Parties

The Cap

Nicola, a good friend and ski buddy of ours from Mumbai, was having her 50th birthday party at her house in Cap d' Antibes and we were invited.  Fortunately, fate intervened and I needed to be in Paris for work the following week which, combined with direct and cheap flights from Dubai to Nice, made the quick trip possible.

Memories of our Christmas. The provincial market hall

We spent a family Christmas in Antibes a few years ago and it is a wonderful location. This visit we were able to share the experience with Nicola's friends and family who had travelled from all over the world to attend.  They were an eclectic group and great fun.

Still looking fresh on night one of the festivities.
It was all downhill from here!

It was similar to an Indian wedding with a series of events spread over the weekend. Drinks and tapas on Friday, party and sit down meal on Saturday and lunch at a restaurant on Sunday.

Every morning run should start with a boat ride

Even with this hectic social schedule, Kate and I were able to squeeze in some activities.  On Friday night, Nicola's step son, Henry, organised the runners from the guest list to get together the following morning. Ewan, Nicola's partner and also a Kashmir ski buddy, had suggest a a short boat trip over to Ile Sainte-Marguerite, a pine clad island which was a fort then a prison off the coast of Cannes.














We had a great ride over on Ewan's new toy, a 25 foot Boston Waler. The Island was magnificent. Beaches and small rocky limestone coves lined the coast and the many tracks were shaded by the pines.  It was a 7.3 km loop around the Island and it was great to run with Kate in the cool air and enjoy the scenery.  Despite his best efforts, Ewan was unable to run as a result of a "sore back" from a fall on a slippery boat ramp the previous day. As it turned out he had 6 broken ribs! 

The prison/fort at Ile Sainte-Marguerite, not quite Alcatraz

Almost continual small villiages in the hills behind Nice

I followed up the first lap with a quick second loop of the Island as it was too good not to do twice. The others had coffee and cursed me for putting the tight schedule at risk. Kate and I had other plans so we returned to the harbour at Juan-Les-Pins while the others stayed on the island for lunch.  

St Jeanette with the town church
(thats Kate in the foreground she hasn't been cannonised yet)

We had known about the party for some time so I had done my research and purchased a climbing guide book so I could get some time climbing in the hills behind Nice.  

I love French villiage fountains!

My priority had been St Jeannet but there was a closer crag at La Colle-sur-Loup was our planned destination in the interest of saving time. Unfortunately, we got a little lost and with St Jeannet dominating the horizon it was easier to find. 
















I was glad we ended up there.  The villiage was beautiful, with a few restaurants, lots of walking trails and a great view over the hinterland and the coast. There was a great little climbing shop with a helpful proprietor who gave use sage advice on the easy to access crags at La Source.  

If it was in India it would be the dhobi ghat.  The St Jeannet communal clothes washing area.

Civilised French climbing

The climbing was typically French.  Good trails, well bolted, climbs marked at the bottom with glazed tiles and, like many popular French locations, polished holds. 



























In 90 minutes I was able to get in 5 routes in the 5c/6a ranges The crag was busy but not crowded and the benefit of the extra altitude meant that it was sunny but not too hot.

The great thing about sport climbing is that you can
travel with your gear and stay under the luggage
allowance.  You can't do that with a trad rack!

For me, a weekend in Nice before continuing to Paris for work sounds perfect.  There is a climber's/walker's Gite in the villiage which costs 13 euro a night.  To get a weekend climbing in would be easy, I would just need to find a partner!