France/Monaco/Italy trip

When did we go….

• May 21 – Jun 4, 2022

 

Why did we go…

• we wanted to take in an F1 race and thought Monaco would be a great historic venue where we could also tie in time in France and Italy

 

How did we get there…

• 4 hour flight to Montreal (five hour layover where we spent time in Old Montreal) and then 7.5 hours to Nice (had a driver to take us an hour drive to the Chateau)
• return flight from Milan to Frankfurt of 1.5 hours and then 9.5 hours to Calgary
• we took Air Canada on departure and Lufthansa (Milan to Frankfurt) and Air Canada (Frankfurt to Calgary) on the return
• between our destinations we took the train which was generally efficient but at times challenging managing our luggage up and down stairs

 

Where did we stay…

Provence:

• Chateau de Berne
• Relaix Chateau property
• amazing historic property with winery/vineyards, three restaurants, beautiful grounds and pool area

 

 

 

Nice:

• Albert 1’er
• located in the heart of Nice within Old Town and a block from the ocean promenade
• small and dated room
• excellent staff (especially Lea)
• used this as our staging area to visit Monaco due to the high cost of accommodations in Monaco

San Remo:

• Royal Hotel
• located on the edge of the main shopping and restaurants area
• beautiful property
• immaculate interior and lounge area
• nice pool area overlooking the ocean

 

 

Cinque Terre:

• Locanda Il Maestrale
• in the town of Monterosso al Mare which is the most northerly of the five Cinque Terre villages
• great location just a few blocks from the ocean but a bit of a haul (15 minutes) to walk our luggage to and from the train station
• small boutique Bnb with an informal atmosphere
• excellent service from the owner Giovanni
• beautiful outdoor terrace

Milan:

• NYX
• centrally located near the train station and the main shopping district but it was an hour cab ride to the airport which is well outside of the city
• edgy urban art adorns the walls throughout the hotel

 

Where did we eat…

Chateau de Berne:

• ate most of our meals at the hotel including twice at their Michelin star restaurant where there ended up being 7-12 different courses
• La Treille (lunch, village of Moustiers Saint-Marie)

Nice:

• Carmela (lunch, excellent food and service)
• Le Safari (dinner, fun atmosphere)
• Le Koudou (lunch, indifferent service, across from the promenade)
• Le Maido (dinner, quaint, Japanese, good food and service)
• Mama Mia (dinner, not a great vibe and average food)

Monaco:

• Café de Paris (lunch, right on the F1 race track, great service, fun vibe mixing with people from around the world)

San Remo:

• Royal Hotel (lunch, hotel courtyard overlooking the ocean)
• Quintessenza (dinner, on the main shopping street, decent food)
• Di Camere (lunch, courtyard in Old Town)

• Pizzeria L’airone (dinner, fun waiter, very good food)

Cinque Terre

• El Dorado (lunch, average food)
• Belvedere (dinner, beautiful ocean view, amazing anchovies)
• Piazza Guglielm (lunch, in Vernazza, beautiful setting overlooking the ocean and the village)
• Torre Aurora (dinner, amazing ocean views)

 

 

Milan:

• SanPietro Milano (lunch, great service, excellent chow)
• Pane e Tulipane (dinner, good food, block from our hotel)

 

What did we do…

Provence:

• hired a driver (Julian) to tour us around the area where we visited the Villecroze caves, Auigines (a medieval town known for woodworking, Lac de Sainte-Croix (third largest lake in France), Gorges of Verdun (biggest canyon in Europe, spectacular site), Moustiers Sainte-Marie (rich history of ceramic craftmanship and dates back 30,000 years) and many other small villages
• visited the historic village of Tourtour (beautiful village overlooking the region, enjoyed coffee and lunch in the main square)
• attended an onsite wine experience at the Chateau which was quite informative and especially to learn how to taste/drink wine to optimize the flavor
• lounged around the property enjoying the serene pool area and walking amongst the vineyards

 

 

 

Nice:

• hired a driver/guide (Hedwig, who talked nonstop and was knowledgeable but wore on us) and toured Cannes (checked out the Cannes film festival facility/red carpet), Antibe (historic seaside village), and Saint Paul De Vence (amazing village set atop a hillside overlooking the region)
• walked around Old Town with it’s narrow passages and along the ocean promenade where we watched volleyball and boule
• sat on the beach a couple of late afternoons and dipped in the ocean
• attended the F1 event on Saturday and Sunday (great experience where we managed to hangout track side beside the casino at Café De Paris on both days as well as grabbing last minute tickets on the Saturday overlooking the incredible yachts in the harbor, tough to see much of the race as the cars fly by so quickly and couldn’t see much of the city as everything was blocked off for the race)

 

 

 

San Remo:

• toured the Old Town
• took a harrowing taxi ride up to Bussano Vecchia, which is a small village atop a mountain that has been revived by the artistic community after an earthquake destroyed most of it in 1887

 

 

Cinque Terre:

• took a boat ride on both days visiting the picturesque seaside villages of Vernazza, Manarola, and Riomaggiore
• walked throughout our village
• hung out at the beach

Milan:

• walked Corso Buenos Aries street, which was not a great shopping street
• perused the Corso Vittorio Emmanuelle 11 shopping district, which was all high-end stores with bizarre crowds

 

 

Background…

Provence:

• wine region in southeastern France bordering Italy and the Mediterranean Sea
• known for its diverse landscape of rolling vineyards, olive groves, pine forests, and lavender fields

Nice:

• located on the French Riviera
• founded by the Greeks and later a retreat for 19^th century European elite
• population of 350,000

 

 

San Remo:

• coastal city in northwestern Italy on the Italian Riviera
• known as the City of Flowers
• dotted with breathtaking beaches and crystal clear water
• population of 50,000

Cinque Terre:

• the name means ‘Five Lands’
• comprises five villages (Monterroso el Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore)
• colorful houses and vineyards cling to steep terraces
• harbours are filled with fishing boats
• UNESCO World Heritage site
• overlooks the Ligurian Sea

Milan:

• city in Italy’s northern Lombardy region
• global capital of fashion and design
• financial hub also known for its high end restaurants and shops
• population of 1.4 million

 

What did we not do that is on the agenda for next time…

• explore more of the Provence region and other coastal cities/villages throughout both the French and Italian Riviera
• we were a month early for what is reportedly spectacular viewing of lavender fields in the Provence area
• return to Monaco when the city is not all blocked off for the race

 

Final thoughts…

• the weather was spectacular, with highs around 30 and lows in the mid teens
• the French and Italian Riviera’s offer unlimited historical cities/villages
• the language in both France and Italy only created minimal challenges as typically somebody spoke enough English to get us by
• the days start and end later with 7 p.m. being considered an early dinner seating
• dinners were always slow and relaxing, which seemed to be their way of life
• lots of people bring their dogs to restaurants, and they always seem to be well behaved
• all of the coastal communities are more hilly than expected, so it was tough in the heat to explore all the areas
• smoking was quite common and something we are not used to anymore
• it was often challenging to carry luggage up and down stairs at train stations and hotels where there were no elevators