by Mandeep Gaygoat
After spending a couple of days in Taunton, Somerset, we drove to a vegan restaurant in Bristol:
Cafe Kino
108 Stokes Croft,
Bristol,
Avon
T: +44 117 924 9200
W: www.cafe-kino.com
As it was a Saturday we managed to find parking in a side street, please note, there are parking restrictions in force on weekdays.
The area seems to be a very arty side of Bristol, there was some fantastic graffiti on the surrounding buildings.
On entering Cafe Kino you feel a fantastic vibe, the staff are friendly and have a great knowledge of the ingredients of the dishes.
We both ordered the breakfast. A great selection, ‘sausage,’ ‘bacon,’ beans, fried bread, mushrooms, hash browns and tomato. As Sangeet does not eat gluten the cafe substituted the sausage, hash brown and bread for home made chips and a slice of chickpea base pizza.
My breakfast:
Sangeet’s breakfast:
Whilst at the counter I noticed a awesome chocolate cake, so just had to order a slice:
The breakfast was enjoyed by both of us and we can definitely recommend this restaurant. There are lots of good options (soup, stew, burgers, falafel, salads to name a few…and some tasty desserts). The atmosphere was very relaxed, nice to see people reading and slowing down.
by Mandeep Gaygoat
Hilton Dartford Bridge Hotel
Masthead Close,
Crossways Business Park,
Dartford
T: + 44 1322 284444
Checking in was great, friendly and efficient staff. Unfortunately the hotel was let down by the very basic hotel room it is in dire need of an update for example nicer carpet, curtains. Also, the room had no slippers or dressing gown.
Hilton are known for their good breakfasts, this hotel was no different good choice of breakfast. Go healthy with the cereals, toast or go for the fry up!
by Mandeep Gaygoat
The French Riviera is a fantastic location and we are very fortunate to have it on our door step. The people are very friendly and 99% of the locals recognised us as Sikhs.
The hotel, La Chèvre D’Or is worthy of being a member of the Relais & Chateau for it’s location and rooms. The staff are not as helpful and sometimes unfriendly, you get the feeling they are only doing the job because they have to. We have stayed at other hotels where staff have shown passion in their work and will bend over backwards to make your stay, delightful.
For vegetarians I would not recommend the 2 star michelin restaurant. The chef could have used more then the basic fruit and vegetables for our dishes!!
Loving Hut in Menton is a fantastic restaurant and definitely worth the visit. The food and service are very good.
Eze village is a great medieval village and has quaint galleries and cafes. Off season the location is quiet and peaceful, I can imagine that in the height of summer this will get very busy and crowded.
by Mandeep Gaygoat
This morning we both watched the sunrise again, it was spectacular
On a Sunday they have a flea market on the road leading up to the medieval village
Today is also our last day here, we fly back to the UK. It has been a fantastic few days and we were sad to leave this awesome location. On a happier side we are only two hours direct flight from here so will definitely come back to explore different areas.
We headed back to the hotel to checkout. Afterwards we visited a gallery where we saw a very nice painting of Eze, unfortunately it was closed. We walked up to another gallery but decided against purchasing a painting from there, not to my high standards! Well after staying at this hotel my standards have gone up!!
On the way out we met Merlin and Susie, it was great to see them again. Hopefully we shall meet soon.
We drove back to Nice taking the lower basse corniche
The drive goes through Cap Ferrat.
Cap Ferrat is situated in Alpes-Maritimes département, in southeastern France. It is located in the commune of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
Saint Hospitius lived here as a recluse during the sixth century. Thus, the cape is sometimes called Cap-Saint-Hospice or Cap-Saint-Sospis.
Once the domain of King Leopold II of Belgium, Cap Ferrat is now graced with a number of magnificent villas. The writer W. Somerset Maugham bought Villa Mauresque (originally built for Leopold’s father-confessor) in 1928 and lived there before and after World War II. He described it in a letter to his nephew, Robin Maugham, as “the escape hatch from Monaco for those burdened with taste.” Current famous residents include Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in Villa Maryland and theatrical composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Driving through Cap Ferrat, one can smell the money!!
Once we got to Nice we drove around this town, a town like any other, big, busy, people are in a rush (even on a Sunday!!) we also drove around the Promenade Anglais, a celebrated promenade along the Mediterranean at Nice, France.
Before Nice was urbanized, the coast at Nice was just bordered by a deserted band of beach. The first houses were located on higher ground well away from the sea.
Starting in the second half of the 18th century, the English took to spending the winter in Nice, enjoying the panorama along the coast. When a particularly harsh winter up north brought an influx of beggars to Nice, some of the rich Englishmen proposed a useful project for them: the construction of a walkway (chemin de promenade) along the sea.
