NGR Trip Part I: Nice

10.2.12
Dear Mom,

Turns out, this trip I am traveling alone. The people who may have been going to Nice may have left Friday or not. I don’t want to worry you, because I am now on my third day, and I have been and am and will be fine. I guess unless I invented an imaginary friend you would figure it out in this blog. But then I wouldn’t be able to declare how wonderful of a time I am having on my own. Groups are fun, but sometimes you can just explore so much better on your own.

So, Love you! Don’t worry! I am now able to mumble something in four different languages.

Love, Olivia

I got into Nice around 11, thanks to the delay on the train. But I woke up around 8am. The two guys who were in the same couchette as me left sometime earlier. Despite my initial uncertainty, they treated me nicely and even let me have the upper bunk. They didn’t speak much English so I got to try to speak a lot of French, and they progressively got better at understanding English or pretending they understand. They were impressed I was an Engineer. 

Cathedral St. Nicolas

Look at this darling thing!

So I woke up, and boy, the view out the window was incredible. Truly breath taking. Blue, waves crashing against the rugged gold rocks of the shore line. The sun was just coming up, and the houses! The little houses stacked into the side of the hills, balconies and bright colored roofs. Then I wandered! It would be hard o get lost; go up hill or downhill. One leads to a great view, one leads to the ocean! I chose up first, I felt it necessary to resist the urge of the ocean a little longer. I wanted to climb up the hill and see the coast first because once I got to the ocean I don’t think I would feel like I would have wanted to go that far away from it.

Cutie here too.

See! even she's blushing.

So on the way I found a museum. Discovered my camera though it may not be bullet proof, it’s certainly water proof! It was small but still remarkable. All sculptures seem to be!

A balcony I probably wasn't supposed to go out on, but the doors were accessible, at least to exit.

Courtyard garden

Few of the more innocent statues.

Miss Penny

Miss piano

I continued my way down to the beach before long.

But continued to see incredible art.

 Then I looped back to the ocean. Just a little taste of it...

Walked the promenade de angle for a little and found my hostel; Hostel Meyerbeer Beach.

They upgraded me to this spectacular brand new room, not once has it been slept in yet! I can’t believe I got a room in this place for 13e a night! I relaxed for a little… decided the plague going around at GTL was not completely escaped and that I should find a doctor. Thanks to Fabien I found one right around the corner who speaks English, and I must say, I like going to doctors in France better! No silly paper work or 50 follow up questions. “What’s the problem” I diagnosed it, she confirmed it, gave me some amoxicillin and that was that. Back onto my journey!

I went to another museum on the way named after Massena.

As ekegant as they are, these were the wrong stairs to go up.

One room had posters with people to represent places around the world.

She reminded me of the porcelain doll Aunt Eileen gave me.

This is the working desk I need!

Queen Victoria

My wedding dress

The main stairs of the museum

Main hall

Outside gardens

Then I went back to the sea! Grabbed a yummy kebab and ate it walking along the beach as seagulls begged me to share.

Probably a good idea... being that everywhere else costs a euro.

A light house for Nanny

I got to the end of the beach where there was a jet out of water.

 I didn’t really want to go back, but jumping it looked a little far, and the ground was gravely sand which gave away easily. Another guy caught up to me and considered doing the same thing. After we established that my mind was on coffee break and it was not the time of the day for me to speak French, he spoke his “little” English that was more than enough to keep a conversation. He had a good sense of humor.

The thing I love about Europe is you don’t have to look for something interesting. There’s always something there to say “ok I’m going that way!” This was definitely the case in Nice. Mountain, semi- hidden castle, windy stairs? Okay that way! We unofficially continued walking and talking and he was very complimentative. He enjoyed my American accent, and we counted in French up the stairs, though I could not count as fast as I went. Sometimes we would each do every other one ect.

Site de'l Ancien Chateau: Castle of Nice

Flower among the Cactus

There was a section full of Greek culture and mosaic art.

The view was incredible from the top. But apparently he liked me as a view too. “You have a minion smile, your eyes are beautiful, they are so clear, you’re hair matches your eyes,” these are just a few things he said. Um, my hair is not brown though, it’s still blonde, I do not know how it matches my eyes! And, in any language, no beso porque yo no quiero still means something simple. I’m not sure there has to be more of an explanation! I suggested he need not compliment me, and he replied that he could not resist. Oye. I gave him a lesson on human relationships 101. Though he was disappointed, I think now he is a better man.

Back down into the plaza again, and after I ambiguously let this guy know I knew where I was going and he said he needed to meet some friends and seeing as I had visited most of the whole city  and it was just starting to get dark, I was ready to call it a day. On the way back the city was getting ready for Carnival.

I planned to do some homework, relax a little. I took a revitalizing shower, surprised two Korean guys who were staying in the same room as me (they had never stayed in the same room as girls before, it is strongly against the south Korean culture), and then was joined by an upbeat girl saying there were 3 Australians downstairs and they were all going to eat. Australian accents are almost as good as Scottish. Resting would be for later!We went out to a restaurant called Cote Sud. It was hard to find a good place, since the city was pretty empty as Carnival would not be for another week, so it was definitely not a tourist weekend.