Nice–24 April

Not so nice, actually.  Indeed, rather disappointing.

Much slower GTV trip from Marseilles, as the train runs on the old tracks which can only handle up to 120kph.  Booked in to hotel next to the Gare Nice Ville, and set out to explore.  20 minute walk down to the waterfront where it was blowing a gale.  Lots of people promenading for all that.  The beach is all pebbles, so the Gold Coast has no competition here. 


Took the 400 bus up into the hills and hour away to the village of St Paul.  It is a small fortified town, overflowing with galleries of every art form.  And a lot of them seemed to be doing business too.  The place advertises itself as “the most visited village in France.”  Matisse, Picasso, Renoir and Monet all lived and painted in this area.  The local church appears in several of their works.  It is an interesting place, replete with cobbled, narrow, winding streets often with steep inclines.  Good value for a 1€ local bus fare.

Back to the city, and I next climbed aboard to city sights bus to get a better feel for the place and to learn from the commentary.  Overall, Nice strikes me as rather grubby and old.  But back from the waterfront there are some quite fabulous mansions that date from the “belle epoch” (1850-1950) when the super-rich made this their summer playground and built themselves ostentatious homes.  Many of these are now being restored and converted into apartments.

For my last night in France I thought I should indulge the local cuisine.  I walked for half an hour looking to find somewhere with inside dining (cool and windy now), and a menu that offered more than crepes, pizza and salads!  If I’d headed to one of the casinos I am sure I would have found something exorbitantly expensive.  Eventually settled on a brasserie that had Heineken for 6€, and dished up what to you and me is a chicken schnitzel with chips and salad (but goes under the pseudonym of ‘poulet milanese’).  So much for my gastronomic adventures!

Thought about doing the “Monaco by night” tour this evening (7pm-midnight), but was just too tired.  So it is adieu la belle France, and benvenuta Roma.

Not such a picturesque place, so just a few to show here.