Which is better? Italy or France? Fior di latte or cioccolato?

My heart can’t quite decide. Truth is, you can’t really say one is better than the other. When you cross the border by road, the contrast between the two countries jumps out within just a few meters: the roads, the façades, the signage, the shops, and everything inside them. You feel a little sad to leave behind gelato, pinsa, and so many other delights, but just as happy to be reunited with flaky croissants, crusty baguettes, and plenty more. But claiming that one side has the best wine, the finest cheeses, or the greatest football… oh dear, that’s a slippery slope best avoided! Every place has its strengths and its quirks. There’s no “better” place in the world - just different treasures to enjoy. The key is to appreciate the good things each country and each culture brings.

As for ice cream, I always come back to… Fior di Latte. Just once I switched it up with stracciatella, but I kept cioccolato, which is very often my second choice. Aurel and Hélène, you nailed it! I expected nothing less from you 🤪 To be fair, it wasn’t easy. White-looking ice cream could be so many things: panna, yogurt, vanilla… Pistacchio and nocciola, meanwhile, are Pascal’s favorites. So everybody was right somehow. In any case, bravo and thank you for playing along, we had a great laugh, and now we know the comments section works perfectly 🤪

After a restful day in Cuneo, we took the train through the Alps from Cuneo to Ventimiglia, then crossed the border into Menton. In Menton, we got to see our friend Joel, who works there! Menton is delightful: colorful and very Italian in spirit. People still speak and eat as they do just across the border.

Today, Wednesday, we got back on our bikes for the ride from Menton to Cannes, where we’re spending the evening with another friend, Anne. It makes us so happy to use this trip as a chance to catch up with friends along the way!

The road along the Côte d’Azur is absolutely stunning. The beginning, just after Menton, was a bit challenging with some lovely rolling hills. Passing through Monaco was quite something. We found ourselves right in the middle of preparations for this weekend’s historic Formula 1 Grand Prix! We even rode along parts of the circuit and saw a few F1 cars getting ready. That said… Monaco is honestly quite ugly. Towering buildings, a bit like Dubai, that scar the landscape. And worst of all for cyclists: no bike lanes, spiral climbs through tunnels, and cars that think they own the road.

Then suddenly - paradise for cyclists. From Nice to Cannes, the coast is lined with a continuous double bike lane: smooth, separate from the road, with its own lights and proper signage! I’d never even seen speed limits on a bike path before (10 or 20 km/h in some places), so that all kinds of bikes can ride comfortably. It’s a dream!

Tomorrow we continue along the Côte d’Azur under beautiful sunshine 🚴🏼🚴🏻‍♀️