moving about in Nice, the city feels comfortably navigable. Even when streets were closed off recently for the International Jeux de la Francophonie (“Games of the French-speaking peoples”) which brought in an influx of thousands of visitors from all over the world all at the same time, the city bore up well … the shops, the restaurants, the beaches, the transport – all were still readily available.
The climate of Nice is in a word … delightful. We’ve only had one brief rain shower in the 19 days we’ve spent here, the humidity is usually low and the sky is usually as blue and clear as the Mediterranean sea below it. Prior to the introduction of air conditioning in France, Nice was the winter playground of the nobility and Bretagne their favorite summer resort. Now, as the statistics in the 2nd paragraph above clearly indicate, Nice is an appealing year-round favorite for everybody!
For all the above reasons and more, we have felt a coup de foudre for Nice, and we hope to return to this magnificent city on France’s azur coast again and again and again …
Grasse, France ~ The scent of a woman …
We had saved today for the historic and hilly town of Grasse, the world capital of perfume, located about ten miles up the hills of the Maritime Alps behind Cannes. The small town of Grasse still accounts for two thirds of France’s production of perfume essence and food flavorings. The hills around Grasse are full of fields of flowers, in particular jasmine and roses, which form the core of that production.
Musee International de la Parfumerie in Grasse
Our first stop in Grasse was the Musee International de la Parfumerie, a multi-story labyrinth of display rooms which focuses on the history of perfume through the ages. I was completely ignorant of the role which leather and gloves played in the development of the perfume industry and I found it fascinating. According to Wikipedia: “In the Middle Ages, Grasse specialized in leather tanning. Once tanned, the hides were often exported to Genoa or Pisa, cities that shared a commercial alliance with Grasse. The hides of Grasse acquired a reputation for high quality. But the leather smelled badly, something that did not please the glove wearing nobility. This is when Galimard, a tanner in Grasse came up with the idea of scented leather gloves. He offered a pair of scented gloves to Catherine de Medici who was seduced by the gift. Therefore, the product spread through the Royal Court and high society and this made a worldwide reputation for Grasse.” The leather gloves went out of fashion, but the perfume industry only continued to grow.
I was determined to learn all I could about perfume so that I could make some sense out of choosing one perfume over another. I thought that, perhaps by the end of the day, I would be able to select perfumes in a sensical and logical manner, or at the very least, with a good understanding of the different smells involved. Well, it seems that it is a lot more complicated than that. The “Nez” (Noses) are the experts who select and make perfumes, and they must be able to distinguish at least 2,000 different smells, with many handling more than 3,000! And not only are they not satisfied with natural smells, they have come up with lots of synthetic smells as well, thus creating untold possibilities of different smells.
Cafe des Musees in Grasse
We needed a break to digest all this new information. Fortunately, right outside the museum, was the charming Cafe des Musees, a small bistro which provided us with a delightful light salad lunch.
Musee du Parfum Fragonard in Grasse
Next door to the Cafe des Musees is the Musee du Parfum Fragonard. Fragonard is a big name in the town of Grasse and we were going to visit many Fragonard locations during the day. Fragonard was a manufacturer of scented gloves which then became a perfume manufacturer. The painter Jean-Honore Fragonard is a member of that family and the favorite son of the town of Grasse. The Musee du Parfum Fragonard belongs to the Fragonard Perfume company and it quickly leads you into the large boutique where Fragonard products are sold. All the products are displayed with testers which allow you to smell the perfume, and we did a lot of that. There are some scents which I liked more than others, but I am not sure I could tell you why. Clearly, I don’t belong in the Noses club.
Villa Musee Jean-Honore Fragonard in Grasse
We then visited the Villa Musee Jean-Honore Fragonard. I have mentioned in an earlier post that Jean-Honore Fragonard is the painter who was called “le poete de l’amour gallant” (the poet of gallant love).
The originals of his paintings about the phases of love ( the meeting, the declaration of love, the pursuit, and the lover crowned), which had been commissioned by the mistress of the King of France, hang in the Frick Museum in New York City and the ones at the museum in Grasse are only copies, but they were a delight to look at nonetheless.
Bust of Amiral de Grasse, hero of American Independence, in Grasse
The museum is of great importance for two other reasons. First, in the courtyard stands a bust of Amiral de Grasse, the man who, perhaps more than any other, is responsible for American Independence. It was he, at the head of a substantial French fleet, who blockaded Yorktown harbour and forced Cornwallis to surrender to George Washington. I think that his contribution (and that of France?) to the USA has never been sufficiently recognized.
The second reason is that the house in which the museum is housed used to be the residence of Pierre de Montesquiou, Comte d’Artagnan, musketeer to the king. For those of you familiar with the novel The Three Musketeers of Alexandre Dumas, a story which animated my childhood, finding out that there was a real-life d’Artagnan is quite a treat.
Would you believe that we then visited another Musee Fragonard? We did. A museum which included some Jean-Honore Fragonard paintings as well as the drawings he made for a book of the Fables of La Fontaine.
In addition, as we toured the very narrow streets of the old town, we were faced with one Fragonard boutique after another, one selling Fragonard perfume, another Fragonard children’s products, another Fragonard clothing, etc… I was told there were all owned by the Fragonard perfume company. Most interesting, but someone ought to tell the Grasse people not to use the name Fragonard on everything, it does get unnecessarily confusing.
The best of our day was yet to come. After our return to Nice that evening, we went out to the old town for a dinner at an Italian restaurant called Da Vinci, which turned out to be extremely enjoyable.
We were serenaded by a couple of gipsy spanish singers with old favorites like Besa Me Mucho, Quisas Quisas, Piensa a Mi, etc…, ate the best pasta (spaghetti aux fruits de mer) we have had on this trip, and ended the evening with a refreshing lemoncello. I hope the video above gives you a little bit of a feeling for our evening in the old town.
Did you know?
Grasse is where Edith Piaf had her last residence and where she died at the age of 47?
Interested in how we got to Grasse?
It is a one and a half hour journey by direct bus from Nice to cover the 30 miles or so distance (still at the one euro cost) because of the many stops at Cagnes-sur-Mer, Villeneuve-Loubet and other small towns along the way. Another option would have been to take the train from Nice to Cannes, and then take a 30 minute bus ride to Grasse. A third alternative would have been to take the train to Grasse, although the train station is about two kilometers from the old town area (free shuttles are available at the station). We opted for the direct bus route on the 500 bus line, which went uneventfully on the trip to Grasse. The return trip also went well, although we were informed that there was a bus strike in progress, but not on our bus line. When asked why there was a strike, the bus driver gesticulated and proclaimed loudly: “Because we are in France!”. But of course …
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Nice, France ~ Alluring breezes, views, meals and comfort at Plage Beau Rivage
The azur blue sky was back in its full glory today, but this time there was a stronger wind creating bigger waves on the beach and a more refreshing breeze ashore.
