Part 1: Nice

I skipped two of my classes on Friday (shh, don't tell OIP) in order to gain two extra travel days. I left Paris by train on Thursday morning and arrived in Nice by mid-afternoon. I was a little nervous because the weather was cool and cloudy when I arrived, but I must have saved up some excellent weather karma (this will be a recurring theme for the rest of the trip) because it cleared up quickly and was beautiful for the rest of my stay.



The first afternoon, I wandered around a bit to get my bearings and made my way toward the beach. I had visions of lounging on the warm sand, book in hand...not realizing that the Cote d'Azur is famous for its white stone beaches. Yes, stone, not sand. Not so great for lounging, but perfect for sipping tea in a beachfront cafe and watching happy dogs and children splash in the waves. Sadly, it was just a bit too cold for me to have any inclination to join them.

On Friday, I let myself sleep in a little -- after all, this was my vacation -- before grabbing a coffee and croissant on my way to the Russian Orthodox Cathedral. It was built by Tsar Nicholas II so that all the Russian tourists in the French Riviera would have a place to go to church during their summer holidays on the shore. I seem to have a habit of stumbling upon "unusual" houses of worship in the cities I visit...Orthodox church in Nice, mosque in Paris, synagogue in Florence, etc.



I slowly wandered my way back toward the old city center. I followed the Promenade des Anglais, lined with all the ritzy hotels and restaurants, for a bit, then detoured to the Musée Massena, which turned out to be part art, part history museum, housed in a beautiful Napoleonic era château. I caught the tail end of the city's main outdoor market, the Cours Saleya, before going in search of lunch. I decided to let myself get lost in the narrow, winding maze of streets, and I eventually found myself in Place Rossetti, described by Rick Steves as a piazza straight out of Naples. This seemed like an appropriate lunch spot, given my future travel plans, so I found a slightly shaded table from which to people watch before heading to the famous gelato stand next door. (Gelato #1)



At this point, I was starting to get worn out from the sun and crowds, so I decided head to the top of the Colline du Château to relax for a bit. Despite being a key tourist attraction, it was surprisingly peaceful at the top, and the view was well worth the climb. I parked myself on a bench with my book and stayed long enough to enjoy the sunset.



When it came time to start thinking about dinner, I decided to track down one of the places recommended in my guidebook...but with no success. One was closed, one was completely full, and I never did find the third. Slightly disappointed, I made my way back to Place Rossetti and ate one of the other restaurants there. As a pleasant surprise, though, I got to watch (and later join) the Stations of the Cross led by the Eglise Sainte-Reparate in observance of Good Friday. The congregation started in Place Rossetti and wound its way all the way through the old city center. It was beautiful.

After getting more than a little lost on my way back to the hotel -- I blame the winding streets and not my poor sense of direction -- I crashed into bed in order to get a good night's sleep before leaving for Florence the next morning.