Nice

Baie des Anges, Nice

The pulse of this place is much quicker than laid-back Normandy, which has already begun it's winter hibernation.  Visitors seem to be attracted to Nice's Mediterranean climate all year long. It's the end of November, and one still sees a few intrepid bikini and speedo-clad sun-seekers lounging on the pebbly beach and swimming in the ocean.  Along the Baie des Anges, the Promenade des Anglais is a constant procession of people out for a stroll.  Apparently, for the past 100 years or so, this beach front walk has been THE place to be seen.  And Nice's poshest hotels are on this strip; Hotel Negresco's ocean-view suite rents out for a mere 1900 euro per night...or you could stay in the broom closet for 440 euro.  

In our time spent in Nice, about two thirds of the days were sunny and surprisingly warm.  The remaining rainy days were spent in our comfortable little apartment with a cup of tea or a glass of wine.... Our new favorite is actually a rose, a Cabernet d'Anjou to be precise.  On these lazy days, we fell into a comfortable routine involving an afternoon excursion to the epicerie and bakery.  Grocery shopping in another country is always an interesting experience: peanut butter is hard to find, but the jars of Nutella are massive!  The highlight, though, had to be the stop at the artisanal boulangerie just 15-20 steps from our apartment.  We've been slowly eating our way through different types of bread:  baguette a l'ancienne, pain viennoise, ficelle, grand boule de pain.  Here in France, bread really is the staff of life; suddenly "notre pain quotidien" has taken on new meaning. 

along the trek to Villefranche-sur-Mer

On the blue-sky days, we did a few day-trips, such as the trek to Villefranche-sur-Mer, or the train ride to Entreveux.  Of course, we also explored Nice itself, which, like most European cities, has an Old Town, usually in the heart of the city.  Nice's "Vielle Ville" is a fascinating, atmospheric place complete with sidewalk cafes, live music (accordians, anyone?) and several fresh fruit, vegetable, flower and antique markets.  From earthy chanterelle mushrooms to dried lavender sprigs to local cheeses and cured meats, it's all here.  Wandering around the steep, narrow roads, one is inevitably lead to a ruined fort, perched high above the city.  Watching the sunset from this vantage point was particularly rewarding with it's sweeping views of the ocean.  

town of Nice

A word of caution:  One in three French households has a dog and no one cleans up after Fido when they're out for a walk.  It's a nasty problem - in the middle of the night the city hoses down the main sidewalks to try to help.  Other than that, we enjoyed Nice and found it to be conveniently situated for day trips within both the Riviera and Provence.  Though we shudder to think of just how busy the summer months would be...  Most people have been friendly, though there is a reluctance to speak English, which probably has more to do with embarrassment than snobbishness.  This has resulted in ample practice for me. For those who love walking, you can get pretty much anywhere in Nice on foot; we didn't take a single taxi in over 2 weeks.  But bring hiking shoes to contend with the steep inclines since the town is situated on the side of a mountain.  Our all-time favorite find in Nice was a rugged (and happily deserted) trail carved into the stone which followed the ocean's rocky edge.  We found ourselves drawn back there several times to watch and listen to the sea.  It was particularly dramatic the morning after a fierce thunderstorm, when the oceanspray fully drenched large portions of the pathway.