Wednesday 26 May: Cote d’Azur to Genova.

We shared a delightful breakfast then a sad farewell to Maryvonne as JL and I headed off to the station and on to Lyon. Another reluctant farewell to JL who had looked after me like my Dad, since the moment I had arrived.

                           Ranger Rex: "HERE WE GO.....OFF ON ANOTHER ADVENTURE!!"

Lyon - Avignon with its wide impressive river – Aix-en Provence – Marseilles – Toulon as I glimpsed the Mediterranean Sea – Les Arcs – Draguignon – St Raphael ( St Tropez was just the other side of the bay...thanks GT) Cannes – Antibes showing off the largest mariner – Nice where I wandered the streets for an hour then munched on the picnic lunch JL had packed for me (baguettes filled with yummy cheeses, pork and pickles and fruit) while I waited on the platform for my next train.

Beaulieu sur Mer – Eze sur Mer – Monaco then straingt onto the next train to share the carriage with 3 very loud, excited Italian women! Enormous ships/yachts, steep, high houses on cliff face...of course very Med! –Ventimiglia = my arrival into Italy and a quick walk to the sea, dragging my bag behind me! A Brilliant sun beat down onto a beach of tiny stones. Very enticing!

Bordighera – long narrow beaches and colourful change boxes – my own 1st class 6 seater carriage but...no air-conditioning! The next part of the journey was spent mainly underground racing through very long tunnels – San Remo...didn’t see it!... but when we did emerge the landscape had changed! We had mountains on our left and the Sea immediately on our left! I needed a nanna nap as the heat was lulling me to sleep but I hoped Genove wasn’t too far away and I didn’t want to miss my stop. I tried learning some basic Italian words but couldn’t really concentrate when we arrived at Savena: Yes this town was on my very basic map and suddenly I was sure that I was on the right train, heading in the right direction...it seemed to be taking so long! Genove...I’ll be there soon!