Nice-Cannes-Le Trayas

The sea in Nice is blue.
Named "Cote d'Azur", sky blue coastline. The sea in Ogasawara islands where I went last May is also blue, but another blue. Ogasawara blue is clear like jewelry. But this blue is milky blue, bright blue or pastel blue which I had seen in an oil painting. I don't say which is Gogh, Gauguin, or Renoiv, but such kind of paints is very realistic, it seems reasonable to draw this scene.

The coastline lasts as a beach for several kilometers, and a lot of people are taking for it a nap and doing water play. Although only this has many people, there is little garbage. I swam too, deeper than I thought, but not so clear. Not cold, I can relax.

At first, I went to the market. More exactly I walked around the narrow alley with no purpose, and the town around me became the market. Old towns in Europe have a mind of total coordinate. Surely, the narrow back alley of the old street is very tasteful. I think this is almost same scene that travelers lived before hundreds of years could see.
In Japan, PontoCho in Kyoto has same beautifulness like this, but PontoCho is special place. In Europe, this beautifulness is everywhere, looks unconcerned.
I bought a fruit at a market near the sea and ate it.

The old street of Antibes, where the whole harbors was surrounded by the rampart.
France -- or everywhere in Europe -- it seems that the bicycle is very respected. Cycling in Japan, especially in city area, a back car often will overtake aggressively, sometimes with horn. They might think driving back to bicycle even 10 seconds is very bad crime.
But in Europe, almost I am surprise. They take great care for cyclists. Even I am the top of procession of a traffic jam, cars behind me follow me gently. Without big free space, they never overtake. This is not special case. Not one driver or not only for me. It must be common sense in Europe. Today's bed. After passing Cannes (bypassing. I am not interested in busy place and movie star.), I go through "Massif de l'Esterel", The roadside situation is red mountains to my right side, rias coast to my left side. The road goes to high altitude, we can overview the coastline from Nice to Cannes.

I was searching a campsite, but could not find. Or since geographical feature was steep, it may be difficult to make such a thing. One mistake is forgetting a map at an tourist information. When I was tired of cycling, I was in Le Troyas. According to tourist sign, there is no campsite but one youth hostel in this town. I decided to stretch a tent in the back yard there. (This is not strange case. There is also such charge setup.)
But going to Youth hostel was tough. Yesterday was also so, both youth hostels are on an slightly elevated hill, so I must climb a remarkable steep slope although I am too tired. Instead, scenes from hostels are nice.

Do European people like to live on the top hills? People around here are easily to be attacked by barbarians if they live in flat area. This may be because the book I read now is about Roman history.
In this country, In addition to peace and water, even rest rooms are not free. I don't have coins, so it was difficult to use.

(2004 8/8)