Road Trip in France pt. 5
We went from sunny, warm Nice through the winding roads and snow of the mountains, on the way to Grenoble:
Grenoble was rainy and quiet:
We went to the market, which was bustling in spite of the weather. Here is a stack of specialty cheeses:
The we went on to Lyon. Upon entering the main square we came across this charming scene—the music and dancing went on for hours, with folks wandering through the square stopping to enjoy the music:
Every town in France has a public bicycle rental system. In Lyon, it’s Vélo’v. Anyone with a registration number can come by, pick up a bike, and leave it at any other stand around the city.
Children playing in Place Carnot.
Old Lyon historic district across the river:
Horse meat for sale:
Road Trip in France pt. 4
Nice is nice. Really nice. It’s a bright, pretty Mediterranean city.
The weather turned unseasonably warm and the sidewalk cafes were bustling:
We observed that the further South ones goes in France, the more folks are on two wheels. Motorcycles, scooter, and bicycles abound in the Côte d’Azur.
We walked along the waterfront and came across this gentleman selling his art:
Beautiful Art Deco signs and buildings dot the landscape of Nice:
We walked over to the bustling Cours Selaya market area, near Vieux Nice (Old Town).
We had to try the socca—The chickpea griddled-cakes are a specialty of the Côte d’Azur region, baked over a fire and served with black pepper:
The we strolled through the swanky central shopping district:
And then back to Old Town:
We arrived in Nice just in time for the annual Carnival, which was scheduled to begin the next evening. Here’s the classic “taking a picture of each other taking a picture” near the stands:
These children were having a blast playing with Silly String while the adults enjoyed the Carnival:
The final installment will be coming soon… Next up: Grenoble, Lyon, and back to Paris.
Road Trip in France pt. 3
The next day was a drizzly, rainy Sunday, but there was work to be done! First, we made a quick stop in the graffiti-ridden city of Marseille:
Then, on to Antibes:
We came across an absinthe bar! Unfortunately, it was too early in our workday to try any samples:
Off to Nice tomorrow!…
Road Trip in France pt. 2
From Sarlat-la-Canéda we went on to Montpellier:
Here’s something interesting about France… Every town has a carousel:
Then a little side trip to Nimes. There is a Roman coliseum in the center of town! Smaller than the one in Italy, but still:
We arrived in Aix-en-Provence at dusk, with enough time to walk around the center of town:
The town carousel, in full swing:
Next up: Marseille and Antibes! Check back tomorrow…
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Bay Area-based Blackbird Photography was founded in 2001 by veteran photographers Jennifer Pickens and Tiffany Black. Began as a pet portraiture business because of their mutual love of animals, Blackbird has since expanded its award-winning craft to weddings, travel essays, photojournalism, and professional portraits for local and international clients. These unique artists have combined their contrasting styles to create a broad and multi-faceted body of work.
