Nice is nice (Antibes Act 2)
09 June 2012 | Port de Beaulieu
Susan Alexander
We have been in Antibes for 12 days. As Antibes is a major yachting port we decided to stay longer than usual for Trilogy to have her first service and maintenance attended to before exiting France.
We also used the waiting time to take a day trip by bus to Nice (and home by train). Nice is the heart of the French Riviera and after Marseille it is the second largest city on the French Mediterranean coast and the fifth largest in France. We wandered around the impressive new city centre, the old town and inside a 17th century palais. We strolled along the Anglais Promenade, where we puzzled how the sunbathers could possibly be comfortable on the stony beach (no sand in sight), climbed the high point (once a fort) and looked down on a quaint old working harbour that somehow coexists with the tourist yachts and ocean liners. Nice certainly was nice!
We also continued exploring the old town of Antibes. You will see in the photo gallery an ancient lavarie where the women gathered to wash clothes, old 17th century towers and many tiny alleys that ooze with character.
In one of the old streets I discovered the meeting place for the local Rotary Club, which I attended last Monday. Once behind the big old door I stepped into a beautiful courtyard where the dinner meeting was held under the stairs. The entree was a slice of black pudding pizza, followed by veal liver steak plus mash and an apricot tart for dessert. Before and during the meal, wine was served and they finished the night with a shot of limioni.
We have also enjoyed the work of sculptor designer Sylvain Subervie who had many of his pieces displayed around the Port of Antibes for the Classic yacht regatta. It was interesting for me to become familiar with the different classes for old yachts; vintage (built before 1950), Classic (built before 1976) and Spirit of Tradition and Metre Classes.
While in Antibes we spent half the time berthed in the marina and the other half anchoring in a gorgeous bay that had old Antibes as the backdrop (fabulous when lit at night) and a sandy beach with pontoon where we could safely secure the dinghy when going ashore. I particularly enjoyed the anchoring off shore, as it meant several swims off the back of the yacht. It was a pleasure to give Trilogy a clean around the waterline. A good workout and lots of fun.
Also in Antibes Rick purchased a folding bike (plus basket) which is an Orbea made in Finland with 20-inch wheels and six speed gears. It folds up quite easily and fits in our huge bow locker.
Finally, finally, finally, the Beneteau maintenance and repairs are completed and we are ready to depart for Beaulieu-sur-Mer which is not far from Monaco.