Nice

Thursday was a lovely day. Weather again was spectacular. We spent some time in Certaldo Alto with Celia & Iain, then drove to Empoli about 30 kilometers up the road but not a lot to see there although I was able to post from there and we did again enjoy a very nice gelato. On the way back we stopped at a winery and had a tour of the wine making process, then had a bit of a tasting and bought a few bottles but only for immediate consumption as transporting is a problem and shipping economically out of the question.We got back supper time and met up with Peter & Penny who had enjoyed a nice day touring nearby Monterigionni.

Back at the Villa we ate in as we had to use up what was in the fridge. Peter & Penny took charge and prepared a nice Pasta dish with ham and tomatoes plus a salad then we finished off with a homemade (Peter) custard and cookies plus a few wines to help the digestion. We ate in as by the time the meal was ready it had cooled down a bit.

Friday was back to Florence as we still had to see David. Iain stayed home as did Penny who wanted a day by the pool. The plan was to take the train but when we got to the station we discovered the next train wasn't for another two hours so we drove. Another adventure, with traffic coming from all angles it seemed and those pesky Vespas buzzing by at breakneck speed. Safely parked, we walked to the Academia and lined up in blazing sunshine for an hour to see Michelangelo's David. The statue is truly amazing...huge...very lifelike...and with breathtaking detail. While in line we met and chatted with a nice young couple from Vancouver, clearly identifiable from the maple leaf on their back-pack, and they, like us, happy for chat about home. While Peter & I stood in line, the girls sat and had a beer.....and rejoined the line just as we were were ready to enter. After we left the Academia we bought some paintings from a street artist. They looked beautiful...hopefully we will feel the same about them once we get them home.

After, we strolled and then managed to find a Gelaterio which sold more expensive ice cream than we had enjoyed the other day...these ones the equivalent of $18 Canadian a dish....they were exquisite.....almost so good to look at you didn't want to eat them. A wonderful variety of flavours with fresh fruit and biscuits. We finished the day with a long walk to Piazzale Michelangelo. It's a bit of a climb but the views from the top are well worth it and I got (I hope) some great pics. None of us were looking forward to the walk back to the parking so we were pretty pleased with the women who somehow or other managed to snag a lift back for free on the last open top tour bus of the day. Peter & I sat upstairs sucking back on a couple of beers while the girls stayed downstairs during the 15 minute trip back to the main terminus where we had parked the car.

Once back we met up with Penny & Iain at Cere Una Volte and enjoyed our last meal in Tuscany...another wonderful dinner with (for me) roast suckling pig after starters of anchovies wrapped in sage leaves. Una had a dish of wild mushrooms and bacon and garlic.....yummy..

Back at the Villa we headed straight for bed (well Peter & I had a nightcap) as we had an early start the next day.

We had already arranged to meet our landlord at 6:30 this morning ( Saturday) to read the gas and hydro meters and get our (remaining) deposit back. He showed up promptly at 6:30 and by 7:00am we were headed north to Pisa to drop Iain & Celia off for their 10:00am Ryanair flight to Prestwick. We dropped off our rental car at Pisa airport at the same time which was a very efficient operation, taking probably less than 2 minutes.

Peter & Penny, Una & I then visited the leaning tower and the Cathedral before heading north via Genoa for France.

The scenery was spectacular along the way although we did run into a bit of rain...short lived however, and by 3:00 we had arrived in Mentone, in France and just next door to Monte Carlo. We enjoyed a lovely lobster salad for lunch as we sat on the promenade watching the topless sunbathers on the mediterranean beach. ( A hardy lot I might add...lovely and warm in the sun but a wee bit breezy out of it).

After lunch we drove maybe another 30 kilometers to Nice and after enduring horrendous traffic, eventually found our hotel. We checked in then enjoyed a parting drink with Peter & Penny before they headed further into France on their way back home.

The hotel is lovely. It has all the amenities and a lovely, almost hidden, sunken garden with a pool. We walked for a bit, finding the train station as we wanted to book our reservation for the TGV to Paris on Monday, however the ticket office was closed so we will have to go back in the morning. A quick snack on a patio with a 1/2 litre of house red and then back to the hotel where Una is sound asleep as I bang this out in the room using the Hotel's wireless internet.

We are sad to leave Tuscany where we had such a lovely time in such good company. I don't think there is any question whatever but that we will be back to visit this lovely place.

Many thanks to Iain & Celia, Peter & Penny, for joining us and contributing towards making this a memorable week. An additional thanks to P&P for letting us hitch a lift with them to Nice....a very pleasant journey.

Bonne nuit a tous from France

PS Great news tonight...Scotland 1: France 0 in a European cup qualifier...Scotland unbelievably now top of their group. Remind me to wear a Scottish shirt tomorrow.

Today's pics (a few more than usual thanks to a good connection), From Pisa and Mentone. The detailed one is a panel from the bronze door of the Pisa Cathedral dating from the 12 century, the other self explanatory...from Pisa, Una trying to stop the tower from falling and a few others including pics from Mentone.