New promenade in Nice and a statue of liberty!!!

This is the new promenade du Paillon in Nice - a wonderful green lung in the heart of Nice - (runs parallel to the sea two or three blocks inland.  Lovely for strolling on a Sunday morning with the kids - there are also some superbly designed childrens' playgrounds en route - or - play at being a big kid yourself by dodging in and out of the rythmic fountains!!!

A short video here to give you a good flavour for it.

While you are taking a turn before a welcome coffee and croissant break, or socca and a rose (with an accent!) - also head to the Quai des Etats-Unis where a (smallish!) replica of the Statue of Liberty now graces the quai, looking hopefully out to sea.

 No time like the present to enjoy the lovely spring weather down here in the Alpes-Maritimes - a perfect holiday break in France - use the knowledge of your resident experts in the Mercantour - Liz and Mel of space-between - and watch out for their new website just after Valentine's Day!!!  Enjoy some time on the coast enjoying the Nice Carnaval or Menton Lemon Festival (both from mid February), or even the Mimosa festival in Cannes-Mandelieu before taking some time out in the snow in the Mercantour - a National Park just an hour north where there is an abundance of the white stuff currently and plenty of wolves and other beasties getting ready to awaken from their winter slumbers.

Liz Lord and Mel Jones - spacebetween - self catering accommodation plus walking and adventure holidays in the Mercantour - France.

contact@space-between.co.uk

A little chi chi anyone???

After this rather mixed bag of weather over Easter - here in Berthemont les Bains in the Mercantour it started out warm and sunny and now there is cloud and a nasty Northern blast to the wind - you may well be starting to think about your next walking holiday in France or Italy.

Don't delay if you wish to come and visit your chums Liz & Mel - as their accommodation is already getting pretty full.....but don't forget that over and above the delights of the Mercantour National Park, there is much fun to be had on the coast.  You may wish to avoid July and August in Nice but for most of the time you can enjoy the Alpes-Maritimes without the revenue of Prince Albert of Monaco.   There are plenty of good value hotels and restaurants - ask for more information by all means, and it is always possible to fill up on pizza and icecream if you must!!!!  The Saint Exupery hostels comes highly recommended, plus the €1 bus anywhere* in the Alpes-Maritimes means that your dollar/pound, whatever, can go a long way!!!   * Note that to get a €1 ticket from the airport to town, all you need to do is take a 5 minute walk onto the Prom des Anglais.....otherwise it is €4 for a day pass!

A nice way of wiling (not sure about the spelling of that!!) a morning is to take a glass of rose in the Nice flower market - lots of scrummy things to buy but if you have the opportunity to cook for yourself get to the section where local growers are selling their freshly pulled produce.....and thank heavens it is not UK supermarket beautiful - but the fruit and veg taste great.

With your rose, enjoy a plate of socca if you can......if you've never heard of it - go for it - it's a chick pea flour type pancake which is cooked on a flat griddle pan and then served with enough freshly ground salt and pepper to make you really want to get your face into it!!

To make it at home is simple - it's a mix of chick pea flour (farine pois chiche) 250g, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 500ml of water - all beaten together, left to rest for 30 minutes and then cooked in a heavy bottomed pan to achieve a crispy base - and (at home at least) easiest to finish it off under a hot grill.....  French style is thin and crispy - Italian style a bit thicker and more stodgy - I'm saying NOTHING!!!

It's easy but you have to stand sentinel over the grill but it's a perfect tear and share type nibble with your early evening apero whilst admiring the sunset or playing boules!!!  and of course it's perfect for vegetarians.

Ask spacebetween to make you some when you are having a break in the Mercantour.....a bit of spice may be thrown in - but that's not unusual......

Holidays in the South of France - rarely disappointing!!!

Bonne fin de Paques.....


Thanks to Lindsey of Sinclair Exposed for the images....

