Rick Steves tours are always full of surprises. For days Patrick has enthralled us with stories about flamingo and white horse sightings in the deltas outside of Arles. We drive for about thirty minutes, hoping he can deliver on his promise... and are rewarded!
Fields of sunflowers!!!
Our itinerary calls for a planned visit to the Arles Ancient History Museum. We are led on a tour of models, sculptures, textiles, exhibits, maps, and even sarcophagi, which paint a picture of Arles' Roman past. It is a delightful way to see how the town we just explored looked like centuries ago.
This is uncanny... One can't help but wonder if Patrick and Julius Caesar are distant relatives...
It's about a four hour drive to the Riviera, so we stop for lunch along the way in well-to-do Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. It used to be a quiet, sleepy town until Princess Caroline of Monaco moved in, raising the bar on its social ladder and cost of living.
There's a market in town (we're pros at assembling picnics by now). We shop for cheese, olives, cold cuts, and bread. Samples are gladly given out! We even try paella, a Spanish dish of rice with various seafood and spices. Deb notices that they did not give her a spoon. When she inquires, the vendor picks up a large mussel shell, scoops up the rice, and eats... showing us, without a word, how the locals do it!
And after we eat... it's what we've been waiting for. The journey to the French Riviera! I'm expecting yachts, billionaires, gorgeous blue water, rocky beaches, million-dollar views, open-air markets, and Italian-style towns. And indeed that's what we find. But a surprise will come along that turns out to be the best night of the tour for me.
I await in anticipation as we drive closer... and closer... and closer...
... and finally we arrive!
But first, a bit of sadness as we bid au revoir to Phillipe.
Phillipe was an extremely friendly, professional, and skilled driver and a valued part of our tour. We truly enjoyed seeing the sights with him.
In Sarlat he sat with us for dinner and told us stories about how he would be coming to the United States this year to ride his motorcycle across most of the country. It has been his dream for a long time. I hope his dream will come true... and that we will cross paths someday.
Thank you, Phillipe! À la prochaine, et merci!
One benefit of a Rick Steves tour is the convenience of a centrally located hotel. Once again, Rick delivers on that promise. Not only is the Hotel Marché aux Fleurs halfway through the Promenade des Anglais (making it an easy stroll to either direction, and just one short block from Old Town Nice behind us), it is literally right across the street from the beach! That's right! The crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean are mere steps away!
Alas, my room does not have a view of the 'Bay of Angels,' but it does of the back! My balcony overlooks Old Town Nice and some of the Cours Saleya, Nice's main market square. It is quite an interesting room; a spiral staircase leads up to the bed in a loft.
I'll never forget how kind the front desk receptionist was to us. She is working here while she finishes her studies, and has been extremely helpful in giving us information and recommendations, including for tonight's dinner. She says our tour group has been some of the nicest people, both American and French, she has encountered in recent memory.
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There will be an orientation tour of Nice tomorrow led by a local guide. For now Patrick takes us on a little stroll through Old Town Nice and the Cours Saleya, giving us recommendations on sights to see and restaurants to dine at. (Research prior to my trip led me to discover Fenocchio's, a local gelato chain that carries over 100 flavors. Over my three nights here I savor ten of them.)
Follow along as we explore Italian-inspired Nice; relax on the beach; and have dinner. For years I had been saving for this trip, and always said my efforts would pay off when I was "relaxing on the beach in the Riviera." This evening that dream comes true.
I am immediately drawn to the "Med." Even though Nice may be one of the most touristy cities on the Riviera, its allure is still irresistable.
Ever so trendy, Nice is a place to see and be seen, especially at night, when well-dressed 20- and 30-somethings come out to seek the best nightlife, whether it be club, casino, or beach.
The night scene is coming to life as we are seated at the patio outside La Fanda, recommended personally by our hotel staff. La Fanda, like many nearby restaurants, specializes in Italian food, like fritto misto (right). Portions are large, especially pasta and antipasto platters. Our servers are very friendly, and happy to share their stories on how they moved to France.
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While Arles felt almost like an Italian village, Nice is like an Italian city, bursting with life, color, and flavor, but still cute down to the shutters and flowered balconies.
The only tough part of France is the many choices you find yourself confronted with. They all look so good!
The view from the eastern end of the beach. Most of it is public, and during the daytime very hot and crowded. As the sun dips, the weather becomes warm yet pleasant. Families splash alongside couples alongside college students from all over the world. Sleeping on the beach, enjoying a glass of wine, swimming, parasailing, volleyball... the choices are endless. Me, I want nothing more right now than to lay back and soak it all in.
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While it is tempting to sleep in, I wake up early to stroll the Promenade des Anglais around 7 a.m. The payoff is cooler weather and lack of crowds, yet the same gorgeous views as always. I walk past a merry-go-wrong in the park on the way to the famous Hotel Negresco, Nice's most expensive bed. On the way back, I stop at a bench to soak in the scenery. On the beach below there is a man fishing, and a dad sitting with his young son, enjoying each other's company.
Early this afternoon, our local tour guide Agnes takes us on a two-hour walk around Old Town Nice, giving us a glimpse into everyday nicoise life in addition to more popular sights. The beach takes a backseat to the Italian buildings and religious monuments, the open-air markets, and aromatic socca! Life is more diverse in these parts, but we'll all connected by a sense of wonder that is travel; the bonds of community that are family and friends; and the taste of paradise that is gelato.
Flowers at the market! France is a colorful country!
