Nice, France

Our train from Vernazza took us up to Genoa, then back down along the Mediterranean coast through Ventimiglia, and through the tiny country of Monaco to the French city of Nice.  We only planned to stay one night, just to see what all the "French Riviera" fuss is about.  We may decide to come back for a weekend get-away later on in the summer.

Our hotel, the Best Western Roosevelt, was within 10 minutes walking distance to both the beach and the old city "Vielle Ville".  The room was spacious and modern compared to the one we had in Vernazza, but of course we didn't have the million dollar view, either.

In the afternoon we checked out the Promenade des Anglais along the beach but we were surprised to find out that the beach really isn't all that "nice".  Sure it's scenic, but would you really want to lay out on a gravel beach?  And yet this place will be packed in August when all the French folk take their month-long vacation.  My preference would be to head for the sandy-looking beaches we saw all along the Italian Riviera instead.

The Vielle Ville is old town Nice and at its heart is the Place Rossetti, centered around the 17th-century Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate.  Some day and night views of the cathedral:

All around the square are very attractive little cafes and brasseries.  During the day some appear empty but somehow they all seem to fill with tourists and vacationers for the evening meal.

All of the cafes have a slate with the "Formule" -- a daily menu that shows the prices & choices for entree, plat, and dessert.

We verified that this restaurant did not serve horse on the menu.

At the crossroads of the Avenue Jean Médecin and the Avenue Félix Faure is the Place Masséna.

Apollo statue adorning the fountain at the Place Masséna

During the day we noticed these strangely meditative Buddha statues all along the Place.  They are part of the installation called "Conversation à Nice" by Jaume Plensa and each of the seven figures represents one of the continents and the relationships in modern society.  When we passed by again later at night, the statues cast an ever-changing ethereal glow against the dark sky.

It is morning now and we are on our way to Paris to stay for the next 10 weeks.  The high-speed train will take us through Cannes and Provence as we make our way to the City of Light.

Train station detail at Gare de Nice Ville