Visit to Antibes 11-24-25

A few days ago we decided that we would take a day and go to Antibes. We had visited the town before but we were focused on our visit to the Picasso Museum.  Today was dedicated more to wandering around  the old town and of course, lunch. We have some alternatives regarding how to get there; the train, a bus, or even walking along the seaside. However had we chosen the latter option we would perhaps only be arriving now. So we decided that the bus might be more interesting even if considerably longer. The specific bus traveling through Antibes is a local that eventually finishes in Cannes. To get to the first stop we had to take the local tram out towards the airport and get off at the stop where the bus originates. We both reasoned that with the construction of the new transit station at the next tram stop the originating stop would be there.  We were both wrong and we had to return one stop to get the proper bus. Luckily

as we got off the tram the correct bus was very close by and was scheduled to leave very soon after. An hour later we were walking through the commercial center of Antibes and diving into the old town. It seemed like every square was going through construction of the Christmas carnivals. Amusement rides for little residents were being put together.  Our timing was good and we were able to do a little exploring and find a restaurant that suited our inclinations. It was down one of the little streets very close to the harbor. 

A French woman at a table told Deb that it was a very good restaurant. That pretty much sealed the deal for us and we went to the entrance. The owner of the restaurant met us and directed us to a table we requested out on the street. As we sat and contemplated the menu they brought us an amuse-bouche, house made tapenade with little toasts. Our server told us that all the vegetables in the restaurant came from the farm of the owner. He gathers the vegetables each morning and brings them to the restaurant in his truck. Those become the vegetables du jour. Deb found the cocquilles on the menu and ordered them, while I ordered a pasta dish made primarily of blette (chard). Earlier we ordered an appetizer of stuffed vegetables with a tomato sauce, they were scrumptious. When our main dishes came it was pretty obvious that while the pasta

delicious it was not going to be adequate for lunch. When I finished it I called the server over and announced that I was a vegetarian and would they please bring me a bavette, cooked rare. They were pretty amused after the initial shock. So a little while later they brought me my steak. It took me a bit longer to finish and I didn’t have any room left for dessert. But the meal itself was so good that I didn’t miss it.  When we finished we set out and walked through several little streets looking at the small specialty shops. This being winter, and a Monday, many were closed but their windows were still interesting. The afternoon was quickly passing and we knew we had to get back to Nice.  We found an indirect route through more of the old town back to the bus stop. When we got to the stop we had to wait less than 5 minutes before our bus appeared and we boarded. On both the outbound and the return routes the buses were stopped and a crew of security

personnel boarded to check on tickets. The bus stops, the security people get on while their associates block the doors and each person is required to show a valid ticket. Those that can’t produce a ticket are escorted off bus. The bus leaves while the offloaded offenders are given citations for a fixed 100 euro fine. There are posters at the bus stops giving examples of excuses, then stating “We Don’t Care!”.  So far we’ve been on 4 or 5 rides and on only 1 were there no fare inspections. The 2.50 fare seems like cheap insurance to me.