Nice airport - the most beautiful approach in the world - the Med - the Mercantour!!

Nice airport has just been awarded the accolade of being the top aerial approach in the world.

The poll was undertaken by Private Fly, who specialise in reservations for private jets.  Over 200 airports were taken into consideration - including London, LA and Rio!!

Apparently voters just loved the sublime beauty, richness of colours and great panorama afforded as they head down into Nice from the west and Saint Tropez or the east over Monaco.

Get to see the best of the Alpes-Maritimes - get out to the back country and the Mercantour - with spacebetween, your resident experts in the "field"!!!

Photo - Mercantour view down to the sea!!! - Nice Matin are really not too keen if you use their images without permission - and permission is like drawing teeth!

Wilder wildlife holidays in the South of France!

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A new partnership between the Mercantour's Alpha Wolf Park in Le Boreon and the
Biological Reserve of the Monts d' Azur has just been forged. 

Alpha - as readers will know - houses wolves from Europe and most recently has taken delivery of three Canadian wolves (pictured above).   

The Monts d' Azur Reserve is just 30 minutes from Grasse, near to Thorenc.  

It is a huge reserve where guests can explore on foot or in a horse drawn carriage, and get up close and personal to European bison, Przewalski horses, deer, chamois and other species.  It's also possible to stay on site and enjoy various "packages" offered by the reserve.

In the first instance, visitors presenting a proof of purchase from one site will be able to gain a discount off their entry to the other site!!

A great day out for families.


Accommodation in the Mercantour - spacebetween in Berthemont les Bains


Image - courtesy of Alpha wolf park

Better bus services from Nice to the Mercantour

Public transport in Nice

DISRUPTION on the bus

THANKS TO THE NEW NICE PROMENADE AND WORKS AT THE RAILWAY STATION

BUS STOP AT NICE STATION COMING NORTH TO SAINT MARTIN VESUBIE – NOTE THAT THE STOP AT THE NICE RAILWAY STATION IS NOW ON THE MAIN ROAD ABOUT 50M TO THE WEST OF THE RAILWAY STATION!!! 

DO CHECK THE DEPARTURE STOPS FOR ALL BUSSES (I.E. the 100 service HEADING TO MONACO) TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE UP TO DATE INFO.

More bus services in the Vesubie – from MAY 15^TH 2014…

1)      730 line

http://www.lignesdazur.com/reservation/text/730.pdf

Additional buses

SOUTH BOUND TO NICE

Tuesdays and Fridays  at 8:30 am and 3:20 p.m. from St Martin Vésubie

NORTH BOUND TO SAINT MARTIN VESUBIE

11:55 and 4:20 p.m. from Plan du Var (Catch the 59 service from Nice) http://www.lignesdazur.com/ftp/lignes_FR/Ligne%2059%20%28au%2012%2003%2014%29.pdf

2)      SHUTTLE BUS BETWEEN VENANSON AND SAINT MARTIN

Tuesdays and Fridays: 6:40 from Venanson and 19.00 from Saint-Martin.

3)      SUMMER SHUTTLE BUS BETWEEN BELEVDERE AND THE GORDOLASQUE

 June 14 to September 14, 2014), on Saturdays and Sundays for the months of June and September, and Fridays,  Saturdays, Sundays and holidays for the months of July and August.

WOLVES - and wildlife holidays in France

WHO is afraid of the big bad wolf????

From April 2014, for the new spring season, there are three new residents in Alpha, the wolf park near to Saint-Martin-Vésubie, in the Mercantour National Park, France.

Hoona, Healy and Galena arrived at Alpha last Tuesday - long legged, short eared and granite eyed they are a very different "kettle of fish" to the current incumbents of the wolf park.  They are easily distinguishable - Hoona, with fur black enough strike fear into the heart of anyone who enjoys the myth of the wolf, Galena with a small white "goatee" under her chin, and Healy with a white patch on her chest.

