Around the Riviera

On our last day - a day in Menton where we were staying at the Prince de Galles - good, modern but a bit of a long walk to the centre - we took the train to Monaco and spent the morning looking around the old town - see the album for the trip for a few photos. Back to Menton and I had an afternoon around the old town enjoying the architecture and colours before enjoying a lavender and mango ice-cream outside the Jean Cocteau museum - camp? never! - alas I didn't get inside.


I waited for Beth to get from the hotel and we then looked around the Basilique St Michel - it has a long lunchbreak.. not opening until 3:30 - and then made plans for an early evening (well 7pm) meal at Martin et fils restaurant next to the Menton market. This place isn't mentioned in the InnTravel notes but we'd recommend it! Good veggie menus and the main meateater enjoyed a whole Dorade!

Down to Menton

The next day was the final long walk from Sospel to Menton (or at least from where the taxi dropped us at the Col de Castillon -giving us a helping hand).

From there we walked up to the Baisse de Scuvion:



we then had a route finding discussion where - fortunately - I was overruled - there were 5 of us at this point so lots of comparing notes! There was then a gentle descent to the Col St Bernard. Not gentle enough , and the notes said Careful I wasn't and tripped over my walking poles and ended up full length on the ground! - the 'careful' was on route finding rather than any tricky underfoot stages! I was very grateful that I'd been walking along with another party as I would have been otherwise on my own. I was rather bruised but managed to continue on the steeper downward section to the coast. And it was a steep descent and a dodgy walk through an underpass under a motorway. But then the Menton seafront and cafes restored us. That evening we ate at A Braijade Meridiounale flaming skewers in the old town. Definitely worth the experience, we were given too many digestifs and made our way unsteadily back to the hotel.

Here's the street containing the restaurant:

alas my phone focussing...

To Italy

On the day in Sopel I ended up doing a walk I didn't intend - or most of it! There's an easier walk but I ended up on the Piène Haute walk and followed it as far as the Italian border when I returned by the way I came. The day before we'd commented that we hadn't done a walking trip in Italy so this walk nearly changed that!

Border posts are a little less active than they were post Schengen:

1943 was when Italy changed sides and supported the Allies. The walk was pleasant and shady with views over the river canyons. It appears that I made the right decision to turn around at the border as another party found the rest of walk was difficult route finding.

Afternoon was spent at the hotel admiring the views of the mountains and Sospel. We had mixed views about the hotel, beautifully situated, food was good but the management was a little off-hand (at least to us!). There were now 4 Inntravel parties all heading to Menton the next day so the evening was spent finding each other and deciding who was going in what order!

The GR52A over to Saorge

So the next day was the longest walk of the holiday, an early breakfast and then repeating the ascent I'd done the day before - I did wonder whether I should have taken a tent and camped out the day before!



The ascent was successfully negotiated and half way through the morning I was overtaken by other (younger!) Inntravellers, though we kept more or less together for the rest of the walk - it helped to pace me. The picture above is from the Baisse d'Anan at 1555m - another steep uphill scramble before these wonderful views. We found golden retrievers up there with bells on their collars - clearly sheep herders though a border collie appeared to be doing most of the work! We stopped for lunch further down. Alas there weren't the flower filled Alpine pastures that we'd seen on Saturday. We carried down to the small town of Saorge and I was pleased to have made the walk in just over 6 hours - when the walk notes suggested 8 hours. This gave us more time for a look around the very scenic Saorge.



Not only houses like the above but being nestled in a high valley, if you do this route try to take the time - even if tired!! - to walk around the village. You'll get views like this from just below:



There was then drinks at the Cafe Heinz and a taxi transfer to the Auberge Provencale in Sospel. A hotel just out of the town but with excellent views over it.

Two Walks

The next day I decided upon 2 walks - the first was of the InnTravel suggested walks around La Brigue to Notre Dames des Fontaines - linked to the French wikipedia page the English version has far less information. This was an amazing place with 15th/16th C frescoes. My pictures weren't good so here's a documentary (in french) off youtube - even if your French is not good the pictures are amazing!



It's a relatively short walk from La Brigue - the church is open at 10am and there's an entrance charge of 4€. I then walked back to the village for lunch - there's a Sunday market.

After lunch I wanted to check out the steep section of the GR52A that was the (longer) walk for the next day. As I would be on my own I wanted to be comfortable with the initial challenge without having to be concerned about the time. I almost gave up there's some very punishing climbing - I'd decided I'd had enough and with the phone checked out google maps and discovered I was 200m from the first Baisse (col) and the Inntravel walking instructions said the last 150m were level so I staggered round the corner and it was true! I returned fortunately getting off the exposed bit before rain and a thunderstorm arrived!



It was a useful reconnoitre to also make sure of the route-finding!

Vallée des Merveilles

The next day - as an extra - paid for at the hotel, we set off early for a trip to the Vallée des Merveilles where we were led - very well and knowledgeably by Sebastien the son of the hotelier - a photographer and guide. We weren't certain what we were going to see but a spectacular day was much enjoyed with the high mountains, the wildlife - ibex, chamois and marmots, alpine flowers, the Bronze Age carvings and the walks.



you can just see a marmot relaxing with a mountain view in the picture.

The Vallée was around a 30 minute drive from our hotel - a 4x4 being essential - the tour started with walks in the meadows viewing flowers and wildlife then up to the higher area to see the carvings (and lunch) and finally a tricky descent through snow back to the vehicle - it was early in the season hence still some snow. We heard a lot about the history - both of the groups who carved the images and of their discovery and preservation from our guide. We'd recommend the trip! You can see more images of the day if you visit the picture and click the 'Vallée des Merveilles' tag.

La Brigue

Another year, another holiday and again an InnTravel walking tour, the Maritime Alps walking to the coast.


The holiday - after a flight to Nice - started in La Brigue - unfortunately Beth had twisted her ankle in a practice walk before we left - so I did much of the walking alone while she indulged in gentler occupations. I spent a pleasant in a short walk around La Brigue while we both considered the next day's excursion to the Vallée des Merveilles. The album for the holiday is here - a little more tagging needs doing but I think it's all there.

We stayed at the Hotel Mirval for 3 nights (taking an extra night to get our bearings). Some hotel facilities were a bit basic but the food and the welcome was good. And then there were the views from our room...