Day 10 Tuesday 27th May 2008

The day started wet and got worse as we drove across to Millau. We bought some sandwiches and water before we left Limoges. We stopped at an E. Leclerc near Figeac and found a Flunch where we had coffee and then stopped for a picnic between Rodez and the A75 motorway. The motorway was exceptionally windy being up in the clouds with thunder and lightning. Consequently we crossed the Millau and other viaducts slowly. After another rest later on, we arrived in Nimes and found the Ibis Hotel at about 5 o’clock.

Start Mileage	  12382	Finish  12688		Miles travelled = 306								Total Miles = 1203

Day 11 Wednesday 28th May 2008

After a wet night, we woke to a fine morning and left Nimes to drive to Italy. This was motorway all the way and was very expensive with all the tolls. We bought some sandwiches which we ate when we got to the Hanbury Gardens at Mortola just inside the Italian border.

These gardens were created by Sir Thomas Hanbury in the second half of the 19th century, collecting together plants from all over the world. He made his money in tea, silk, cotton and property and bought the palazzo and created the gardens round it. As it is on a very steep hillside, the paths and steps wind round and down although there is one long flight to give a vista from both ends of the stairs. He and his wife are buried in the gardens. There are many agaves, aloes, roses, palms, and eucalyptus among the plants. There are pergolas covered in jasmine, wisteria, passionflower and also olive and citrus trees. The gardens are now owned by the Italian state and administered by the University of Genova.

We looked round the gardens from top to bottom and back up again, quite enjoying the lovely scents of the flowers and views from the various look out points and then drove back into France to stay the night in Menton. After finding the hotel we had time for a walk along the Promenade du Soleil and a look at the boats in the marina before having dinner in the hotel.

Start Mileage 12688		Finish 12901			Miles travelled = 213
								Total Miles = 1416