Plage Beau Rivage in Nice
My plans to try another topless beach along the Nice shore were derailed by our love of everything that Plage Beau Rivage offers, its comfort, its gastronomic food, its service, its views, etc… Watch the video at the top of this posting to get a feel for this wonderful place.
“The unavoidable plain (sic) Cesar Salad” at Plage Beau Rivage in Nice
We spent the whole afternoon enjoying another leisurely luncheon. The Cesar Salad we started with was the best I have had in a very long time.
It was followed by a tender Saumon Roti au Four et son Pistou de Shiso Rouge, Riz Parfume aux Epices Douces (oven roasted salmon with red shiso pesto, rice flavored with mild spices). And finally, since we had loved so much the speculos ice cream we had been served on our previous visit, we splurged with the same moelleux au chocolat et sa creme glacee au speculos (chocolate melting cake with speculoos ice cream) but asked for a double portion of the ice cream!
We had another “cracker day” (an Irish expression I picked up from the Northern Ireland couple we befriended at Plage Beau Rivage) at the beach!
Nice, France ~ Love a la Marcel Pagnol
Marius and Fanny in the 2013 French movie Marius
It was raining in Nice this morning when we got up, a light drizzle. Our first day of rain during our trip, and, if we believe the current forecast, it will be the only one. So we put in motion our well thought out rainy day plan. We put on our jackets, packed umbrellas and ponchos and headed out towards the old town of Nice. Except that by the time we left our apartment, it was not raining any more, nor did it rain again for the rest of this wonderful yet cloudy day.
We did five things today:
old Nice
*We discovered and explored several fascinating although very touristy narrow streets of the old town of Nice, full of shops and cafes.
Lynn and her Moules all’Arrabbiata at the restaurant Milos on rue Massena
*We had a wonderful lunch at the restaurant Milos on the pedestrian rue Massena.
A single dessert order of Profiterolles at the restaurant Milos!
Calorically, this lunch was way over the top!
A little break from shopping at Cafe de la Place on Place Garibaldi in Nice
*We did some shopping at Galeries Lafayette at Place Massena.
Cesar (Daniel Auteuil) and Fanny in the 2013 French movie Fanny
*We went to the movies to see a double feature in French, the latest two 2013 movies from Daniel Auteuil, Marius and Fanny, adapted from the Marcel Pagnol novels of the same name. Marcel Pagnol is one of our most favorite authors because of his understanding of human emotion and human nature and his uncanny ability to write realistically and movingly about love. Many, and that includes us, consider him the greatest French author of the twentieth century. We had spent some time in his footsteps when we spent a month in Provence a couple of years ago and we named our first cat, Cesariot, after a character in his trilogy, Marius, Fanny and Cesar.
Fenocchio’s in Nice
*We had ice cream at the best Nice glacier, Fenocchio’s.
It ended up being another glorious day in Nice despite the mixed weather conditions.
The best topless beach on the French Riviera … Nice, France
Restaurant at Plage Beau Rivage in Nice
Nice has 40 beaches along its 10km (about 6 miles) shoreline, 25 public beaches and 15 private ones. We have so far during this trip enjoyed dinner on the beach at Blue Beach, a private beach near the Hotel Negresco and our apartment. But today, with the inviting blue sky of Nice enhanced by a refreshing light sea breeze, we decided to spend the day at the beach.
Not any beach, mind you. I wanted to find the best private and topless beach on the Nice seafront, so that I could mention it on my travel blog BonVoyageurs.com (I invite you to enter your email address on the home page and perhaps become the 1,000th follower of the blog!). The facilities available at a private beach can vary widely from one beach to another. I had read somewhere that the law on the French Riviera requires that all structures on the beach, including the restaurants and bars, be fully “demontables“, temporary structures which could easily be taken down and taken away. I was about to discover that the private beaches of Nice are testing this requirement to its limit.
Plage Beau Rivage in Nice
Naturally, we started at the top, with the largest private beach on the French Riviera and the one enjoying the highest reputation in Nice, Plage Beau Rivage. It is located right at the entrance to the old town and includes a full service white-table-cloth restaurant open from morning to night, a gorgeous luxury lounge bar area for drinks and light snacks, and of course, the beach lounge chair and umbrella section with waiter service, massages, and other offerings.
The beach is very narrow in this part of the shore, so the restaurant lies not more than about thirty feet away from the water’s edge. At the check-in desk for the restaurant, a number of magazines and newspapers are available freely, including our favorite, the International Herald Tribune. Reservations are highly recommended. The toilet and shower area would put a few five star hotels to shame. And, a big plus for us, Plage Beau Rivage offers free wi-fi service to its patrons.
We sat down to yet another (!) gastronomic luncheon, this time a few feet from the water with the sound of the waves, the views of Nice, the Mediterranean sea, the sailing boats and the departing ferries to Corsica, the sound of French Caribbean music in the background, all keeping us in a state of heavenly bliss. Service was as relaxed as we were so the meal quickly turned into an afternoon affair.
Penne pasta with Aubergines, chorizo, tomatoes and mozarella
The salade nicoise entree was eventually followed with a delicious penne pasta with aubergines (eggplant), chorizo, tomatoes and mozarella, finished with a pesto sauce which we absolutely savored until, after a suitably long break, a moelleux au chocolat with glace au speculos (chocolate melting cake with speculos ice cream) and a souffle glace au citron vert (key lime iced souffle) transported us into a state of total enjoyment. By the time my cafe au lait later arrived, I was totally in love. In love with the views, with the sounds, with the smell and with the taste of Nice and of the French Riviera. Here was a real life example of joie de vivre at its best.
Restaurant at Plage Beau Rivage in Nice
Near the shore, coast guard vessels were ensuring that boats stayed clear of the beach swimming areas and, I imagine, were inspecting closely the hundreds of beautiful bodies undulating or sunbathing on the beach. I was also paying close attention, and pretended to be totally disinterested at the sight of the topless beauties parading on the beach or sunbathing a few feet away from me (Although I see absolutely nothing wrong with showing a nude human body, quite to the contrary, I am bowing to the Victorianesque prejudices of our society and refraining from posting the beautiful photos I did take on that beach).
