Completing another gentle overnight crossing, this time from the island of Corsica to mainland Franc

For two summers we have been collecting books; gathering a small library of Imray s hard covered Pilot Guides . Our collection currently stands at seven for regions we ve sailed or are yet to sail. And despite the fact they aren t always updated frequently (sometimes the latest edition is six years old), they are a comprehensive yachtie bible and have helped myrtle beach hotels us find many a safe anchorage, to learn of local weather patterns, find a chandlery and so forth. Though as the French generally only prefer to cater for, well the French, there was not an English copy of the French Waters Pilot Guide to be found. Of course the internet is also a brilliant research tool from the odd worthwhile yachtie s report on noonsite.com to the endless threads on cruisersforum.com . Yet since arriving myrtle beach hotels to France we could only buy 2GB of data at a time at a hefty 25 (A$35) a pop (are you kidding, that lasts us three days!), so we were constantly running out of that too. As a result we d been trundling along for the past week not as well informed as we preferred. Fortunately the weather had so far been kind, leaving our anchoring options relatively flexible.
Completing another gentle overnight crossing, this time from the island of Corsica to mainland France, we d dropped anchor in the darkness at 4:00 am and wearily retired to bed. Without myrtle beach hotels the usual guiding hand of a pilot guide, we d aimed slightly myrtle beach hotels west of the Italian border toward a lone anchor symbol on the Raymarine chart plotter. We d arrived on the eastern edge of the celebrated Cote d Azur, knowing little of our end destination. So you can imagine our delight when we woke a few hours later to the exquisite backdrop of Menton its colourful pastel facades bathed in morning sunshine.
Along the extensive Mediterranean coast few regions compete myrtle beach hotels with the glamour, wealth and excessiveness of the French Riviera. This would be mum and dad s second visit to the famed coast and the third time for Mike and I but as always an entirely myrtle beach hotels different perspective when approached from the sea.
Monte Carlo and the exclusive principality of Monaco need little introduction. Covering an area slightly over two km2, it s the world s most densely populated country and the smallest, myrtle beach hotels second only to Vatican City. A well-known tax haven and magnet for the stupidly rich, Monaco is the epitome of opulence along an already flamboyantly affluent coast. The waters outside myrtle beach hotels the harbour were too deep for our anchor, so we settled off the beach at Eze a few kilometres further west and later boarded the efficient TER train to Monaco. An evening was easily squandered wandering the mega-yacht myrtle beach hotels marina and pushing through crowds of public paparazzi as they snapped photos of the endless stream of Ferraris, Porsches, Maseratis, Bugattis, Rolls Royces, Lamborghinis and Bentleys that rolled through the famous Monte Carlo Casino and Hotel de Paris valet.
Situated between famous neighbours Nice and Cannes, Antibes may be off the tourist itinerary for many, though its pleasant old town and unpretentious public beaches make it a worthwhile stop. Given its marina myrtle beach hotels has capacity for the largest super yachts myrtle beach hotels and ample service facilities; Antibes is the epicentre for yacht crewing in Europe. Hearing enviable stories from their friends or fellow travellers, numerous Aussies, Kiwis, Brits and South Africans land here each summer in hope of finding work and a cabin to call home aboard a luxury mega-yacht. Mike and I got to know this area well when seeking myrtle beach hotels the same one summer in our mid-20s.
Thanks to a glittering film festival that attracts Hollywood s brightest stars, Cannes is a household name; its enviable position on the glistening Mediterranean coast undeniably seductive. Hordes of holidaymakers pose for photos on the Palais des Festival s permanent red carpet and gaze longingly in designer store windows, myrtle beach hotels their doors guarded by sombre-faced security. Boulevard de la Croisette s palm-fringed foreshore myrtle beach hotels is lined with pay-through-the-nose-for-the privilege beach clubs and nearby the super yacht harbour is crowded with inexplicable wealth.
During a brief stint working on the super yachts in 2006, Mike and I caught a glimpse into the life where money is limitless. Seeking some holiday earnings, myself myrtle beach hotels and a girlfriend myrtle beach hotels travelling with us, scored a short contract aboard a 55-metre motor yacht. The yacht was owned by a relative of the UAE president myrtle beach hotels and skippered by two friendly Kiwis. myrtle beach hotels On our first morning at work we were giddy with fame when asked to pack the bags of the previous day s guest. Whilst we didn t catch a glimpse of the heiress herself (she d been evicted after a royal hissy fit), Paris Hilton s luggage contained half-dozen myrtle beach hotels designer handbags, boxes full of sunglasses and several pairs of massive size 11 heels. myrtle beach hotels Next followed two weeks of frivolity and high-class call girls to schmooze Libyan guest Saif al-Islam oil tycoon and infamous son of the late Colonel Gaddafi. Needless to say, my