Nice is Nice

After our overnight adventures on the Orient Express, Mom and I arrived!

We left the train station and headed down to the Promenade des Anglais (the large boardwalk along the Baie des Anges) to find our hotel. 

After wandering through the streets with our luggage, we finally caught sight of the gem of the Côte d'Azur...the Mediterranean!

...except it wasn't very blue...it was more like cloudy, chilly, and gray...

We walked around for a bit, freshened up in the hotel, and to our pleasant surprise, the sky went from dreary to gorgeous when we emerged!

Doesn't that look like a postcard?

The bright sunshine got us in the mood for a nice cold beer, so we stopped by a beach side cafe to enjoy a rather large adult beverage and a snack.

And this was the view...I couldn't get enough of the beach!

In case we forgot, someone reminded us of where we were

We spent the rest of the afternoon meandering through the narrow streets of Old Nice.

As I reminisce about our trip, two things really stick out in my mind: the gorgeous weather and the food.  We basked in the sun and ate like KINGS (or queens?) while we frolicked around Southern France.  That night, we tried a restaurant off the beaten tourist path in Nice.  The head chef/owner is from the area and has worked around the world --- and the reviews online were incredible!  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

Goat Cheese Salad with a Balsamic Reduction

Chicken Terrine

Veal Cannelloni

Herb Crusted Lamb with Roasted Vegetables

French Toast with Caramel Ice Cream

Chocolate Tartelette

If you ever find yourself in Nice, visit Luc Salsedo because it was très delicious!

Overall, I was slightly unimpressed with Nice.  All I had ever heard was that it was so beautiful, and in reality, I would consider it the Panama City of France.  I mean really...all it needed were a couple of air brush t-shirt stands and a go-cart track, and I would feel like I was back on college spring break.  Don't get me wrong, the colorful buildings in Old Nice and the beach were beautiful, but everything in between was fairly forgettable.

Exhibit A: (this is for you, Emilia!)

Pretty hotel along the Promenade des Anglais

Let's zoom in and see what we can find...

Hey blow-up doll left over from Carnival!

I felt like everything in Nice was picturesque on the surface level, but then you look a little closer and all you can find are trashy mullets and wife beaters. 

Next up?  Monaco and more of the French Riviera!

- a tout à l’heure!