The past two days I have woken up in paradise--literally because my hotel is called the Hotel Paradis--but also because my door is 100 yards form the beach. The sun is warm, there is a slight breeze, a mountainous coastline and shops and cafes galore.
John met me as I stepped off the train and we then walked to meet the others at the hotel. We had a celebratory glass of champagne to begin our spring break and then went in search of a deluxe Nice meal. We settled on a beautiful seafood restaurant with an outdoor terrace (we were enticed when the hostess offered us free champagne) and quickly ordered an array of appetizers (oysters, red peppers, and scallops) and seafood dishes (bouillabase, pasta with callimari, and grouper). The meal was delicious and it was so nice to have a beautiful meal with laughter and great people. We concluded with tiramisu, apple tartes, profiteroles, and of course, coffee. We then meandered towards a local bar, Wayne's, where we had heard talk of a live band. It was one of the most fun places we have had the pleasure of visiting. The band played everything from Oasis to Kings of Leon to U2 to Coldplay. Other than great music, we also met people from all over the world--from New York to Australia.
The next morning we got up and went to search for a Palm Sunday Mass...but this is France so we didn't have to walk very far before finding a church. As always, we were the only ones under 60 (this is not an exaggeration). The mass was long because of the French translation of the gospel, but the homily was really well done and I really appreciated the mass. Palm Sunday is one of my favorite liturgical celebrations so I was happy to be able to go to mass.
After a quick stop at the bakery, we headed to the beach to catch some sun. And catch some sun we did--we are all slightly toasted now but we had a lovely day relaxing and picnicing on the beach. Later on, we went for dinner at a small diner that served Nice specialties. We samples socca, zucchini and eggplant beignets, pasta, mussels, pizza, and sausage. Sadly after our meal John had to return to his home across the pond. We, on the other hand, found an Irish pub where we could watch Spanish soccer, sing karaoke, and play games. There, we met a group of American soldiers stationed in Milan (bummer for them....). It was so nice to speak to people in English and it reaffirmed our belief that we can make friends anywhere.
Early this morning we awoke to discover we still didn't have hot water, but nothing could damper my mood because we were going to MONACO!! After a quick 2euro train ride, we landed in the world of the rich and famous. Monaco is all it is cracked up to be: Prada, Gucci, and Hermes shops line the main roads while Aston Martins, Rolls Royces, and Ferraris zoom up and down the streets (we stumbled upon a car photoshoot--look for me in your favorite luxury car magazine). We had set goals for the day, so after 239087523587 photos in front of the Casino Montecarlo, we set off to:
Tara: try a cigar
Stephanie: get a picture of a man in a suit
Nora: win $$ at a casino
Kirsten: drink a mimosa.
Success on the first two (...okay Stephanie smoked most of my cigar). Nora lost money, but I won some. And Kirsten did not drink a mimosa...failure. But we did have a great morning there and after lunch with a friendly Roman man, we headed back to Nice to catch the last rays of sun. And here I sit, taking in the glorious sunset while inscribing blissful memories into my journal.
Tomorrow, I leave France, the country that has gradually become home, and move onto a new chapter in Italy. Coming soon: Tara takes over Florence/gains 150 lbs from eating pasta. Get excited everyone. Bises.
No comments:
Post a Comment