The city of Nice, intrigued by the prospect of a pleasant promenade, greatly increased the scope of the work. The Promenade was first called the Camin deis Anglés (the English Way) by the Niçois in their native dialect Nissart. After the annexation of Nice by France in 1860 it was rechristened La Promenade des Anglais, replacing the former Nissart name with its French translation.
We drove past Speak Easy, vegan restaurant in Nice
Le Speakeasy
7 rue Lamartine,
06000
Nice,
France
Unfortunately it was closed, so as we had three hours to spare before our flight home we decided on driving on to Antibes.
Antibes is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
It lies on the Mediterranean in the Côte d’Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is within the commune of Antibes. The Sophia-Antipolis technology park is northwest of Antibes.
There are 48 beaches along the 25 km (16 miles) of coastline that surround Antibes and Juan les Pins.
Museums
Archaeology Museum This museum sits atop the Promenade Amiral de Grasse in the old Bastion St Andre, a 17th-century fortress. The museum’s collection focuses on the classical history of Antibes. Many artifacts, sculptures and amphorae found in local digs and shipwrecks from the harbour are displayed here. The views of the sea and mountains from the promenade are also spectacular.
Naval Museum of Napoleon Housed in a 17th-century stone fort and tower, this museum presents a collection of Napoleonic memorabilia, paintings and naval models. Several wall paintings show historic moments in Napoleon’s reign and there are also pieces of his clothing such as one of the hats he once wore.
Picasso Museum This museum houses one of the world’s greatest Picasso collections: 24 paintings, 44 drawings, 32 lithographs, 11 oils on paper, 80 pieces of ceramics, two sculptures and five tapestries.
La Tour Museum This small museum in the centre of town brings the contemporary history of Antibes to life through its exhibit of costumes, tools, photographs and other objects used by the local people.
Absinthe Museum The Absinthe Museum is located in a basement in the Roman foundations of Old Antibes. It is dedicated to the manufacture and appreciation of this green liqueur.
It would be nice to revisit Antibes to look around the museums when we have more time in the future.
Here we had a hot chocolate at a nice Italian cafe
Well I had hot chocolate, Sangeet had an apple juice.
The rain had now stopped and the sun had come out and brightened everything up. It is amazing how when the sun comes out everything just looks so much better. We went for a walk along the coast
One has to be careful whilst walking here as there is plenty of renegade dog leavings. I really do not know why owners cannot clean up after their dogs!!
After a short while we headed to the airport, returned the car to Avis and boarded our plane.
Poster at the airport
by Mandeep Gaygoat
This morning we watched the sun rise.
After a relaxed morning in the suite, we walked to Eze village. Here in France because there is no artificial preservatives, one has to eat the bread on the same day it is made. The bread tastes fantastic, so off we went to get some more!
View of the medieval Eze village from the village below.
The boulangerie!
The lady recognised us as Sikhs, which is always great to see. She saw a documentary on Nihang Sikhs and it impressed her very much. She shared the information she learnt with us. She was also laughing when she said the British used to be in India, now the Indians are in England!
Eze village
We then popped into the local supermarket to get snacks.
Hotel entrance
After a fantastic breakfast we then enjoyed the hotel grounds.
Views from the hotel grounds
Hotel swimming pool
Many of the staff here knew we are Sikhs, they are always happy to see us.
Around the hotel there are a number of statues
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gaygoat/86761752
Steps leading to and from the hotel to the gardens
Your move
After having a walk around the hotel gardens, we came back to the suite so I could enjoy a snack!
We then went for a walk around the medieval village of Eze.
Here there are many galleries and cafes
Another picture of the many artists here
At the top of the village is Jardin Exotique, an amazing garden growing many cacti and other plants. The entry fee is 6 Euros per person.
Views overlooking the village
An Agave plant
Back at the hotel, where cars like this Aston Martin were a familiar sight
In the evening we drove to Loving Hut, Menton. You would think by now we would have been bored of this restaurant, but honestly speaking this has been a superb restaurant with great food and great company. It has a fantastic energy, the staff are so calm and peaceful.
Passing Monaco on the way
After Monaco we drove through Cap Martin
One of the many huge houses here
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (Ròcabruna Caup Martin in Occitan, Roccabruna-Capo Martino in Italian) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France between Monaco and Menton. The name was changed from Roquebrune to differentiate the town from Roquebrune-sur-Argens in the neighboring Var Department.
At Loving Hut
Back at the hotel
Night time walk around the medieval village
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