Good times in Nice, France

Sunday, May 4

Today we decided to take the double-decker tourist bus ride through Nice to get our bearings and decide what we wanted to try to see on our short visit to this city.  We had lunch first at a place recommended by my friend, Marcia, called La Pizza Cresci.  I can’t eat pizza, but Arne can, and they had a large selection of other things to choose from.  Arne had ½ pepperoni pizza and I had a Chef salad.  Arne says his pizza is the best he’s ever had!  I think the chef salad is the best I’ve had also!  Thanks Marcia!  I wish we had time to go back there!

Arne's pepperoni pizza

One place to eat in Nice - at 34 Rue Massena

Here are some photos of our bus trip around the city.

Le Monument du Centenaire (Centennial Monument) is located on La Promenade des Anglais in the corner of the Jardin Albert 1er.  It shows the dates 1793-1893, and commemorates Nice becoming part of France.  On top is a scupture of Nikaia, the Greek goddess of victory and messenger of the gods.

Some of the architecture in the newer area of Nice.

More of the newer area.  I think this was a hotel.

Looking back toward the port

The monument for the French soldiers from WWI and WWII

Looking from the Promenade des Anglais toward the Quai Rauba Capeau

Arne on the Quai Lunel

After the bus tour we walked the long way home, around the peninsula and then up the back side of our ‘hill’ to the apartment.  Luckily, we found an open grocery store and bought some veggies, cheese and wine to have for dinner.   Stayed in for the night and read our books.  We were tired.

Monday, May 5,

We have been seeing the Segway tours cruising around the city and decided it looked like fun.  We made an appointment to take a tour today, so we got up fairly early and headed for the Segway place.  It took us longer than we thought it would to get there (about ½ hour) but we made it just in time.   To start the tour, we took the assigned Segways out to the Promenade des Anglais  (a wide open walking/biking trail that runs along the edge of the city and the sea).  The instructor explained how they work and we all did a test run before we headed out on our tour.  For anyone who has never ridden a Segway – I have to tell you that they are pretty darn cool!  I would have loved to do this tour more than once, it was so fun to ride! 

Me and Arne on the Segways

They are so easy to ride, you can do it with no hands (NOT!)

The package we signed up for was a 2.5 hour long tour of Nice and Villefranche, which is the next little community over between Nice and Monaco.  It is beautiful!  Arne and I have been looking at places on VRBO to rent in Villefranche now!  We rode all over Villefranche and then back to Nice and to the main plaza of Nice and back to the Promenade des Anglais.  A very picturesque and fun time! 

A memorial to Princess Grace of Manaco just outside Villefranche

Arne and me on the hillside overlooking Villefranche

The harbor at Villefranche

The town of Villefranche

Villefranche - looking back on the town from the beach

At the end of our Segway tour we went down the Promenade des Anglais a ways and saw Le Negresco Hotel.

The palatial hotel first opened in 1913 and has hosted many famous people including the artist Dali, Princess Grace of Monaco, the Beatles, Louis Armstrong, Elton John,… many celebrities have enjoyed a stay on the French Riviera to live a little of the ‘Negresco myth’.

After our Segway tour, we were hungry and stopped for lunch...

My Salade du Chef

Arne's salade du tomato - do you think they gave him enough tomato?

Pasta with jambon

Tuesday, May 6

Today we took our time and left the apartment around 11 AM.  We walked to the train station which took us about 20+ minutes.  Hopped on the train and headed to Monaco.  We decided that we were probably not going to get to Monaco again, so while we are only 20 minutes away via train, maybe we should do it.  We are glad we did.  It’s really another world.  Very wealthy, lots of yachts, and the city is kept super clean and totally touristy.  We walked up to the castle and watched the changing of the guard.  We went into the Sainte Nicholas Cathedral of Monaco, where Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier were married, and are both buried.  It’s very ornate and beautiful. 

A statue of Prince Rainier at the palace

The walk up to the castle on the old section of the castle

The old and the new castle

The changing of the guard

One of the several marinas on either side of the hill that the palace is on.

Another marina...these are NOT small vessels!

The cliff that falls away from where the castle and it's surroundings are.

The largest yacht in this part of the marina area - Mediterranean in the distance.

The cathedral where Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier were married

Inside the cathedral

One of the murals in the cathedral

Princess Grace's 'headstone' inside the cathedral

We walked down from the castle (which is up on a cliff as you can see...) and over to the casino area where we had lunch at the Le Café de Paris,  right next to the Casino.  On the way, we could see the preparations for the Monte Carlo Grand Prix Historique coming up this weekend.  From there, we walked back to the train station and came back to Nice.  By the time we got back to the apartment, we were beat.  Seems like today all our walking was either uphill or downhill!

Preparations for the Grand Prix

The largest yacht we saw -- the Lady Maura - built for $200 million by a Saudi Arabian businessman.  One of the largest yachts in the world.

Hotel de Paris across from the Casino

Casino Monte Carlo --there were lots of fancy cars parked there...you have to be dressed up to go in, so we didn't...

Found a Starbucks, but no city mug :-(

Wednesday, May 7

Today was a long day.  We were up early, anxious to be on our way, and were ready about a half hour early per our usual modus operandi. 

We filled the car with gazole (diesel) and drove to the airport in Nice to drop it off.  We had done a purchase-buyback where you get a new car and drive it for over 21 days then you turn it in and it costs less than renting for that extended period of time.   Arne was very happy to turn the car in.  Although it was great to have it, it’s now great not to have it, if you know what I mean…one less thing to worry about.  It worked out great to drop it in Nice because we were flying from Nice to Paris.

We had an uneventful flight to Paris via Air France.  Guess what?  Wine is free on Air France.  And they have this cute little cup holder… 

Love this!

Cute

The drive from the airport to our apartment took forever (more than an hour) – and traffic was horrendous!  At one point, a bus came about 3 inches from  crushing the side of the van we were in (right next to me).  The driver was very aggressive – I guess you have to be in Paris or you won’t get anywhere.  Anyway, we are checked in – the apartment is in such a great location – a short walk to the Musee du Louvre – and is also tiny, but so functional.  And, I think there are probably a dozen GOOD restaurants within a 2 block area!  I'll post some photos later.

We had dinner tonight at a Mexican restaurant – our first Mexican since we’ve been in Europe.  It was excellent!  The place was called Azteca!!  I don’t think it’s associated with our local Azteca’s in WA and OR though.

Azteca in Paris!