One of Nice's best known faces teaches us about the produce! She has even been on TV.
100 flavors, how does one decide?!
Our walking tour begins to wrap up at a local cathedral (above left and right), and ultimately culminates at a museum which also houses an old pharmacy! Its many medicines and remedies are shown below to the right.
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Agnes (left) leads our tour through town. French flags hang from this government building (above). Below we see the tram and a gorgeous fountain in the main square. The tram is a handy way to get around town.
This friendly man makes the socca nice and fresh; it is then biked a few blocks down to the market and sold fresh and hot! We watch him cook, and then he shows us how his dog can bark on cue!
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The rest of the day is devoted to free time. Patrick leads an optional excursion to the nearby Russian Cathedral. In the 19th century rich Russian families wintered in Nice and needed a place to worship.
I, however, choose to ponder the Med over another bowl of gelato on my way to a boat cruise with fellow tour members and friends Al, Sue, Jim, Karen, Deb, Sam, and their friend, Bill.
Sitting atop the boat, the cruise is a fun and breezy new look at Nice (including our hotel, bottom right) and nearby Cap Ferrat and Villefrance-sur-Mer. Check out these estates; the likes of Elton John and Sean Connery live here. We later cruise by smaller beaches and big seas of yachts. (Patrick once mentioned that yacht covers alone cost more than most cars, so imagine who owns that Titanic of a yacht you see below.) As we approah Villefranche, we see a group of twenty-somethings on a dock ahead waving to us. We have never met, but it seems like we already know each other. We bid "bonjour," and each group beckons the other to jump in and swim over!
It is a 25-minute walk down the Promenade and through town to Emmanuelle's apartment. The tiny elevator is the preferred alternative to the five flights of stairs, but the interiors of these apartments are as cute as the ones you see in books. In this case: a well-organized home, tres chic and decorated with artwork made out of found items, and a wrap-around balcony with views of the sea to the left and the mountains to the rest. It is gorgeous by day, romantic by sunset, and heavenly by night. Our friend loves being French, especially nicoise, and enjoys living life to the fullest, and wouldn't do it anywhere else. Our evening together will prove that it's all best done with family and friends.
Our happy and cute couple Bill and Emmanuelle met in quite the most romantic way! After moving to Nice from the States, Bill was one day walking down the street when a beautiful woman tripped on her heels right as he was walking by. He happened to catch her, they fell in love, and the rest is l'histoire. This is France! This stuff doesn't just happen in the movies!
We get acquainted over champagne and baguette slices topped with either pesto, aubergine (eggplant), or sun-dried tomatoes. Later we literally grill fifty feet above Nice; Emmanuelle, who is as great a chef as she is a host, has prepared a tender pork with a homemade marinade of tomato, garlic, miel (honey), and basil. It is the tastiest pork I have ever tasted, and served with a simple but amazingly delicious salade rocquette, with chunks of parmesan and oil and vinegar; grilled zucchini, eggplant, and peppers; and rosé.
"Chin chin! Au en table!"
We literally eat and talk over the course of two hours, sharing stories about each other, our tour, and France. After dinner, I help Emmanuelle with the dishes, and then she surprises us with a box of mini desserts, including tarts and eclairs, which all go nicely with the mint tea (with real crushed mint) she has brewed. It is amazing! Meanwhile, Emmanuelle is discussing a "surprise" with Bill, who has picked up a considerable amount of French in his years living here and says that learning it as not as bad as it seems. From the dialogue I pick out the words "plage Mediterranean" and realize they are talking about going to the beach after dinner.
And that we do! A nighttime, five-minute stroll to the Med. It is warm, and compared to the crowds earlier we literally have the place almost all to ourselves. We dip our feet in the sea, picnic on the beach, and talk and laugh until well past midnight. Great food, great people, great settings, great times...
Our happy and cute couple Bill and Emmanuelle met in quite the most romantic way! After moving to Nice from the States, Bill was one day walking down the street when a beautiful woman tripped on her heels right as he was walking by. He happened to catch her, they fell in love, and the rest is l'histoire. This is France! This stuff doesn't just happen in the movies!
We get acquainted over champagne and baguette slices topped with either pesto, aubergine (eggplant), or sun-dried tomatoes. Later we literally grill fifty feet above Nice; Emmanuelle, who is as great a chef as she is a host, has prepared a tender pork with a homemade marinade of tomato, garlic, miel (honey), and basil. It is the tastiest pork I have ever tasted, and served with a simple but amazingly delicious salade rocquette, with chunks of parmesan and oil and vinegar; grilled zucchini, eggplant, and peppers; and rosé.
"Chin chin! Au en table!"
We literally eat and talk over the course of two hours, sharing stories about each other, our tour, and France. After dinner, I help Emmanuelle with the dishes, and then she surprises us with a box of mini desserts, including tarts and eclairs, which all go nicely with the mint tea (with real crushed mint) she has brewed. It is amazing! Meanwhile, Emmanuelle is discussing a "surprise" with Bill, who has picked up a considerable amount of French in his years living here and says that learning it as not as bad as it seems. From the dialogue I pick out the words "plage Mediterranean" and realize they are talking about going to the beach after dinner.
And that we do! A nighttime, five-minute stroll to the Med. It is warm, and compared to the crowds earlier we literally have the place almost all to ourselves. We dip our feet in the sea, picnic on the beach, and talk and laugh until well past midnight. Great food, great people, great settings, great times...