Bonjour la France
Despite extensive research on how to exit Italy and enter France, we had no clear understanding of what we needed to do other than that we had to relinquish our Italian Constituto, a transit log and our entry declaration which we had acquired seven weeks ago when we arrived in Sicily. At that time we had reported to the Guardia Costiera to complete the paperwork (certificate of competence, registration certificate, vessel insurance) and get our passports checked. We’d been told we needed to return the document to the authorities when we left the country. But where? We walked around Imperia looking for the coast guard, the harbor master, the port authority, the national police….anything. We finally located the coast guard (nowhere near where Google maps said it was) in a large, official looking building with a locked iron gate. There was an intercom button so I rang. I explained what I wanted, heard a lot of shuffling back and forth and an english speaking person eventually came on the line. I repeated my inquiry and moments later we were met at the gate and taken inside the building where we were told to sit in the foyer while they disappeared with our documents upstairs. They returned some time later and asked us loads of questions; exactly which towns we’d visited in the last seven weeks (we may have forgotten a few under the pressure), how long we had stayed, what we had done there, and where we were going. They nodded a few times, discussed something between themselves and in the end they explained that they would need to retain our document, and then they kindly smiled and wished us on our way. Mission accomplished. Next, to figure out how to enter France.
Her shoes alone were something to behold
We had a wonderfully pleasant cruise in flat seas with sunny skies and arrived at the marina in Nice, France early that afternoon. We’d chosen Nice as a port of entry figuring there would be a coast guard station there. Once settled we set out for the harbor master, which we learned was miles away on the other side of the harbor, so we checked Google maps for the Garde-Côte. It looked like it was right in front of us, however after circling the building we could find neither a sign nor an entrance. Perhaps this wasn’t the right place? We searched the area a bit further and eventually found a locked door in the middle of a block with a tiny sign and again, an intercom. I pushed the button (Tom always makes me do the talking). That beautiful sound of english spoken with a French accent rang out. A few minutes later a short, beautifully dressed woman unlocked the door. She looked over our paperwork and said she thought we were just fine and did not need to do anything - but she would confirm with her colleague. We followed her upstairs and listened in as they discussed our situation. Yep, that was it….nothing to do whatsoever. Welcome to France!
Nice is, well…very nice. We rode our bikes along the Promenade des Anglais which has been a local landmark since the first half of 19th century. The paved walkway stretches about 4.5 miles (7 kilometers) along the beach and is lined with big hotels, luxury apartments, casinos, restaurants and the usual bakeries, grocery stores and wine shops. It is quite a lively place both day and night with joggers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
We hung out on the beach for a few minutes and discovered these beautiful blue jelly-like creatures. They looked a bit like small Portuguese Man O’War but, fortunately, they are not poisonous. Velella Velella, or By-the-Wind-Sailors, are flat oval shaped things with a triangular sail attached to their bodies which allows them to get caught up by the wind and blown across the water's surface. Scattered across the colorful pebbles of the beach they were quite beautiful.
We had a super relaxing afternoon and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset. The next day we hiked up above the port to Castle Hill (Colline du Château) which dominates the city and divides it into two parts: the eastern part with the port, and the western part with the Old Town. We started our climb at a building that looks like a huge barrel. It is the Bellanda Tower, built in 1826 and is a reconstruction of one of the bastions of the former castle. The building now houses the Maritime Museum. From the top you have a panoramic view of the ruins of the cathedral in the city center and of the Old Port.
In the Old Town the streets are occupied by restaurants, shops, art galleries and antique shops. We didn’t have time to explore this area much but you can definitely feel the spirit of this place by the tan, wrinkled faces of the old women in the upper story windows gazing out over the Promenade des Anglais as the passersby amble around the curve of the bay. There is a relaxed vibrancy to this city. Serene and lively at the same time. Exactly what you’d imagine on the French Riviera.
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