However, my search for the best topless beach will clearly be more demanding and require much more time and attention than I had expected. My eyes will remain wide open. Still, for everything else, Plage Beau Rivage will do more than nicely as we have already fallen in love with its relaxing and ultra comfortable setting.
The Canada Quebec contingent getting ready for the opening parade of the Jeux de la Francophonie in Nice
We relaxed at the beach until evening started to set in. As we left for the walk back to our apartment, we noticed that streets were blocked and huge crowds were gathering. We came upon the preparations for the parade of the participants in the Jeux de la Francophonie (the Olympic Games of French speaking countries), whose opening ceremony was tonite at Place Massena in Nice. Interestingly, Canada was represented by three separate contingents, Canada itself, Canada Quebec, and Canada Nouveau Brunswick (New Brunswick), and we tried to cheer them all as they passed by.
Menton, France ~ The birth of the French Riviera
Promenade de la Mer in Menton
Menton, often called “the pearl of France” and historically famous for its lemons, is situated at the far eastern end of the French Riviera, right on the border with Italy (those clouds you see on the photo are on the Italian side of the border; the sky in France is still cloudless). It enjoys the sunniest weather in all of France, and the warmest weather in France during the winter months.
Jardin Viodes in Menton
It was in Menton that the cult of the French Riviera began, and the marks of the British presence in Menton are everywhere, from the buildings to the street names, the gardens and the promenades. It was the most British town on the Riviera and is still a very pretty town.
The British are long gone, as are the aristocracy, the celebrities and the money. What is left is a calm and relaxed town living out the charms of its past, which was a bit of a relief to us after the frenzy of Monaco yesterday. Nowadays the town seems to have been taken over by working class French retirees and Italian tourists.
We had arrived in Menton by train, a simple half an hour ride from Nice. I did take notice of the fact that the train route is completely underground in a tunnel, from the cape before Monaco (Cap D’Ail) right until the cape after Monaco (Cap Martin). This means that nowhere in Monaco does the train appear above ground, including its stop at the underground Monaco station, so there is no view of Monaco to be had for the train traveler. Good thing we took the boat yesterday!
Walking the old town part of Menton
We walked the town until we reached the pedestrian areas of the old town of Menton. There were lots of cafes and restaurants, as well as a few places to have the local “citronnade” made with local lemons. The crowds seemed to be all French or Italian.
L’Olimpo restaurant on rue St-Michel in Menton
Being right next to the Italian border, we decided to have lunch at an Italian restaurant, and we selected one with the very un-Italian Greek name of L’Olimpo, with a fantastic Italian menu which turned out to be wonderful. Nearby, an accordeonist sat down and started serenading the patrons with romantic French and Italian love songs, like Volare and La Vie en Rose. When he took a break, a guitarist at a neighboring restaurant picked up the slack with tunes such as Elvis’ I can’t stop loving you, etc.. It was just wonderful and so relaxing.
Naturally, I could not resist having spaghetti aux fruits de mer again as my main course! I committed a faux-pas when I asked the waiter for a vinaigrette for my salade nicoise entree (meaning appetizer). The waiter explained at length that vinaigrettes are only for people in the north and, pointing to the olive oil and balsamic vinegar which had been on the table all along, added that in the South everyone uses olive oil and balsamic vinegar. But of course …
We had a very leisurely and totally enjoyable lunch, charmed by the music and the food, and knowing that we had little to do for the rest of our day in Menton. Nevertheless, when I finally asked for the check after a couple of hours, the waiter’s reaction was “Why? Are you in a rush?”
Musee Jean Cocteau in Menton
We took another walk east of the old town along the beachfront. Interestingly, the beach on the east side is a sand beach, while the beach on the west side of the old town is a pebble beach. In any case, we finally decided that we would visit the Jean Cocteau museum nearby.
We did not stay very long. The museum is quite forgettable (like the town). I just can’t relate to Jean Cocteau. He seemed to have been ill at ease with himself all of his life, an anti-conformist who wanted to shock, who really thought that art was anti-conformity. I happen to think that he never understood that art is beauty. And I still can’t forgive him for being a Hitler sympathizer!
We ended up taking an earlier train back to Nice. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a rush hour train. At the Monaco station, a huge number of people got on board and filled every seat, alley and closet on the train. It was impossible for anyone to move on that train, and I was wondering how we would be able to get off the train at the Nice station. Fortunately for us, it would seem that a lot of Nice people commute to and from Monaco for work, since a lot of people got off the train at the Nice station and cleared the way for us to disembark without any problem.
Monaco … or is it Monte Carlo? Posh either way!
View of Monaco from the Jardin Exotique (Exotic Garden)
In addition to the extensive ferry schedule to Corsica and Sardinia, the port of Nice offers regularly scheduled day trips by boat from Nice to St. Tropez, Cannes and Monaco. The boat takes you there early in the morning and returns late in the afternoon, leaving you a full day of leisurely touring at your destination. Getting to Monaco along the coast on the no 100 bus (which runs very frequently) would have been a very scenic way to do it, taking the train would have been highly speedy, comfortable and efficient but lackluster, using a car would have been unnecessarily stressful, and finally taking the helicopter would have been extravagant and probably would have ruined me. So we decided to take the boat to Monaco and make an entrance through the Mediterranean sea. As the boat captain later humbly admitted on the loudspeaker system, we made the only intelligent choice.
View of Givenchy’s summer villa
The boat trip takes only 45 minutes, and during virtually all that time, the boat hugs the shore and the captain points out noteworthy points of interest, which include a lot of summer villas of the rich and famous, such as Sean Connery, Paul Allen, Bill Gates, Givenchy, Bono, etc… It also includes other interesting sights, such as the nudist beaches, the Grand Hotel Cap Ferrat, the Hotel Cap Estel (referred to as the hotel of presidents, because you pretty much have to be the president of a country to stay there), and the list goes on and on.
The perched village of Eze viewed from the water
I had thought that I was simply buying a return boat ride to Monaco, but we ended up receiving comprehensive tours of the coastline as a bonus. This is so well organized that the points of interest on the return trip at the end of the day are totally different than in the morning, although along the very same coast.
entering the harbor of Monaco
Our arrival into Monaco provided us with splendid views of the country from the water. The first thing I learnt anew was that the country (principality) of Monaco is divided into five districts (towns): Monaco Ville also referred to as Le Rocher (The Rock), Monte Carlo, La Condamine (the port area), Larvotto (where the super rich live), and Fontvieille (the western area reclaimed from the sea during the past ten years).
