Day 4 - Nice

Well, I am very happy to report that my one ‘weather word’ at a time theory has been proven to be correct – Nice is definitely warm and dry. Although, to make everyone back at home feel a little better, it definitely looked like it was going to rain this morning….but didn’t. In fact, the cloud dried off and we have had another beautiful day in the south of France.

After breakfast we headed off to the bus-stop in Place Garibaldi (the plaza in the old town where we had dinner last night) and caught the Hop On Hop Off bus. It was fabulous riding through this beautiful city of relaxed, understated elegance on the open top deck of a double decker bus, you can easily be transported back in time when everyone who was anyone summered on the French Riviera. Mind you, we had to be on guard, as the untrimmed palm trees and other foliage is often just at the right height to give you a whop on the head if you aren’t paying attention and don’t duck in time! Yes, I did learn this the hard way, but soon figured out that you did get a split second’s warning as it thwacks the windscreen at the front a split second before getting to you.

After going all the way round just soaking it all up, we went ¾ of the loop again and got off at Place Massena. This is where the main shopping area is in Nice – everything from Mont Blanc (Brett’s fav) and Cartier to the French version of the $2 shop. We spent a couple of hours wandering through. Chris and Al did a bit of souvenir shopping and Brett found a pair of shming-a-ding-ding hand tooled and hand stitched fine leather shoes. A whole day’s budget, but pretty blimmin gorgeous so they are now sitting at the foot of the bed as I write.

In the middle of the Plaza there was an Italian Wine and Food Expo. We mosied through there and got some initial supplies for our road trip tomorrow – some cheese, panetone, a couple of bottles of lambrusco and some sweet pretzels. On the way back to the hotel we found a market and got some fresh lettuce and tomatoes and a baguette so all we need now is some nice ham (and some water for Brett who will be driving and so not drinking the wine) and we’re set for a picnic stop.

To be honest, I hadn’t expected to be so taken with Nice, but the place just oozes joie de vivre. Everyone seems so happy and full of life. For example, when we were on the bus and when we were walking, we heard a lot of tooting and whooping coming from cars and then we saw a couple of cars with guys and girls hanging out the side whizzing round the streets, some of them waving flags and penants. We couldn’t work it out but I thought – after being in Europe during the last Football World Cup - that it might be something to do with a big win. It was clearly a celebration and Christine suggested maybe a wedding. Later we found that she was right on the button. We were waiting to cross one of the main roads when a convoy of hooting and whooping came down the road, led by a stretch limo with a bride and groom poking through the sunroof. The bride had an enormous smile and was waving her bouquet like a queen and the groom had his arms stretched wide and a big “oh yeah baby” smile. They were surrounded and followed by an entourage of 20 or so cars and motorcycles with people literally sitting out their windows celebrating madly. We loved it! It was the perfect expression of the utter joy of the situation. Next thing you know, we thought they were coming back around the block and were astounded to see that it was another wedding! Clearly, it is a perfectly normal thing here to shout to the rooftops and the whole town that you are married. So, so cool.

Tonight we are off on a guided tour to Monaco – the perfect debut for Brett’s new shoes. I’ll let you know tomorrow if they have proved to be lucky shoes – maybe they’ll give him a wee bit of Monte Carlo magic!