Day 15 - 10th May. Nice->Nimes->Carcassonne

Day 15 – 10th May

Up early today at 5.55am, bags out in the hallway at 6.30am and up to the 8th floor for brekky. Werent enough tables spare, so Danni and I sat with an aussie couple and Gray sat elsewhere, which was ok as you get to talk to others on the tour. Those that did the optional yesterday said it was good, even though it cost $155 each for a drive/tour and lunch. There were a few very merry people we saw in the afternoon!!! So it was a good call for us with Danni to stay back, shop, relax and swim – we felt we got to see a lot more of the real Nice.

Onto the bus and drove for 3 hours before stopping- naughty TT’s! not meant to go more than 2 hours without stopping for the loo and a drink. However our bladders must be getting trained and we fared well!

Drove to Arles and a group of us were dropped off as we weren’t doing the Vincent Van Gogh tour. We had 2 ½ hrs to wander around and have lunch. It was good this time as Carine got off with us and showed us where to go for the best bakery in France and took us to the town square.

What a town it was- looked so old and Italian!! There were the ruins of an amphi theatre and a forum, they were pretty impressive. Walked around the narrow alleyways and looked in the shops. The prices are a little more than at home. Bought lunch from the patisserie Carine had suggested now that the massive queues were gone and walked up to the park, met Grace and Claire the 2 aussie women, and enjoyed a lovely lunch under the tree’s. It is 33 C here today!! Hot.

We spent some time trying to dodge moaning Minnie who was also there – she truly gives Australians a bad name, she just never stops complaining. Later she tortured us all by getting the Tour Director to put on a CD in the bus of pan flutes- it was akin to having your teeth pulled and you couldn’t hear your own ipods. Thankfully, Carine also hated it and came down to talk to us all as there was a group who were going to commit mutiny!!!! I said I would politely tell Minnie we weren’t having anymore if need be! So she happily turned it off and returned it to MM. It really has to be a group decision to play music as it affects everyone on the bus.

Went through Nimes on the 3 hours trip to Carcassone to drive past the roman arena built one century BC!! It also had a building called the ‘square house’ which as Carine said, isn’t square and isn’t a house!!

We drove to Carcassones medieval castle- it was amazing as it has been restored - there are about 50 people who still live there, descendants. They have been offered houses in town but they are chose to stay, so it is a living castle too!

Wandered around there for an hour or so and Graeme bought a great white linen dress shirt to replace the one that the London hotel lost!
Wandered around in the blistering heat- at least it is dry heat.

Went back to the hotel and freshened up for dinner- the restaurant is overlooking the river and the castle - many have rooms on that side with balconies, but these Irish luck descendants have a back room with a view of someone elses house?!@#! Never mind, we leave early again tomorrow.

Had a great dinner altogether then we walked down the riverbank with Grace and Claire- they give Aussies a good name and also have our sense of humour !! Grace was so funny telling us to 'watch out for the poop' everywhere! as french dogs shat anywhere and everywhere!@#@!

Off to bed as 6am wake up again tomorrow