Musee Oceanographique de Monaco
Except for the world famous casino of Monte Carlo, most of the sights in Monaco are up the cliff in Monaco Ville. We had no idea how to get around the town when we landed, but it did not take us long to realize that walking up the cliff to Monaco Ville was not in the cards. Fortunately, a nearby bus stop provided us with all the information we needed to board the right bus, whose next stop was up the cliff at the Musee Oceanographique de Monaco, made famous by one of its previous long time directors, Jacques Cousteau.
We could easily have spent the whole day in the museum, which has a huge amount of aquariums with very instructive presentations in several languages. I certainly am not aware of a better aquarium than this one in the world, and we felt a bit sorry that we could not give it all the time it deserved.
Street of the old town of Monaco Ville
We strolled through the very narrow streets of the old town of Monaco Ville, walking by the Cathedrale of Monaco (where Princess Grace was married), and inched our way towards the Palace.
Dancers on Palace Square in Monaco
The Palace Square was abuzz with people and activity. The whole square had been taken over by the world championship of petanques. Competitive matches were in full swing on a dozen or so fields of petanques on the square. Dancers came to entertain the onlookers.
Monaco
It was now time for lunch and we had opted for the Cafe de Paris at the Casino in Monte Carlo. Given the huge number of tourists, even the buses were full, so we took a taxi to Monte Carlo, enjoying some more phenomenal views of Monaco along the way.
Main entrance of the Casino of Monte Carlo
We had an excellent meal at the Cafe de Paris, so good in fact that afterwards I swore that I would never again travel to places like France, Italy or Montreal, where I adore the food and end up having these fabulous meals which add inches to my waistline. In reality, I know that as soon as I lose that extra weight, I will be eager to do it all again! Today’s daube de boeuf a la provencale was just so exquisite!
After lunch, we decided to take the hop-on hop-off 11-stops open bus tour of Monaco. This gave us an opportunity to tour less frequented areas such as Larvotto, with its new National Museum (currently showing a Picasso exhibition) and the Monte Carlo Sporting Club (you’re nobody in Monaco if you don’t belong to that club!).
View of Monaco Ville from the heights of the Exotic Garden of Monaco
We then headed up the cliff to the Jardin Exotique de Monaco (Exotic Garden), not so much for all of the marvelous plants but for the incredible views one gets from the scenic viewpoints inside the garden.
Unfortunately, it was then time to find our way back to the port for the boat ride back to Nice. Monaco has a number of public (meaning free) elevators to get up and down those cliffs and there was one right next to the Exotic Garden which we took to shorten our journey back to the port.
The world renowned Grand Prix de Monaco is I think the only time traffic really moves in Monaco. The large number of cars and buses mean that traffic is permanently in crawl mode. The number of tourists, particularly up in Monaco Ville and near the Casino of Monte Carlo, is irritating. Monaco is very clean, very luxurious, very safe (we saw several intersections during the day where policemen were watching closely every car that drove by and street cameras are everywhere). We enjoyed visiting Monaco, but we were very happy to leave it for Nice at the end of the day!
Luncheon inspired by Tender is the Night
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cap d’Antibes
F. Scott Fitzgerald was my favorite author in high school. His novels, as well as his short stories, took me to romantic places and introduced me to fascinating characters. I lived vicariously through Fitzgerald and knew that I absolutely wanted to visit the hotel described in the first line of my favorite Fitzgerald novel, Tender is the Night. In fact, I even planned on naming my first daughter after the main character in that novel, the alluring but complex Nicole Diver. Years later when our first daughter was born, I had to give up on the “Nicole” fantasy because we already had a close relative with that name. But I remained faithful to my first dream to make a pilgrimage to the hotel where the story unfolds …“On the pleasant shore of the French Riviera, about halfway between Marseilles and the Italian border, stands a large, proud, rose-colored hotel.”
View from restaurant of the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cap d’Antibes
The Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc that inspired Fitzgerald’s “Hotel des Étrangers“ isn’t “rose-colored” any more, but it still is a magnet for the rich, famous and powerful – and by “rich”, I mean “Rich!” So once again, we decided to sample the good life with a luncheon at the hotel’s restaurant, the Eden-Roc, which the hotel’s splendid brochure describes as “”famed for its gastronomic cuisine”. Ambiance the Eden-Roc has in spades. The restaurant is sublimely elegant. The blue and white décor, with a touch of purple and pink, is the perfect backdrop for the Mediterranean sea which is really the star player in the view as it is visible for as far as the eye can see. Peppered with fabulous 200+ foot yachts along with a variety of other smaller sailing vessels and enhanced with a backdrop of the curvilinear coastline of Cannes and the Maritime Alpes rising in the background, the view is quite simply spectacular. The service is also first-class – a small army of servers were at our beck and call, sensing our needs before we even realized we had them, whisking away a plate or refilling a glass or offering to carry a platter from the buffet table to our table, and the sommelier impressed us with his expertise, selecting the perfect wines to accompany both our food and dessert. Awesome indeed, just like the view.
As over-the-top as the quality of the décor, service and view were, I regret to say that the food – the actual cuisine – was lacking in comparison. Don’t get me wrong — our meal was delicious and highly satisfying, but given the other three components of the meal, and the over-the-top price for each item on the extensive à la carte menu, we ended our meal concluding that the Chef wasn’t quite up to snuff and that we had paid princely for the name and the view. Still, the meal was exquisitely memorable and I’d like to share what we ate.
Platter from the Buffet Eden-Roc
We began with the restaurant’s formidable Buffet Eden-Roc comprised of mainly traditional classics prepared from the finest of the finest ingredients and presented on the buffet table to please the eye as much as to please the palette. Among the many selections was a superb gazpacho, a very thinly sliced prosciutto and an unctuous buratta cheese laced with olive oil and herbs — a nod to the Italian neighbors -, gigantesque shrimp, fresh local oysters, the largest escargots I’ve ever seen and the first time I’ve seen them cooked in their shells (but I found them a bit rubbery and tasteless), an impressive selection of cured sausages and meats, a variety of salads from lentil to pasta to quinoa, an assortment of cold steamed vegetables from asparagus to French haricots, heirloom tomato salad and bowls of assorted greens, tapenades, sauce bowls of mayonnaise in pink (flavored with tomato), green (flavored with herbs) and traditional white, assorted Niçoise accompaniments such as black olives and sun dried tomatoes, and more to be sure. After filling our platters and consuming them with a delightfully refreshing Cotes de Provence 2012 Chateau de Selle Domaine Ott Rosé, you might think we would be satiated … but you would be wrong.