This handsome trio of Canadian wolves, brought in from Mulhouse in Eastern France are about a year old, and have been introduced as part of the continuous development of Alpha, according to Sophie Barberis, Deputy Director of the Alpha Park.  A facility such as this certainly has "teeth", being based on the perimeter of the Mercantour National Park in larch forest at about 1500m, where despite the current warm temperatures - there is still snow to mess around in.

Official opening this weekend - April 12th - and apparently if you say CANADA to reception on arrival - you may get a surprise!!

For more details 

Alpha Wolf Park - Le Boreon - Saint Martin Vesubie.  Facebook

Accommodation and holidays

spacebetween - self catering accommodation in Berthemont les Bains (25 minutes away), walking holidays and adventure holidays in the Mercantour, France.
Wolf watching holiday with late availability on April 22nd and May 15th. Facebook

Restos

Good eating near by at "O a la Bouche" - open all day but not in the evenings

Accommodation

Chalet accommodation in Le Boreon - L'Arberc
Chambre d'hote accommodation - Grand Chalet - in Valdeblore (20 minutes away)
Gite d'etape - Gite du Boreon in Le Boreon

Activities

Horse riding with Denis Longfellow from the middle of June to end September
Fishing - season just started, snow shoeing at altitude, fantastic walking and climbing!
 

Images courtesy of Alpha

Activity holidays in France.....

..........just got easier with the forthcoming launch - on April 12th of the Cote D'Azur Card for 2014. 

If you are planning on taking a family holiday in France this year why not also take advantage of the new actvities card which is being launched in the next couple of weeks.

If your loved one/family and friends and your good self are interested in taking in the best of what the Cote D'Azur has to offer check out what you might want to do over the course of a few or even six days - and see how you might be able to max out the use of this card.....

110 activities - €39 for 3 days - €54 for 6 days and less for kids.......

With spacebetween in the Mercantour now offering flexible activity holidays which allow you to enjoy their comfortable accommodation in Berthemont les Bains - plus choose to add on transport and food - and then select what you want to do - this card is another great bonus.

Your hosts spacebetween currently checkin' out how they might be able to have some cards available for their guests too - so zero hassle!!!

Some availability for the Easter and summer term half term, and summer school holidays.

The site isn't currently in English but you can check out the attraction sites which often are - and see what super savings you could be making.

spacebetween - berthemont les bains - just an hour north of Nice.

Tel - 00 33 4 93 03 48 57



Photo - Timandra Harkness - journalist - on the Via Ferrata at La Colmiane - one of the venues for the card

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

Furry/feathered fauna in the Mercantour

It is excellent to see the cross border collaboration between the French and the Italians striving to achieve UNESCO world heritage site status for the National Parks and for other areas in the Alpes-Maritimes and Liguria/Piedmont.

In addition to the French Mercantour National Park web site there is also a site for the combined Parks,

with some English.

Even here in “sunny” – I wish – Berthemont - it has been very interesting recently to see a whole host of tracks left in the snow – badger, fox, deer, roe deer, wild boar and all manner of birdies…..owls a hooting too of course…..and currently all fed up of the Ark weather that the United Kingdom and Europe have been having….

Further afield in the Park itself, there is the equivalent of the Big 5 in Africa – if not quite so prestigious – but hey I’m happy to see ibex, chamois, wolves, golden eagles and lammageias – not bad for starters.  

The diversity extends to the micro too, with the presence of many hundreds of insect/invertebrate species which have been lurking around since the Ice Age and many of which are threatened.

Fun to spot a ptarmigan in the Northern stretches of the Park, as well as green lizards on its Southern boundaries…..

For anyone particularly keen on learning more – look here for a page in English about various topics relating to both National Parks – from where you can download pdf files – currently in French  and Italian only – am sure that Google translate would give a not bad version if your language skills are not tip top.

Want to get to grips with the Mercantour – contact the only British holiday company to be based here in the Mercantour – in the fine Vésubie valley.

Accommodation only or self guided/guided  walking holidays in France  - plus adventure holidays for the adrenaline orientated!!

www.space-between.co.uk

Liz Lord & Mel Jones

Berthemont les Bains