France - Cannes - Monaco.

 I think this is David walking around the Palace Gardens in Monaco... he's wearing David's jumper but what's with the beard?  Actually I quite like it but it wasn't nice to be close to.

 Monaco Harbour in 1969, not a lot different to today from Wiki but when we were there in 2006 we thought the Apartment buildings had grown so close to each other you could shake hands from your windows.

 

 Monaco Palace.

 This is near the narrow road where we saw Princess Grace.  We were just leaving the Palace and walking down the road when a car came out of the Palace and towards us, we pulled back to make way and there sitting in the back was the beautiful Princess Grace.  What a thrill and what a pity our camera wasn't at the ready.

 Cannes Harbour hasn't changed much from these two photos taken 43 years apart, even the boats look much the same.

France - Nice. And a delightful Mystery.

 Statue in Place Massena... there must have been some festival going on here because those bikini girls behind this statue aren't there any longer.

When I went to Google Maps to see if I could find this statue I found this below...

 ... it looks like the same spot, it looks like the same buildings, it looks like the same statues sitting in the water... so I'm sure it is the same spot but why would they spurt water up and over the statue in the middle so you can't see it?

I was so perplexed that I Googled street walked all around the Place till I found the below... less water but Hey! no statue.

Now have I got the right place or not?  Our photo says Place Massena and this is Place Massena. 

 After a break away from the computer I came back and Googled 'Statues in Nice' and found the below from the 'Best of Nice Blog'

Banned from Place Massena in the ‘70’s for being overly well-endowed, the giant marble statue of Apollo is coming back.  The fountain that currently crowns Place Massena has lived a long and twisted story:  At its inauguration in 1956 there were the current five bronze statues, but also its crowning glory: a 7-meter high, 7-ton white marble statue of Apollo standing in the center. 

Click here for an American report on Apollo... check out what they've done to the picture :-)

How funny and delightful is this story eh!  I wonder why all the fuss, there are so many naked statues in Europe so why pick on this beautiful one?

France - Nice.

La plage... looking West... looks a bit bleak in January 1969, same spot below today from Wiki.

La plage... looking East.

David wrote on this photo below... 'De Gaulle in mufti'
Do you think this man looks like De Gaulle?  LOL 
Why would Charles De Gaulle be walking down a street in Nice?  Aw well maybe he was practicing being one of the mob, he resigned his Presidency in the year we were there, on 28th April 1969.

Besides the sides... I think Charles De Gaulle looks like Jaques Tati LOL

 Or Jacques Tati looks like Charles De Gaulle?

 Nice Harbour.  (Actually I don't mean 'nice' harbour... maybe I should have written 'The Harbour of Nice!'

Gosh it looks like a lot of building is going on down on the waterfront.

That is one massive boat down there today.

France - Nimes - Avignon - Marseille.

Pennie at the La Maison Carree, Nimes in 1969 and today from Wiki.

David at La Maison Carree in 1968.

From Wiki - La Maison Carree is an ancient building in Nimes,  it is one of the best preserved temples to be found anywhere in the territory of the former Roman Empire, built in 16BC.  It underwent restoration between 1988–1992, during which time it was re-roofed and the square around it was cleared, revealing the outlines of the forum. Sir Norman Foster was commissioned to build a modern art gallery, known as the Carré d'Art, on the far side of the square, to replace the city theatre of Nîmes, which had burnt in 1952. This provides a startling contrast to the Maison Carrée but renders many of its features, such as the portico and columns, in steel and glass. The contrast of its modernity is thus muted by the physical resemblance between the two buildings, representing architectural styles 2000 years apart.  

Well I don't know about all that, I much prefer the building that was there before that steel and glass one below.

I don't know what year Google Maps was there but today's photo shows more restoration in progress.

Beautiful isn't it, looks unreal after it's restoration.  (photo from Wiki)


Avignon.

Palis de Papes, Avignon.  You can see me sitting in the front here, this Taxi had had a conversion which obviously allowed a second person to sit in the Cabin... I'd forgotten about that.

Marseille in 1969 showing the beautiful Cathedrale Sainte Marie-Majeure.

From about the same spot as above with the Cathedrale almost hidden.

 But I found it  :-)  on Wiki of course.  Isn't it beautiful and different to many we've already seen.

France - Cherboug - Bayonne in Western France - January 1969

 In the Streets of Fougeres, Brittany.

David on the Rampants at Angouleme.  This is another jumper I'd knitted for David before we were married, I made this for him while he was in New Zealand.  I think the deal was that he paid for the wool and I knitted for him.  I did this for another couple of friends from 'Wollogorang' as well... I was a very prolific knitter, all my family had my hand work as well.  (Unfortunately this jumper has passed on, there was a matching beanie as well.)
Can you see how clever I am, and it didn't take all that long.  Below is a Grab from Google Earth taken from about the same spot as the photo above... see the building in the forefront and the river and the bridge!  Yes Yes I know... I rock  :-) 

Pennie in the Markets in Angouleme.   We were starting to drool over the fresh foods available in France, especially the cheeses and breads and pastries. All delicious but pricey.

 Some Public Loos in Angouleme.  I can't remember what is on that oval sticker on the left of the back of Tabitha.  I hope I get a clearer picture of it soon, or remember. 

Bayonne on the River Adour, close to the Bay of Biscay and the border to Spain.

Here's another photo taken with Grab from Google Maps, this is the Pont Saint-Esprit on the River Adour.

After a few days we were quite comfortable driving a right hand drive vehicle on the right hand side of the road, it's surprising how quickly we got used to it.

January, 1969 - Off to Europe - Southampton to Cherbourg, France.

'Tabitha' the Taxi had her engine lovingly checked over by David, her cabin inside was my territory, the curtains were washed and up on the windows, sleeping bags were ready and I had boxes full of all sorts of dried and tinned foods.  I shopped at Tesco's for  tinned Tuna, tinned Tom Piper Stewed Beef, tinned Baby Potatoes, tinned Carrots, dried Surprise Peas, dried Mashed Potato, cereals,  cleaning liquids and what ever else we thought we might need.  (awful sounding foods to me now)

Finances were tight, we wanted to see as much as we could, as many Museums as we could and knew Diesel Fuel and food shopping was much cheaper in England than it was in France so we arrived prepared.  Also remember we were Anglo-Aussies, we were used to overcooked lamb and three over cooked vegetables, a Chinese Take away meant you took your pot to the Chinese shop, if you were lucky to have one in town, and had it filled with Fried Rice and something else pretty bland and simple.  French food was rare as was Spanish, the most exotic we'd cooked was Spaghetti Bol, it would be an insult to call it Bolognese :-)  That's not to say we weren't keen to try new foods but decided to limit one meal a day in each town we stayed in, that way we could make our money last as long as possible.  We had a set price... if the Menu in the window of a Restaurant we were interested in had Prawn Cocktails at the value of 3/6 (three shillings and sixpence) we could afford to eat there!

We were both members of the Australian Youth Hostel Association, and our Bank of New South Wales in Sackville Street, London set up an Itinerary for us which we didn't follow to the letter but was very useful as a guide.  

Below is part of our Itinerary with many additions from David.

 This is Viking 11, the sister ship of Viking 1, on which we travelled to France.

On board Viking 1, leaving Southampton.

Just look at her, doesn't 'Tabitha' look Grand and nice and shiny and taller than most, curtains in the windows and a couple of spare tyres on the roof.

Waiting in line to go through Customs in Cherbourg.

Our first night was spent in a Youth Hostel in Genets, which is south of Granville which was suggested on our Itinerary, we were driving close to the West Coast of France heading for Spain.