Sea bream grilled “en portefeuille” with mousseline and tomates a la provencale
We moved on to the chef’s specialty of Sea Bream grilled “en portefeuille” (literally “in wallet”), an elegant way to signify that the fish is de-boned and grilled open face with an airy light mousseline and tomatoes à la Provencale.
Sea bream with pommes Pont-Neuf
The fish was served with potato purée but that was not enough for Denis. Monsieur also ordered the Eden-Roc’s Pommes Pont-Neuf, aka thick rectangle blocks of crispy flash-fried potatoes that melt in your mouth. The superbly tender and delicious sea bream simply disappeared off our plates … and all that rested was a bit of purée.
Dessert Le Citron accompanied by Moscato d’Asti
Dessert Millefeuille with “fraises des bois”
The dessert trolley arrived with a magnificent spread of classic French patisserie, but we decided to venture away from the “known” which we love and instead to sample the pastry chef’s creativity. We ordered Le citron, described as “lemon crunchy, tangy and iced ‘cloud’ grown in Menton”, and a Millefeuille, “revisited wild strawberries millefeuille with mascarpone cream”. When we inquired about a digestif the sommelier brilliantly suggested an Italian Moscato d’Asti Bricco Squaglia La Spinetta 2011 which he described as “fresh, light, with little acidity, and lightly sparkling”. It was a superb choice but the creative “unknown” pastries were lacking in flavor and the mignardises were unexciting. The Moscato saved the day for the dessert course.
The philosophy of the Eden-Roc Restaurant is utterly on point …
“De tous les sens, il n’y en a de plus délicieux, ni de plus nécessaire à la vie que celui du gout.” (“Of all the senses, there is not one more delicious, or more necessary to life than the one of taste.”) To truly abide by that philosophy, the Chef and his team must improve their mastery of the art of French cooking so that the flavors and textures create a feeling of heavenly satisfaction in the mouth, and perhaps they should offer the traditional amuse-bouches, as is the tendency of great French restaurants,’ to awaken and excite the palate before the “meal” is served. Not too surprisingly, Michelin gives the Eden-Roc Restaurant its top rating for service and ambience — five knives and forks in “red” for ultimate “ambiance” … but no star for the cuisine.
Still, we had a glorious meal and afternoon, and experienced another masterful and memorable French luncheon. Plus, I’ve finally achieved one of my youthful dreams … I visited the Hotel that inspired Tender is the Night and I walked in the footsteps of F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Antibes, Cap d’Antibes, Juan Les Pins, France ~ In memory of F. Scott Fitzgerald
A mega yacht outside the Hotel Cap Eden Roc restaurant in Cap d’Antibes
Having substantially recovered from my somewhat stressful first experience with the electric car sharing service, Auto Bleue, we elected to try it again today for our trip to the Cap d’Antibes peninsula, about 15 miles southwest of Nice. That is the area made famous by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which explains why we have lunch reserved at the Hotel Cap Eden Roc of Gerald and Sara Murphy fame (see our posting of August 2nd 2013) . The peninsula also includes Antibes, where we plan to visit the Picasso museum, and Juan Les Pins along the coast, where F. Scott Fitzgerald rented a villa for a couple of years, Villa Picolette (currently up for sale at an asking price of 27.5 million euros, or about US$33 million). Juan Les Pins is also known for Rudolf Valentino and Charlie Chaplin who used to party there in the good old days, as well as for the King of Saudi Arabia, who owns a large estate there.
Auto Bleue Peugeot IOn electric car
The Auto Bleue Peugeot IOn electric car looks minuscule from the outside, but, I assure you, once you are on the road, you feel on an equal footing with the other seemingly minuscule cars on the road. It is only when you pull up at the valet entrance to the Hotel Cap Eden Roc behind a lamborghini that you feel your car does not quite measure up!
The electric car has a 100km (about 60 miles) range so we must be aware of the distances driven, although large displays on the dashboard make sure one knows the remaining range. We are afraid to put the air conditioning on in the car since we found out that it runs down the battery and reduces our range; on the positive side, however, having the windows open is not really an issue since the weather outside is picture perfect. Another day of a cloudless azur blue sky with a temperature between 75 and 80 degrees.
View of Cannes from the beach in Juan Les Pins
Our first stop is Juan Les Pins, just west of Cap d’Antibes. The town is a bit out of the way of the main roads and as a result is pretty much a self contained beach resort with a sand beach (vs a pebbles beach as in Nice) and all the services to cater to beach vacationers. There seemed to be lots of restaurants along the beach as well as in town, and dozens of shops and boutiques catering not only to French but also to foreign tourists.
Our Auto Bleue electric car on the beachfront in Juan Les Pins
If one did not wish to travel to other locations on the French Riviera, and merely wanted an excellent French Riviera beach resort, Juan Les PIns would nicely fit the bill, much better than Cannes could. Rick Steves’ characterization of Cannes as “superficial” is so much on the mark.
Hotel Restaurant Cap Eden Roc in Cap d’Antibes
We drove along the shoreline to the Hotel Cap Eden Roc restaurant situated at the tip of the Cap d’Antibes peninsula. For some reason, I remembered the hotel as pink-washed. In fact, neither the main hotel building nor the restaurant building were pink-washed, they were more like pale yellow-washed.
There were a couple of mega yachts anchored just off the restaurant, providing an added touch (as if it needed it!) of opulence to this retreat of the super rich.
Restaurant of the Hotel Cap Eden Roc in Cap d’Antibes
We sat down to a decadent two and a half hour lunch, which we thoroughly enjoyed as we admired the superb views around us.
Port Vauban marina right outside the walls of old Antibes
We then drove up to Antibes, the old part of Antibes, and found a parking spot in Port Vauban, right outside the walls of the old town. Port Vauban is the largest yacht marina in Europe (possibly the world?) and includes the well-known Quai des Milliardaires (Pier of the Billionnaires), where the mega yachts are docked.
old Antibes
We walked the old town of Antibes, which seemed quite attractive with lots of cafes, restaurants and boutiques. I suspect the area is quite lively in the evenings. However, the whole area impressed me as being heavily traffic congested and I suspect is a lot harder to get around in than either Nice or Cannes.