Templar in the Mercantour

Whatever your religion, I’m not sure that I know anyone who doesn’t get a little “frisson” when the Knight’s Templar are mentioned – we may well all have been over “hollywood’ed” thanks to Raiders of the Lost Ark and the DaVinci Code.  
Never fear however there is of course a serious and interesting cultural history! Whether or not the first Friday 13^th was on Friday 13^th1307 when many of the Knights were arrested is debatable of course!!
Not keen to be outdone by the likes of Rennes-Le-Chateau we here in the Alpes-Maritimes also have our Templar history - thank you very much.
In our lovely part of the world in the South of France the Templars were stationed in old Roman townships, including Vence where the Templars enjoyed life in the Commanderie in Saint-Martin de Vence which is to the North of the town.  There is a legend that there is “booty” buried in the area – which investigations over the centuries have failed to locate – makes for a nice tale of course and has doubtless had many scurrying for their metal detectors.
Saint-Martin-de-Vence managed the route north of Vence, as the Templar Chateau in La Gaude protected the area above the Var.
Further North of course and into the Vésubie valley, many fine looking hanging villages stand guard over the valley which was an important conduit for the Salt Route, the salt starting out its life in Marseille, to then be shipped along the coast, and hence inland by mule, and over the border into Italy.
One of the finest of these villages is Utelle which had strategic importance due to its elevated position.  Today it has the most stunning views of the Massif of the Mercantour to the North,and down to the Mediterranean to the South.  It used to be an important centre with a hospital and schools and still maintains its handsome 17^th century houses, which include several with engraved lintels – featuring symbols of the House of Savoy as well as other more mysterious ones linked to the Templars.  The Saint-Véran church dominates the village centre.  A further 15 minutes drive the Madone D’Utelle sanctuary is reached – this has its own legend – of course.  Visitors can enjoy the special atmosphere of the plateau, browse the church and the local produce shop as well as staying overnight!
Roquebillière boasts a fine Templar church, and your resident expert on Templars inSainte-Martin Vésubie is Eric Gilli – who has studied the history of the area in great detail.  He runs the local museum, as well as running an Association called AMONT which runs fascinating seminars on local history.
If you’d like to know more contact spacebetween who are based in the Mercantour and offer accommodation plus walking and activity holidays in France and Italy.

Sainte Agnes based walking holidays!!

Excellent to see this great reportage about the hanging village of Sainte Agnes - just behind the Italianate town of Menton on the French Riviera. The winter base of spacebetween's horse partner Denis Longfellow, the village is stacked full of charm (and lovely people as the video shows!) and it remarkably unspoilt - given its proximity to the coast - about 4 miles as the crow flies but a windy (full of bends not wind!!) climb to about 1000m. It is justifiably renowned as one of the prettiest villages in France, and makes a perfect centre for a walking, or riding holiday, rolling hills with excellent views down to the Mediterranean to the South and the magnificent Mercantour National Park to the North. What a place to be!!! Finish the day with a mooch around Fred's lovely stained glass shop and a traditional meal (no frozen ready meals here) in either the Hotel Saint Yves - a family run friendly hotel and resto, or the Righi - with a Michelin star view and great value prices.

Contact spacebetween for more details - details of their holiday week is here http://www.space-between.co.uk/walking-holiday-france-ste-agnes.html plus there is also the possibility to rent a house for up to 10 in the summer months.

Merveilles Valley - walking holidays in France

Bronze Age Power – Magic walking holidays in France

It’s hard to imagine even today what drew early Man to this remote valley in the Mercantour – the Alpes-Maritimes’ natural treasure trove.

Whichever of the many current theories it was (Chariots of the Gods’esque if you wish), the valley inspired Man to create tens of thousands of carvings on the surfaces of the creamy coloured (not blue!) rocks.

They leave a truly incredible insight into their unique culture which can really be brought to life with a visit accompanied by a local guide. (Many of the most interesting carvings can only be explored with a guide).

Over the years the valley was left to enjoy its isolation as many considered that the valley was a place of ill omen. The combination of frequent violent thunder storms (attracted to Mount Bego) and the eerie carvings, creating much fear through the vivid imagination of early inhabitants.

In more rational times in the late 19th century, Englishman Clarence Bicknell made the first detailed study of the carvings (The French dispute this of course!). Over the course of twenty one years he documented over 12000 carvings. Subsequent studies have “unearthed” many thousands more. The images are simplistic in their nature, depicting animals, weapons and tools, geometric shapes, figures, and abstract forms.

To say much more about their meaning would be to spoil the fun of an evocative day out in the Merveilles!! Go and see for yourself!

Just under three quarters of visitors to the Mercantour come to explore the Merveilles valley – yet it remains surprising that most Anglo Saxons don’t seem to be aware of this (proposed) World Heritage Site.

Until recently the valley was only accessible on foot. This can be done from either – the west – from the Gordolasque valley (from the Vésubie) or from the Minière valley – the east (from the Roya).

The approach from the west is much more inspiring as the walker is rewarded with the view of meadows and lakes, down to the valley, having reached the Pas de l’Arpette.

From the east, despite the fact that visitors can enjoy an hour or so in the very interesting Tende museum, the walk is easier but less exciting, especially when the silence is broken by the 4x4s, now (fingers crossed – not for much longer) allowed to ply their way up the valley.

No point in donning your boots at the moment as there will still be two metres of snow up in the valley. The best time of year to go is in June or July when the sight of the wild flowers is enough to make even a grown man weep, or in the autumn when colours are starting to turn.

Risk August and there will be too many people in the rather gloomy Merveilles refuge, and you probably will get very wet – although you will understand the magic of the place in the course of the drenching!!

If you want to stay over, avoid the Merveilles refuge at any time of year, and instead either wild camp, (six or more people can stay in a teepee – contact us about this!) or head to the Fontanalbe refuge.

At the base of the Minières valley there is the Neige et Merveilles refuge, and to the west the Relais de Merveilles gîte d’etape at the end of the Gordolasque valley.