Toulon

Train travel is a great way to go but sometimes things can go a bit awry, our train leaving Carcassonne was delayed by 15mins because of Law Enforcement Intervention at the previous station 😲 luckily for us the train made up time and we still had 20mins to make our connection in Marseille, the platform number came up on my watch as we were getting off the train so we made our way straight there and managed to get two seats together on the free for all train. It is hit and miss here whether they check your ticket or not, we could have had a few free trips. A lovely trip down the coast and seeing the South of France beaches for the first time.
Neil was desperate to see the rugby on Saturday morning so he thought his best chance was to check out the Irish Pubs, no luck as they didn’t open until 4pm and the rugby started at 9am. Toulon is a vibrant city, restaurants everywhere and each square had its own music, we stumbled upon a square that was having a Pacifica celebration and it was packed. We enjoyed the atmosphere and a Charcuterie board with a wine. There were different Pacifica performances to enjoy. These towns keep humming until about 1am.

One thing we have noticed in France is that a lot of people smoke, especially women.
We are staying in a hotel with a pool which has been lovely considering the temperature is in the low 30’s.
I managed to sign up on the NZR+ app to watch the rugby test - Bully was one very happy chappy. This involved logging out of the hotel wifi and using my eSim internet so NZR+ app thought I was in NZ, technology can be tricky.

After the rugby, and in a happy mood with the win, we walked 30 min to the Toulon Cable Car which took us up to Mt Faron. I think we climbed half the distance before we got there. I did not feel very ladylike with sweat running down my back and legs 🥵 After a wait of 45mins to get on, it took 6mins to get to the top. I was lucky to get the prime spot against the back window and took some photos and video’s. We were squashed in like sardines, standing extremely close together (video below). A bit underwhelming when we got to the top as the trees hid most of the view, a quick turnaround and back down and I got some good photos on the way back down. There is a large military base in Toulon and a military port. Rested for the remainder of the day before heading out at 7pm for a Salmon Tartare for me and a Nicoise Salad for Neil, both so fresh and light, jazz music this time for entertainment.

Next morning we hopped on a Ferry to Saint-Manderier-sur-Mer, a 20 min ride on the ocean, the sea breeze was so welcome. Diane had told us about the beach there so we took our togs and both went for a swim. The beach we chose was not crowded, the water so warm and clean, lovely sandy bottom. There was a lot of noise further along the waterfront & when I investigated I discovered there were two boats who were having jousting competitions, I have put a video in next post as no room here. We headed back to Toulon and visited Les Halles de Toulon, a food court that offered everything your heart could desire, plus air-conditioning, always welcome.
Walked the Cours Lafayette market street and headed to the hotel to watch Tour de France, I am a big fan so happy to watch for a couple of hours and chill out.
There was a blue line painted on the pavers outside our hotel and it led all over downtown Toulon. I asked the receptionist at the hotel what it was and he said it led to all the artworks in the area as well as notable buildings. He said it was done after they had heard Banksy was in town! Personally I think that might have been a rumour to cultivate interest in their artworks, but with Banksy you would never know.
We found Toulon delightful with its decorated streets, many squares filled with cafes, flowers & music, so easy to get around and the closeness to the ocean and all it has to offer, made it a great destination for a 3 night stay.Read more