I was unable to post the Menton link so I started a new post and it still wouldn't post. Sorry see next post.

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We stayed in Menton in this one and visited the Ventimiglia market Pal mentioned above:Trip Report from Menton and Lyon

Have a super trip and please report back about all you did (and ate)!

It’s wonderful to come home from a long day at work to discover so many wonderful suggestions!


@ StuDudley: Thank you very much for your itineraries – I look forward to learning from them. It seems that my difficulty with gorges wil be deciding which to include – a nice dilemma, if a difficult one. BTW, welcome home!

@ HappyTrvlr: Thanks for seconding the recommendation of Eygalières, making sure I plan to visit the Villa Kerylos (which sounds like a fascinating – and pleasant -- way to add to the architectural diversity of my trip), and for recommending that I walk there from Cap Ferrat (the description of the promenade that I just read is enticing).

@ bilboburgler: I’ll keep those gardens in mind when I plan a trip to that part of Italy.

@ PalenQ: It seems that Cimiez will be home to a folk festival through much of May – that could be fun!

@ TDudette: Thanks for linking in your trip reports! I believe we share a love of art, so I’m sure I’ll find some very helpful information in them. And yes, I will report back.

I see no mention of Vaison la Romaine, and environs

St-Remy-de-Provence makes a good day - along with nearby Les Baux-de-Provence - but in St-Remy check out the asylum where van Gogh committed himself after slicing off an ear in Arles and once in the asylum he cranked out many now world-famous portraits of local scenes - copies of these have been set up around the asylum and in town. Asylum is in a bucolic area on edge of town.

https://www.google.com/search?q=st-r...ih=614&dpr=1.5

Assume you know about Les Baux - the dead city high on a plateau with views for miles around- buses are sporadic but both can be reached by public bus.

@ tomboy: Thanks for mentioning Vaison la Romaine! At least one trip report I read recently suggested that those who have already been to Pompeii and Ephesus – as I have (not to mention Herculaneum) – might not want to make it a priority. I wonder if you – or others! – have any thoughts about that?

@ PalenQ: As an art lover, and a lover of van Gogh in particular – I certainly plan to visit the sites associated with him in Arles, inlcuding the asylum. And I look forward to Les Baux, including its Carrières de Lumières. Thanks for checking to make sure I know of them, and also knew that there are public transportation options for visiting them.

I thought you knew but never know - curious have you been to Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris?

Cheers - so exciting to plan trips and makes them all the better once there.

The Roman ruins in Vaison are disappointing, IMO. The public toilets seem to be the "main" attraction - for youngsters, anyway The arena has been over-restored.



The most interesting section of Vaison is the medieval part on the "other" side of the river from the Roman ruins.


Stu Dudley

Yes Vaison was not that awesome but I still remember the neat feeling of sitting in arena in the evening and watching a nice production. Forgot what it was but a neat feeling.

@ PalenQ: I have not been to Auvers-sur-Oise, but of course, would love to see it. For better and worse, the world is full of places I want to see!

@ StuDudley: Thanks for sharing your observations of Vaison. And BTW, a comment in your itineraries helped me understand your reaction to gorges – if I read correctly, you want to see them from the base. I’ve had wonderful experiences of canyons from both their tops and and their bottoms, and hope to use your remarks to help me choose wisely.

kja,
We took a bus from Nice to Villa Ephrussi, toured the villa and it’s extensive gardens. Then walked down the hill to the town of St-Jean for lunch followed by the walk to Villa Kerylos. It was easy to get a bus from Beaulieu back to Nice.it was one of those perfect travel days.

@ HappyTrvlr: Thanks! That does sound like a perfect travel day.

The gorges in the Gorges du Tarn area can be seen by car from both the bottom & top. I've been disappointed with several of the "top" views because of haze or sun exposure (looking into the sun). Yep - I prefer the bottom views where I can easily see both sides of the gorge at the same time.


Stu Dudley

kja: We've not been to Pompei, Ephesus, or Herculanean, so can't comment. We just like the Vaucluse in general, with Vaison as its center. The villages just south of it, incl Gigondas, resonate for us.

FWIW, we enjoyed the Gorge du Tarn more than Gorge Verdon. Too many cyclists on the latter, and driver must look at road, not down in gorge.

@ tomboy: I'll be sure to take a close look at Gigondas and other villages in the Vaucluse -- thanks! FWIW, I thought Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Ephesus each very special (and different from one another), so if ancient Rome interests you, I hope you are able to see one or more of them some time.

@ tomboy & StuDudley: These comments about the gorges are very instructive -- thank you both! I don't expect to travel as far west as the Gorges du Tarn on this trip, but I'm adding a BOTTOM level drive through the Gorges de l'Ardèche to my high priority list (particularly because the Pont d'Arc absolutely WILL be part of this trip). As a solo traveler, I am all too painfully aware that scenery is not an option when I'm driving, so if I go to ANY gorge for a top-side view, I'll be looking for a drive with a number of easy pull-offs for panoramic views.


My trip is slowly, but steadily taking shape -- thanks again to one and all!

You might get some ideas from the latter part of my trip report. I think the SE portion starts at October 23 posting:

FRANCE 10 YEARS ON: Paris Dordogne Albi Toulouse Arles S Rhone and Nice

Sounds like you have a fine trip in the making.

I agree that the Gorges du Tarn is the best of the gorges drives, and that the bottom level is preferable. You don't know road fear until you've met a convoie exceptionelle on the upper level.

As I recall, the Pont d'Arc is the ONLY bottom portion around the Ardeche gorge. And there are fewer Michelin 3 star belvederes that you can pull off onto, than in the Verdon Gorge. Check the Michelin Green Guide for the number of 3 star belvederes in both gorges and note that most of them in the Verdon gorge are on the one-way & narrow Route des Cretes loop. Also consider the gorges I mentioned that are about 1 1/2 hrs from Nice.



Stu Dudley

One place I loved and which is possibly on your radar is Rocamadour - a famous pilgrim mecca I've seen called the most visited place in France outside of Paris and Mont-Saint-Michel - the whole city is lovingly built into and up a cliff. Too touristy for some but I loved it:

https://www.google.com/search?q=borr...w=1269&bih=614

>> I don't expect to travel as far west as the Gorges du Tarn on this trip,<<




If the Gorges du Tarn are too far west for her - then Rocamadour is certainly too far west also.


Stu Dudley