A very early morning start, we set off to London at 4am, I managed to get 2 hours sleep, Sangeet did not sleep!
We parked the car at my brother in laws house. It was good to see everybody especially my niece who for the first time I saw awake from a nights sleep. She does a full stretch lifts her head, has a look at who is in the room then has a snooze! Btw she is two years old.
Randeep, my brother in-law drove us to Heathrow airport, the United Airlines flight to San Francisco departs from terminal one.
Check in queues for the United Airlines flights were very long, I would advise checking in at least 2 hours prior to your flight. We checked in one and a half hours before the flight. Luckily a United Airlines staff member asked if anyone was checking in for the San Francisco flight, we were fast tracked through the queue.
Once through security we had a few minutes to browse the shops, where Sangeet purchased a scarf and rucksack.
The walk to gate 48 takes around 15 minutes.
Onboard the Boeing 747-400, the plane was looking a bit old and in need of a upgrade. I could not believe you do not get your own personal television, I thought that sharing a television between 100 other travellers was a thing of the past.
The food onboard was not the best, luckily mum had packed food for us.
After a rough flight, where I just could not sleep. We touched down at San Francisco. It is so funny , when one flies business class a ten hour flight seems like 5 hours, in economy class a ten hour flight feels like twenty hours!
At San Francisco
On arrival you go through the standard customs and baggage collection, the immigration officer was very chatty, which is unlike them….they usually do not say a thing.
We took the air train to the Hertz rental depot, picked up a rental and started the drive to Nevada City.
The traffic was heavy and it took us 4 hours where as with no traffic it would have taken 2.5 hours. I was shattered and very hungry, so we stopped off at the gas station for coffee and a bag of Funyuns. A fantastic combination.
Nearer to Shady Creek the drive was through amazing tall trees the views were breath taking….it perked me up, or was that the coffee?
The course we are attending is at:
Life-Force Formula Immersion Retreat
Wednesday June 5th– Sunday June 9th
Shady Creek Retreat Center
18601 Pathfinder Way
Nevada City,
CA Life-Force Formula Immersion Retreat
Which was taught by Jai Dev Singh.
On our arrival we registered and the very kind lady offered us some amazing food.
Whilst eating we listened to a lecture by Jai Dev Singh
After a class and yoga, which unfortunately I missed as I was asleep in the class, we headed to our cabin.
I was exhausted, as soon as my head hit the bed I was out, I would have said pillow but we did not have one!!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Hi, thanks for visiting my blog, feel free and have a look around.Here is a bit about me, as you may or may not have guessed my name is Mandeep,I work to travel as opposed to work to pay bills and die!Every trip for me is an adventure, I have been very fortunate to stumble across amazing places and meet awesome people along the way.
Why gaygoat? When I first started this blog I was a vegetarian, so gaygoat – happy goat! Also you have to admit it is catchy and a URL you will not forget!
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