Musee Picasso in old Antibes
We ended up at the Musee Picasso, housed in what used to be the Grimaldi Museum. The change of name was apparently justified by the fact that the museum lent a room to Picasso for two months back in 1946 (someone clever organized that one; they now can attract more people and charge a higher entrance fee). At the entrance, I noticed a phrase from Pablo Picasso which I found interesting: J’ai mis toute ma vie a savoir dessiner comme un enfant (I took all my life to learn to draw like a child).
Essentially all of the Picasso drawings, paintings and sculptures are on a few rooms on the top floor. Two in particular attracted my attention.
Faune Agenouille jouant de la diaule, Nymphe debout au Tambourin by Pablo Picasso (1946)
The first one is a Picasso drawing called Faune agenouille jouant de la diaule, Nymphe debout au tambourin (Faune kneeling down playing the diaule, Nymphe standing up with a tambourine).
La Joie de Vivre by Pablo Picasso (1946)
The second one is a 1946 Picasso painting called La Joie de Vivre! Since Joie de Vivre is central to my philosophy of life, I found myself studying the painting for clues as to Picasso’s own views on the subject. I have to agree with him that a happy dancing naked woman is central to joie de vivre, and I also agree with Picasso that music and animals are essential contributors.
A view from the terrasse of the Musee Picasso in Antibes
After relaxing for a while on the beautiful terrasse of the museum, we departed back to Nice, driving along the sea to provide us with views of the beaches and the Mediterranean along the way.
Did You Know?
Did you know that water skiing was invented in Antibes in the 1920s?
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France ~ This Cape is made for walking …
View of Villefranche-sur-Mer from Cap Ferrat
I have come to appreciate more and more each day the invigorating light of the Riviera. Henri Matisse once said: “Quand j’ai compris que chaque matin je reverrais cette lumiere, je ne pouvais croire a mon bonheur!” (When I realized that each morning I would see this light again, I could not believe my happiness!). Going out each morning to fetch our croissants and pains au chocolat, I am hit as soon as I step outside with a feeling of happiness and readiness to face another day by the warm light of the azur blue sky above. No wonder those great artists of the Riviera, Picasso, Chagall, Matisse lived very long lives!
Today was no exception to the incredibly good weather we have experienced so far on this trip. Not a cloud in the sky and an azur-tinted blue sky to die for.
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in Cap Ferrat
Our main destination today was the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild , on top of the Cap Ferrat peninsula just east of Villefranche-sur-Mer. The easiest way to get there from Nice is bus no 81, whose route follows the coastline and therefore provides fantastic views of the old port of Nice, of Villefranche-sur-Mer and of the Mediterranean sea. In addition, the bus stops right outside the gates of the villa.
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is the mansion built by Beatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild in 1912 and in which she lived, either seasonally or full time, until her death in 1934. Thankfully, she donated it to France at her death, which is why it has been preserved and can be visited today.
Beatrice de Rothschild was the grand daughter of the founder of the Rothschild dynasty in France, James Rothschild, and inherited an immense fortune when her father died. Her family had welcomed her marriage to the older Maurice Ephrussi partly because he was Jewish but as importantly because he came from a powerful Russian banking family, and the Rothschilds wanted to improve their business with the tsar of Russia.
An interesting piece of information is that Charles Ephrussi, Maurice’s brother, was very fond of the arts and he befriended the artists of the day, Manet, Monet, Renoir, etc… which explains why he appears in one of my favorite paintings, Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party.
A second interesting piece of information is that the Rothschilds acquired their barony from the emperor of Austria after the battle of Waterloo because the Rothschilds had organized the financing of the war against Napoleon.
View from the dining room in Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Before touring the house, we took a light lunch in the beautiful room which used to be Beatrice’s dining room, and which offers incredible views of the bay of Villefranche. The ambiance was greatly enhanced by soft light classical music and operatic arias in the background.
Salon of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Beatrice was a perfectionist, and as a result, everything about the house, the gardens and the furnishings are masterpieces. Beatrice had wanted her palace (and it is a palace) to be built in an Italian Renaissance style.
Central reception area of Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
The large central reception hall area is magnificent with each room around it providing indescribable views of the French Riviera around it. There is no doubt that, from both the house and from the gardens, one gets some of the most spectacular views available anywhere in the world.
We toured the house with the help of a very useful and comprehensive audio guide. Everything about the house fascinated us as it represented the best of French manufacturing, whether it be furniture, tapestries, carpets, works of art, etc… As a result, we spent almost three hours inside the house, and I could easily have spent twice as long.
Boudoir of Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild with “Bonheur du Jour” secretaire desk
One example out of hundreds: the secretaire desk in Beatrice’s boudoir. It was built specifically for Queen Marie-Antoinette by Jean-Henri Riesener, one of the most famous cabinetmakers in France. It is called a “Bonheur du Jour” (Happiness of the Day) desk, which means that it has an intricate detailed design, has many “armoirettes” (small drawers), and at least one secret compartment. Whatever we looked at, it was the best there was at that time.
The villa has the best collection of French porcelain in the world, the best collection of French tapestries, and the list goes on. Of particular interest to me was her love of Jean-Honore Fragonard, also one of my favorite French painters of his period. Fragonard was regarded as the main poet of gallant love (l’amour gallant) and came from the Fragonard perfume family of Grasse. I am hoping that we will find time to go to Grasse during this trip to visit his museum.
Part of Beatrice’s bedroom in Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
And Beatrice had her eccentricities. She loved animals and surrounded herself with them. She had dogs, monkeys, a mongoose from India, parokeets, etc… In her bedroom are two small upholstered chairs, one for one of her favorite dogs, the second one for her mongoose. In 1897, she organized an elaborate wedding for two of her dogs, including hundreds of canine guests and their masters all in tuxedo and bow ties.
French garden at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Another aspect of Beatrice which fascinated me was that she was an insatiable traveler. She had cruised all over the world and particularly liked the french liner Ile de France, which is why she named her palace the Ile de France and designed the French gardens in her backyard to be in the shape of the deck of a ship.
Beatrice wanted her gardens to be an invitation to see the world, and therefore, in addition to the French garden, one also finds a Spanish garden, a Florentine garden, a Japanese garden, a Provencal garden, an Exotic garden, a Sevres garden, a Stone garden and finally of course a Rose garden (including a special breed of rose named after Beatrice).
