On the road again.........destination: Vence in Provence & Cote d'Azur

Cote d'Azur

Destination:  Vence on the Cote d'Azur


MA and I are packing and preparing for our next journey.  This time we are headed to France, staying in a little town of Vence just north of Nice.  This area a southern France is known as Provence which extends from the border of Italy-Monaco around the coast past Marselle, inland north to Avignon and back to Italy and Alps.  Friends have asked, "Why are going there?"  MA's sister, Nola and her husband Randy, live in Corsegueles, an small village north of Vence for 6-7 months of the year and they have asked us to visit them.  In addition, it is a great place to take landscape photographs!.

I added a map of Vence and the surrounding area to show you where we will be for a week.  The name "Vence" is used often in the names of places there.  Don't confuse it with the near town of St.Paul de Vence.

We started preparing for this trip last year.  MA has learned French as a fourth language.  She is an amazing woman.  She has taken French classes at the Houston French Alliance, plus once a week with a private instructor. When I let go of the "clicker" the TV "magically" goes over to French channel! (Finally got her away from CSI!!)  I have not learned French but I can be polite and say "bon jour" and "au voir".  

I am taking two Nikon camera bodies, three lenses and a tripod in a small Swiss Army carry-on rolling bag.  I had to do this because the larger Lowe roller bag was too big for the Baboo (a Swiss airline) puddle jumper flight to Venice the following week.

If you've ever flown a long distance over several time zones your body has "jet lag" once you arrive at your destination.  The time at the new destination is 9:00 AM but your body says it's 2:00 AM, let me sleep.  So we're adjusting our time schedule to the time in Vence.  We are going to bed early and getting up at 4:00 AM these next four days and the last three days before we leave we'll get up at 3:00 AM.  Our body clocks should adjust quickly to the new time.

We arrive in Nice next Monday, 6th September.  We depart Vence and Nice the following Sunday for Venice, Italy, boarding the Ruby Princess on a cruise through the Mediterranean.  Updates to follow.