Hermione Does ...: Hermione has done France!

Beaulieu, or more correctly, 'Bow lee oh' is a pretty marina lined with shops and restaurants and a good supply of food outlets and a supermarket a short walk up in to the village. Best of all is it's mountainous backdrop.

From here it was an easy bus ride to both Nice and Monaco. Nice, the capital of the Riviera was vibrant and busy. On the bus ride there I noticed Mrs K take a sudden look to the right as we passed out of Beaulieu. It was like a sixth sense. I only just saw it. It was some kind of garden come DIY shop and it clearly called to her. Cushions!

Nice stretching out towards Promanade Anglais. It answered a question that had been niggling at me for some time. (Or rather Mr Heikell did) I had seen a number of streets named after a guy called Tobias Smollett and apparently it was here that this mad Englishman took to bathing in the sea daily much to the amusement of the locals back in 1663. A real forward thinker!

We had been enjoying internet access on the boat through our 'Free' sim card in our hotspot phone but this had now run out. We had identified a shop in Nice to try and get another one but alas it was closed. En vacance!

Another hot day made slightly worse by the fruitless search then a frantic hike looking for a bus stop to take us back only to discover they operate on a circuit and we could get on where we got off.

Next stop and perhaps one of the highlights for me was Monaco. The rich persons Jewel. Mrs K made me wash and shave and wear a (or the) stain free shirt again to go to the principality.

I was particularly looking forward to visiting the Oceanographic museum. Prince Albert 1st of Monaco was a pioneer of Oceanographic research.

Well it had to be yellow didn't it? And was more from Mr Cousteau's time here as curator. but nevertheless a fab tour in lovely surroundings.

And suitably dramatic conditions to go with it. After a surprisingly cheap lunch we went in to the cathedral to pay our respects to Grace Kelly who was married here and rests here. Then we popped in to the Palace to see if we could get a glimpse of Prince Rainier 111. A bit of a keen sailor who I am sure would have been happy to swap bodged up berthing stories but unfortunately he wasn't around. Affairs of state you know!

After a lovely walk around the cliff gardens we headed back to the bus stop and back to Beaulieu.

The weather was a bit lumpy and we had to make a decision about leaving. But we also had to visit the strange shop sighted by Mrs K. A trip up the hill to stock up and to resume the search. Would you believe it?