One would think that we would explore our extended stay city the first day as we all have apartments in Nice and are daytripping from here. However, Monday is the day that museums are closed and Monday was also a holiday this week following Easter Sunday. Therefore, we waited until today to better explore this city....though the students have definitely made the rounds to the hip (university-age) bars already.
The Cours Saleya is the main market square in Nice since the Middle Ages and remains so today. We met there, although I wasn't sure how we would find each other, as the market was full of fruit, vegetables and tourists speaking Russian, Italian, French and English. The wonderful tight streets of this again Medieval section of the city wove to the base of Castle Hill which we climbed for the views. I still have a bunch of complainers about climbing, though they are a youthful 20-something (perhaps it was the night before). Following the Promenade des Anglais at the beach, we walked along this long strand watching Japanese tourists play in the frigid water. Our final destination on this walk was the Negresco Hotel which was closed for restoration. I had wanted to see the inside of this palace/hotel which was constructed for the czar of Russia as a summer house. Unfortunately it was completed in 1917, the same time he and his family were assassinated so he never took possession of the place. Today it is the most expensive hotel in the city.
Museum Day. I have never met a museum I didn't want to enter, especially after so many art history classes. I am continually amazed to see the pieces in person as the scale and color often cannot be communicated in slides. The Chagall Museum and the Matisse Museum were our destinations. The Chagall Museum has some fabulous pieces, but the Matisse Museum must have lent all theirs out as they were a bit light on things to see. Except for the Chagall Museum, all the museums in Nice are free. As the Matisse Museum should be....It is also cheap to get around here as all buses cost only 1 euro, despite the distance. Monaco, Cannes, Cap Ferrat have all cost only 2 euro roundtrip. Compare that to the price of gas which is 1.49 euro per LITER. If you have not had metric classes recently, that is approximately 3.8 liters to the gallon which is about $5.60 a gallon (and we hate $2/gallon). The bus is well worth the trip, plus it will be the cultural experience for the day. There appear to be few rules on how may people can fit on a bus. Today an old lady "slimed" by me on the overcrowded bus to get to a small pocket of room to hold on. I have decided that if you tighten your core, you are less likely to fall on those around you....
While my Marseille apartment had tremendous charm, my favorite internet cafe is the highlight of the downtime in Nice. Across the street from the apartment, Philippe and his wife run a tiny cafe from 8am to 7 - 9pm, depending on when people want to eat. Since I am here for both breakfast and evening, spending at least 2 - 3 hours in this cafe a day working on the computer, I have watched what seems like an idyll life for Philippe. His friends pop in to visit and have crepes or coffee or a glass of wine all day long. They laugh, watch futball, know each other's kids, and seem like a family. Philippe is quiet but outgoing. His wife is the perfect hostess. I love seeing life lived as though I was a fly on the wall.
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