The Med -- ooo la la

Yes, I have been MIA for a bit.  I left you hanging out in Pisa with the leaning tower.  I have been busy with letters and emails home, laundry, and   . . . okay, I have been procrastinating.

So, to recap --- we left Roanne and drove to Florence (Firenze), Italy and then to Rome.  We left Rome and went to Pisa on our way back to France in time to celebrate Bastille Day (well, at least to see the fireworks).  So this is where we pick up . . . the French Riviera and Nice, Toulon, and Marseilles.

Nice smooth rocks, not sand, for a beach and in the water.  Water was cool and very salty.  It drops off very fast and has very strong currents.  The Mediterranean Sea is not to be taken lightly although at Nice it is lovely.

Well, duh -- what else are you supposed to do when you come up to a ticket plaza on the highway?

 So we enjoyed Nice (France).  After we arrived and settled into the hotel we walked along the shore and enjoyed the evening.  Some of the festivities were still continuing, building up to the fireworks at 10:00pm.  They put on a really nice show.  We walked back along the shore to the hotel afterward while some of the portable stages were still hosting different musical groups.  There were a variety of street performers and clowns as well (more pictures to come).  We spent the night in Nice and left the next morning for Toulon and Marseilles.

Kinda looks like the desert southwest, doesn't it?  This is scenery on the way to Toulon.

 I bet y'all are wondering why were we going to Toulon.  Well, that is an easy question to answer.  To tour the harbor and see their Navy base.  A base for naval operations has been there since 1599.

Entrance gate to base -- there is a sign posted that translate to No Photography Allowed

Prior to harbor tour M. Souris checks that the emergency equipment on board is in ship-shape order.

Lots of boats in the marina -- the naval vessels are out in the harbor

M. Souris decides to take a turn at the wheel (luckily this is just in the Maritime Museum)

From Toulon we continued to Marseilles.  We heard about a tour to the Chateau d'If.  If the the name sounds familiar, chances are that you have either read The Count of Monte Cristo or saw one of the many film versions.  It was an early version of Alcatraz.  We took a boat from Marseilles to the island and toured the old building.

Notice on approach -- very few windows and desolate grounds

Handsome fella at edge of ramparts with city of Marseilles in background.  Freedom so close!

M. Souris on the wall -- thinking of going for a swim?

The water is very clear and blue -- you can see the rocks from on top of the wall

Iron bars still in place although the Chateau hasn't been used as a prison for a long time

From cell window -- can see the city beyond the water -- so close, yet so far away

Leaving Marseilles behind and heading back to Roanne.  Wouldn't you know it, more mountain travel ahead.  And if you remember the 13km tunnel that we were glad to avoid meeting a 2nd time, you should see . . .

the Millau Bridge.  One of the world's highest suspension bridges (there are a few higher) and an incredible monument to engineering.  It spans a very deep river gorge.  It took them a long time to work out the design and 3 years (2001-2004) to construct it.  We saw it on a clear day.  You can find images of it where the valley below is filled with clouds and it would seem that you were driving on top of them.

We continued from here through Montpelier back to Roanne.  On our way through Montpelier the gendarmes were guarding portions of the road (and others were blockaded) as the Tour de France racers were heading into the city as that stage of the race was coming to the end.  We were in a hurry to get back to Roanne before nightfall so we didn't hang around to see the race that day.

Next blog . . .the Tour de France in Grenoble.  We went to see the time trial.  Pictures to be posted soon. :)