Collioule, Avignon, Lyon Cullism's photos around Lyon, France
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Entry from: Lyon, France
Entry Title: Collioule, Avignon, Lyon
Entry:
DAY 27 FRI Margaret awoke feeling more than a little ill. This was not good as we had a rath** long drive ahead of us. Our original itin**ary called for us to drive to P**pignan, stay at a Formule 1, look around, then continue on to Avignon. Our Dutch dinn** companions had suggested that we abandon this plan and visit the French coastal town of Collioule instead. Briton that she is, Margaret decided that she would be able to get us to our destination. On the map the road looked decidedly squiggly which we knew would translate into v**y, v**y bendy roads. It was the first time we had put aside our comput**-gen**ated itin**ary and relied entirely on our road map. The route was indeed squiggly and narrow, which didn't help Margaret's nausea. Once we reached the V**milion Coast the scen**y was something to behold. I ranked it second only to the Amalfi Coast as the most beautiful ocean road we had navigated. The bord** post between Spain and France was des**ted which meant that our passports would contain no evidence that we had ev** visited the form**. The local French driv**s w**e just as crazy as their Spanish brethren and swept around blind corn**s at alarming speeds. We inched around such corn**s at a snail like pace, eyes glued to the side of the road to avoid driving ov** the cliff and into the sea. Collioule was a v**y picturesque town stretched around a bay. Th**e w**e no parking spots to be found, though we did drive into a caravan park accidentally. How would we find a place to stay if we couldn't park? Eventually we stopped just outside of town at a lookout and I walked down to the nearest hotel. It was a v**y nice place and, for a rath** large amount of money, I was able to get a room with a balcony ov**looking a small bay. On the way back to the car I surreptitiously attempted to take a photo of a couple of young ladies bathing topless on the beach at the bottom of the cliff. When I had the film developed back in Sydney I was disappointed to find that I had only managed to take an extremely sharp picture of a fence; ev**ything else was blurred. Margaret was still feeling unwell, but ev** the stoic, walked with me down the hill and into town. Collioule was the French equivalent of The Entrance, though a little more stylish. The beach was full of people in various stages of undress ranging from the completely clad who glowed red as they baked on their deck chairs to the topless girls who shone with oil. Needless to say th**e was no sand, only pebbles. I obtained a map of the town from the tourist office. The two girls behind the count** w**e stunningly beautiful and I thrust my chest out, projected my self-acknowledged charm, then tripped going out the door. Margaret writes: It is the first time we have driven near the French coast and the Medit**ranean and it is v**y beautiful. The wat** is a deep blue and the houses on the coast give a distinct feeling of the Rivi**a; a poor man's Rivi**a though we are not far from Nice. The only thing spoiling the picture is the lack of yellow sand on the beaches, instead one sees grey pebbles and dirt and, I might add, people lay on it on their towels, some topless, some in bath**s and some in clothes. I think that if I needed to sunbathe h**e I would at least bring my deckchair. Nev**theless it is beautiful and now that the weath** has warmed the flow**s are starting to bloom which adds to the picturesque scene. I am sitting on the balcony while Michael has decided to go and dip his delicate toe in the Medit**ranean, just so that he can say he has. He declined a swim in the hotel pool, I might add. I watch the French with their dogs, which they bring with them on holiday. They range from small poodles to large Labradors and are treated as special memb**s of the family. They are allowed into hotels h**e and yet you nev** smell them. Michael still hasn't returned. I hope aft** his two be**s and ...
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Photos from this trip:
1. Collioule on the Vermillian Coast
2. Further along the road
3. Le Pont D'Avignon
4. Lollipop shop in Lyon
5. Lyon by night
6. May Day in Avignon
7. Not real people!
8. On the road in france
9. Our splendid hotel in Avignon
10. Palais des Papes
11. Place de Horloge
12. Roman Theatre, Vieux Lyon
13. The Basilica in Lyon
14. Typical lunch, Avignon
15. View of Lyon from Basilica
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