With the weather as our guide, we change plans from southern Italy to Greece. This allows us a quick stop in Roma. Now there is a lot to see in Rome and we know that there’s no way to cover it in 24 hours but we do our best.

While we wait to check into our room we sit in a small cafe and savour the food and wine. Not seeing much at this point but you could say exploring the senses.

After that we swing into full gear, cameras ready and off we go.  The sights are there in full splendor,  images I’ve seen hundreds of times only now the hoards of people that are also flocked here make the experience quite different from the Roman holiday planned.

 

We cross over into Italy by train making our way to Florence or Firenze as they say here.  I love the train, the gentle motion as you glide by  the towns and villages, the breathtaking sea views in the distance.

We spend a few days here,  taking in the sights as I fight a nasty cold. My first one of the trip though and it’s not going to keep me down too much.

There is lots to see in this Tuscan city and the surrounding area is lovely. Pity we don’t have the time savour the area a little longer, but that seems to hold true wherever we go. I feel another trip in the not too distant future.

We quickly learn here that anything you want to see requires long lines, advance tickets or both. We instead enjoy wandering around the city, enjoying the sights and markets.

Pisa

The weather here hasn’t been our friend but we decide to take a chance and head to Pisa….heard there was some cool tower there. It’s pouring rain as we board the train but magically disappears as we pull out of Florence.

Pisa is another picturesque walled city, not big but large enough to have a long walking street with interesting shops and restaurants.

We set off down the street, admiring the shops and sights and wind our way along until we turn a corner and that’s when my jaw dropped.  Such a sight to see!

 

Cannes is a lovely town on the beautiful French Riviera. Home to the famous Cannes Film Festival which will take place in a few weeks.  The rich and famous will come to play and I’m sure this place will triple in size.

I was surprised to see that not only were there expensive hotels and the usual high prices stores, but also regular apartment buildings and shops as well.

We stay in a charming boutique hotel with a wonderful staff that serves not only breakfast but a 3 hour all-inclusive happy hour from 6 to 9 with drinks and snacks.  We’re on the top floor that’s either a hike up the stairs (good for all those croissants I’ve been eating) or a ride up in the most interesting elevator I’ve ever been in.

We hit the boardwalk and take in the sights. The marina is full of large, luxurious yachts, such fun to look at! What a long stretch that even after 10km we aren’t finished, but our bellies are demanding food so we head back to one of the many delightful but expensive restaurants.

We had  heard about a lovely island just 20 minutes away so we decide despite the cloudy day to take the ferry over.
St Marguerite’s is a about an 8 km island, no cars, just pathways, old fort and lush forests. A little rain did nothing to dampen the beauty of this place.

Monaco

Several train stops from Cannes is Monaco and we decide it would   great to spend the day in Monte Carlo.

Not sure but the yachts maybe a little bigger here, maybe.

They are preparing for the grand prix in a few weeks, and signs of the upcoming event are everywhere.

This area is going to be hopping in a few weeks and as much fun it might be to check out the rich and famous, I’m just as happy to be moving on.  In the meantime this is a beautiful place and we take in as many of the sights as we can.

Did we gamble at all?? Yes but didn’t lose enough to have to cut short our trip, nor win enough to extend it.

The train is an awesome way to travel but Lisbon is at least a 11 hour trip to Madrid so instead we fly ahead to our next destination of Marseille.

We don’t have a long stay here, but we make the most of the day and a half exploring all we can.  So much to see here, we know we really needed more time but that holds true for most places.

For our last supper here we head to the vieux port which is close to our hotel. Its touristy and as usual typically over priced but we find a restaurant, sit, savour our wine and enjoy our $70 dinner of hamburgers.

Tomorrow we catch the train for another new adventure!