As much as I love empty Paris in August, I felt the need to get away for some fun and sun. After feeling intense peer pressure from my Parisian friends who could not believe that I wasn’t taking a holiday in August, I succumbed to their wishes and gladly announced that I was taking an 8-day vacation in Nice. With reactions of horror, bewilderment and approval of choosing Nice, they wished me bon vacances and good luck fighting the crowds.
Vincent and I arrived on Tuesday morning to the Hotel Windsor, a whimsical, old world hotel in an ideal location close to the beach and center of town. The lovely tropical garden and pool area make this hotel a special oasis in the middle of an urban commercial area. A local artist, who painted a tropical mural behind our bed and adorned the wall with a funny, horrifying stuffed animal sculpture, had recently redone our room.
Nice is strange combination of worn Belle Époque architecture suggesting a bygone era of elegance and the crass commercialism of a New Jersey boardwalk resort. I loved walking around the quiet back streets discovering the wonderful buildings, and the lush gardens and foliage. As far as the dealing with the over abundance of tourists, I turned it into a fun exercise in people watching. I marveled at everyone from the overdressed Euro women wearing enough gold & glitz to make a rap star look demure, to kids sporting the latest in over the top hair treatments and tattoos.
As we settled in we discovered excellent restaurants, great culture and swimming in the delicious, my favorite color blue Mediterranean. Further details in my next posting.
A few "restaurant" tips for Nice (if you're still there)
La Voglia (on cours Saleya)
Côté Marais (in the Old Town, rue Pontin?)
L'Occitanie (boulevard Gambetta, near the railway bridge)
Looking forward to reading more about your holidays (and about Paris of course!)
Posted by: Thierry | August 14, 2006 at 05:17 PM
Simply put.... "Nice!" or "Nice is Nice!"
My... what a large blog you have!
Actually commenting after reading about your first rock concert... Nice! Oh, and speaking of firsts;
Thanks in large part to you (and your blog), I tracked down my best French friend in college and found out he lives in the Washington DC area, not so far. So, he and a couple from Amsterdam spent the weekend at my house in Cresskill and they took me to my first soccer match in Giants Stadium. NY RedBulls vs. Barcelona!
I think I was the only American (English speaking) there. Half were speaking eSpanish and the other half were a mixture of Europeans... and a sliver of African and Middle Eastern soccer heads too.
I have not seen Herve' for 16 years... you see what an impact you make on others (and may not even know it?).
Blogging off...
Posted by: Tom Barnhart | August 17, 2006 at 06:44 PM
Simply put.... "Nice!" or "Nice is Nice!"
My... what a large blog you have!
Actually commenting after reading about your first rock concert... Nice! Oh, and speaking of firsts;
Thanks in large part to you (and your blog), I tracked down my best French friend in college and found out he lives in the Washington DC area, not so far. So, he and a couple from Amsterdam spent the weekend at my house in Cresskill and they took me to my first soccer match in Giants Stadium. NY RedBulls vs. Barcelona!
I think I was the only American (English speaking) there. Half were speaking eSpanish and the other half were a mixture of Europeans... and a sliver of African and Middle Eastern soccer heads too.
I have not seen Herve' for 16 years... you see what an impact you make on others (and may not even know it?).
Blogging off...
Posted by: Tom Barnhart | August 17, 2006 at 06:44 PM
OMG - that wall sculpture has to be one of the most horrifying things I've ever seen. Nice idea... gone horribly awry. That clown! Those evil tunneling mutant worm puppies and monkeys! It's enough to make one want to pull a "Best in Show" and travel with one's own wall tapestries! XOX misslord
Posted by: Miss Lord | August 18, 2006 at 09:16 PM