Saddle Up – Nice, Sept. 14th

It had to be done, to get back on Bike and set off home. Sally left for the airport and I picked up the coastal road from Nice. And what a wonderful ride it proved to be: Nice, Antibes, Juan Les Pins, Cannes – all those evocative names that lived up to their billing.

A cycle path takes you most of the way, alongside the beach, the sun shining and people out relaxing. The centre of Antibes with it’s covered market is like stepping back in time in a Renoir painting while Villeneuve Loubet with its futuristic apartment blocks shaped like sails in the wind, offers a reminder of modern times: they built it across the cycle path which comes to a dead end. However, the search for an alternative route reaps even greater dividends as it takes you through the stylish yacht marina.

And so onto Cannes, where the recommendation was to head inland to skirt the Massif de l’Esterel. This proved a daunting feat to reach the col at 1,000ft mainly because the baking sun causes leg cramps but the long downward ride into to Frejus was a suitable reward - almost.