Day 5 - Cannes to Marina di Pietrasanta

Yesterday was more about making up some lost miles rather going off the beaten track a bit or hanging around in garages with french man in oily overalls. Having said that though I managed to pay small visits to Grasse, Nice, Monaco, La Spezia and Portovenere. I did want to visit Portofino but a combination of three things put me off. I didn't want do anymore car seat gymnastics trying to get yet another motorway toll ticket (damm these bastards who have left hand drive cars), the motorway interchange was horrible just after Genoa and I forgot to enter Portofino on the Sat Nav. Its a shame to miss it out really but I needed to put a bigger driving stint in.

Grasse is a nice little place. Full of brightly coloured old houses arranged in a Krypton Factor type maze and the whole town reeks of perfume. I resisted the temptation to call the first guy I saw a "perfumed ponce". But I left there after an hour or so and down to Nice via Antibes. I drove along the promenade des anglaises, through the old town and up onto the coast road to Monaco. I made a brief stop there and then headed back up to the motorway via this incredible road that clung to the side of sheer rock faces.

Once on the motorway I headed into Italy. There was no sign of the Purple Audi A4 in a gravel car park although they did find a set of red overalls with a badge saying "I love lesbians". A rather fishy business.

After passing Genoa and navigating an incredibly difficult and completely unnecessary motorway interchange I kept ploughing on until the first AutoGrill stop to have my first real italian coffee. Nobody makes it like the italians. I don't know what they do to it but it tastes like nothing else. As usual our dear french chums have a lot to learn.

I made it to La Spezia at about 5pm and drove straight through it to Portovenere, which is the gate to the amazing Cinqueterre. I parked up in Portovenere for an hour and did a little bit of what Otis Redding enjoyed doing sometimes, it is alleged.

From there I drove back through La Spezia and into Marina di Massa where I couldn't find a hotel room, so I continued into Marina di Pietrasanta. Booked myself into a nice little hotel by the beach and dined out on beer, a nice seafood pizza and a coffee. I finished the evening off watching First Blood after hooking up the Archos to the room's enourmous TV.

Anyway. Here are some photos from yesterday.............

Which I'll post later. Or maybe a day later............

Grasse. Famous for perfumes. Edie Piaf also died there after mistakingly drinking a bootle of perfum instead of a bottle of Gin. I bet she regrets that.

Nice

Monaco

and finally Portovenere.