Me at one of the many scenic viewpoints at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
All along the gardens, on each side (one side facing the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer, the other side the bay of Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Monaco), scenic viewpoints allow the stroller to take in spectacular views. This adds up to a lot of gardens and we walked all of them and stopped at all the viewpoints, so mesmerized were we by the beauty of the place.
La Voile d’Or in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
As if we had not already walked enough, we decided to walk from Villa Ephrussi to the port of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, off the beaten track, where we settled down at the wonderful hotel restaurant La Voile d’Or first for drinks, but given the fabulous setting, lingered on and finally stayed for dinner. The walk, the views and the dinner could themselves make the subject of another blog. We settled for a taxi back to our apartment, which probably cost more in one ride than all of the other modes of transport we had taken in the past week in Nice (the service was excellent).
Overall, a memorable day which made us fall in love yet again with the French Riviera!
Cannes, France ~ Nice is nice, but Cannes … ?
The beach in Cannes along the Promenade de la Croisette
Today, we took the train to Cannes, barely a thirty minute ride. For a change, I booked online for the high speed TGV train with first class pre-reserved seats. It only gets to Cannes about three minutes faster than the regional train, but it does so with a little more comfort (and with an electric outlet at every seat). It all seemed so perfect as we settled into our very large and comfortable reclining seats on the very nicely air conditioned train; our serenity was not to last. A hyperactive young boy moved into the seat behind Lynn, and for the whole thirty minutes or so of the ride to Cannes, he hit the seats, screamed, yelled, complained and whined; his mother seemed totally helpless in controlling him and we could not move away as all the other seats on the car were occupied.
Entrance to the covered Forville market in Cannes
As soon as we arrived in Cannes, we headed by foot to the Forville Market nearby. This morning food market had been written up quite a lot in the tour books and I wanted to experience it before it started closing down around lunchtime.
Forville market in Cannes
It turned out to be a big disappointment. The covered area is about a block long, and less than 20% of the space is allocated to the food market; the rest is a big flea market. The market in Nice is so much bigger, and so much better! This market was a waste of time. We took a quick walk around the market and left for the Promenade de la Croisette.
Carroussel playing Pink Martini on the Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes
Interestingly, as we started our walk on the Promenade de la Croisette, the main road and walkway along the beach in Cannes, we passed by a carroussel for children which, to our delight, was loudly playing Pink Martini music. The Portland-Oregon based Pink Martini orchestra is one of our favorite music groups (we have been to eight of their live concerts in the US and in Europe).
The beach in Cannes is sand, a definite plus compared to Nice which has a pebble beach. This is indeed a plus for Cannes. Unfortunately, what we saw today as we walked around both the Promenade de la Croisette and the world famous rue d’Antibes was essentially a mix of Beverly Hills glamour and Atlantic City honky-tonk.
Plage and Restaurant Le Goeland on the Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes
At lunchtime, we opted to eat at a popular restaurant on the beach, Le Goeland (The Seagull).
Sardines Grillees (forefront) and Tagliatelle au Pistou (rear) at Le Goeland on the beach in Cannes
It was a simple but very tasty lunch. We shared a mixed salad as an entree followed by tagliatelle au pistou for Lynn and sardines grillees for me, all washed down with a refreshing Cotes de Provence rose.
Centre d’Art La Malmaison on the Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes
After lunch, we continued our walk along the Promenade de la Croisette. We came across the Centre d’Art La Malmaison which is hosting an exhibition of approximately 120 Picasso drawings focusing on nudes and erotism, called “Nu en Liberte” (nude at large).
Nu Debout de Profil by Picasso
This was quite an interesting collection of drawings along with a few paintings, ceramics and sculptures. My favorite was definitely the Nu Debout de Profil (Nude Standing from the Side).
InterContinental Carlton Hotel along the Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes
We later walked by the InterContinental Carlton, the most famous hotel in Cannes, made even more famous recently by the brazen 130 million dollar jewelry heist which a single thief pulled off in less than sixty seconds. We decided to go in for a drink and meet the security guards on duty (they denied any involvement).
View as one steps out of the InterContinental Carlton Hotel in Cannes
The hotel is indeed ultra-luxurious — you could easily think you were in Beverly Hills. Only by stepping outside do you realize you are in France, on the shores of the beautiful Mediterranean.
pedestrian rue Massena in Nice
Shopping on rue d’Antibes was next on the agenda, which we did with gusto until it was time to head back to the train station for the ride back to Nice, followed by a simple Italian dinner on the pedestrian Rue Massena, a few blocks from our apartment.
The verdict on our day in Cannes: there are only tourists in Cannes and the town offers little other than a great beach. Most certainly however, the city comes alive for the annual Cannes Film Festival in May but, for the meantime, Nice is nice, very nice.
BonVoyageurs Tip
*If you own a credit card with pin, buying your TGV train ticket online for pickup at the station is a very convenient service. The pickup at the station, from one of the self-service machines, is quick and easy: one simply inserts the credit card which was used when the reservation was made, and presto, the machine finds the reservation and prints the tickets.
Le Chantecler, Essence of a 2** Michelin Luncheon
The sun is beginning to set here in Nice, and since lunch we have visited the Musée Matisse in the magnificent Nice neighborhood of Cimiez … yet I can still feel the pleasure of our three and a half hour luncheon, I can remember the flavors and the marvelous sensations of enjoying the food and wine. Let me bring you back to relive today’s memorable gastronomique luncheon with me.
Just off the Promenade des Anglais on the Baie des Anges (“Bay of Angels”) in the heart of Nice, is the palatial Hotel Negresco, listed by the French government as a National Historic Building and a member of the Leading Hotels of the World. As we enter the hotel, we are greeted by a doorman dressed in the uniform of an 18th century elite bourgeois household servant who inquires after our needs and takes us to the Chantecler Restaurant. The “feast” has begun.
Our eyes take in the glamorous opulence of the architecture and décor of the hotel with its multitude of Mediterranean colors against a stark white setting and we are suitably impressed by the Gobelin tapestries and the impressive collection of paintings and sculpture.
As we enter the restaurant, the visual feast continues. Our eyes roam from roccoco furniture in vivid shades of pink, lime, lemon, and cerulean blue to the custom-made Limoges table settings in these same colors to Baccarat Chandeliers to striking pink tablecloths which speak to the restaurant’s joie de vivre, and finally to the magnificent view of the Mediterranean from the huge glass doors at the entry. A visual treat no less impressive than that of the food to come … and the stage is set.
While the à la carte section of the menu is impressive, we decide to order Le Menu Plaisir, a set menu with wine pairings which appeals to us. By definition we are expecting a “pleasurable” meal, but the meal in all essence exceeds our expectations. After we place our order, the staff is delightfully attentive, and we find our water poured, we make our selections from the basket of freshly baked breads accompanied by a monogrammed butter, and we are toasting each other with our light Tariquet Cotes de Gascogne white wine ready for our gastronomical experience to begin.
As is the custom of restaurants of this standing, the Chef sends out an amuse-bouche (“palate-teaser”) to welcome his guests and enhance the excitement for the meal to come. Jean-Denis Rieubland, the chef of the Chantecler, exerts his originality with a Mise-en-Bouche of Blanc-manger (“Blancmange”) of smoked salmon in watermelon aspic laced with balsamic vinegar. While a “blancmange” is typically a sweet dish, this one is a very light, almost ethereal savory dish that truly serves to arouse our interest in the meal.
Pan fried duck foie gras with figs, sweet potato mousseline and balsamic sauce come next. While this dish may sound a bit rich and heavy for summer fare by the beach, it was surprisingly light. Of course, Chef Rieubland sets the portions at their ideal size so as to satisfy rather than satiate. The sweet figs enhanced by the touch of balsamic vinegar marries perfectly with the salty foie gras to produce a mouthful of exquisite satisfaction that is further enhanced by the light airy texture of the mousseline.
Prior to the main course of roasted rabbit with fresh herbs, rice and parmesan cromesquis, and local zucchini with black olives, our sommelier comes to offer us a Coteux d’Aix-en-Provence red wine, the 2007 La Bargemone. The Bargemone vineyard was founded by The Templar Knights in the 13th century. Full-bodied with light spice and loaded with rich, intense cherry fruit, this wine complements perfectly our Provence-inspired food with its divine mixture of French and Italian inspirations. Plus the blend of flavors and textures in this course, with the additional crunch of a playful home-made potato chip ribbon, leaves our taste buds and our stomachs completely satisfied.
An unexpected treat arrives next – a “pre-dessert” of panna cotta with fresh mango. Light and refreshing, this little entremets kindles our desire for the sweetness of dessert.
We shared two desserts, each of which reminds me of a piece of modern art — constructed forms of shape, color and flavor that arranged together provide an ultimate form of pleasure. The first original creation is a “harmony of mirabelle (yellow plum) and licorice, vanilla cream and Genova cake”, and the second is a “Bretagne shortbread and Manjari chocolate cube with crème brulée and caramel”. To describe them as “original” would be an understatement. Clearly the pastry chef is an artist in his own right whose creations are edible works of art.
Our meal concludes with the pastry chef’s mignardises and coffees.
Long after our feast is over, the memory and the pleasures linger on.
Nice, France ~ Le Chantecler and Musee Matisse de Cimiez
Toile peinte “Poesie Legere” par Hyppolite Lucas (1912) sur les murs de la rotonde de l’Hotel Negresco a Nice
Highlights of the day
Today had been planned for more than two months as a pilgrimage to the best food experience in Nice, lunch at the Michelin two-star restaurant of the Hotel Negresco, le Chantecler. By the way, a chantecler is a special breed of rooster which was developed in Oka, Quebec in the 1920s and known for being extremely cold resistant (which leaves me unclear as to its connection with warm and sunny Nice!).
La Rotonde Centrale de l’Hotel Negresco a Nice
The Hotel Negresco, the grande dame of Nice hotels with a prime location along the Promenade des Anglais, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and has received a fresh coat of paint and other sprucing up for its birthday. One feels like one is stepping back a hundred years into the jewel of the age, and the staff, dressed in period uniforms, help the illusion of a period otherwise long gone.
Restaurant Le Chanteclerc at the Hotel Negresco in Nice
The wonderful meals which we have experienced during our first week in Nice were mere appetizers when compared to what was in store today at the Chantecler restaurant. A Michelin two-star restaurant, le Chantecler offered us a lunch experience we will remember for a long time. Appropriately called “Menu Plaisir” (Pleasure Menu), the three-course lunch actually included also a pre-appetizer course as well as a pre-dessert course.
Restaurant Le Chanteclerc at the Hotel Negresco in Nice
The service, as one would expect in such a temple of gastronomy, was extremely well organized and efficient. One modern touch did make its way into the restaurant; I noticed that an elderly couple at the next table were busily taking pictures of the platters with their iphones, just as a Frenchman at another table was busy taking a phone picture of the bottle of wine he had ordered. Steve Jobs did change our lives and the world forever.
The lunch turned out to be a three and a half hour unparalleled affair (I know it’s tough, but someone has to do it!), which made it difficult for us to follow our plan to visit both the Musee Chagall and the Musee Matisse in the afternoon. Both museums are near each other on the hills of the Cimiez (pronounced like”See-me-hay”) district of Nice, along the same no 22 bus route; the walk between the two museums is less than fifteen minutes. Although the Musee Chagall offers free entrance on the first Sunday of the month (which is today), we elected to visit the Musee Matisse and leave the Musee Chagall for another day.
Musee Matisse in the Cimiez district of Nice
The Musee Matisse is in a beautiful location within the park around the Arenes de Cimiez (Arenas of Cimiez), Roman ruins around which a wonderful park has been built.
Part of the Roman ruins in the Arenes de Cimiez in Nice
This summer, the city of Nice has organized a special program called “Un Ete pour Matisse” (A Summer for Matisse), in which works by Matisse are displayed in eight different museums of the city. The Musee Matisse itself has a special exhibition called “Matisse, the Music in the Work”, which I found most interesting.
Matisse was a very dedicated violin player. He once said: “I’m afraid that I will turn blind. A blind man must give up painting, but not music”. Most of the ten exhibit rooms in the museum were dedicated to works by Matisse involving music, with the room about his Jazz series definitely my favorite one.
Nu au Bracelet (1940) by Henri Matisse
Among the other works exhibited today, my favorite would have to be the Nu au Bracelet (Nude with Bracelet) dating from 1940.
Quite understandably, we elected not to go out for dinner tonight, and rather had an at-home dinner of salade nicoise and pissaladiere, a Nicoise pizza with caramelized onions, anchovies and nicoise olives.
