After yet another few hours of scenic train travel and a very entertaining conversation with a Swedish family, we caught our first glimpse of the South of France.
First was Monte-Carlo, an independent state 6 times the size of the Vatican – a tax haven for the filthy rich. Even their train station echoes that this isn’t any ordinary place.
We caught our connecting train to Nice and 30mins later we’re there. Our hotel was in the very heart of the trendy dining area, 2 blocks from the ocean and another 2 blocks from the old centre. Our tiny balcony looked out over the cafes and restaurants beneath. Perfect spot!
We again did the walk for a couple of hours as the sun went down, strolling along the promenade imagining how busy it would be in the summer.
After a delicious French dinner of duck with pepper gravy whilst Deb had veal with cream sauce, and of course, French fries for us both, we made our way over to the going-out area of town.
“Wayne’s” which is apparently a well known haunt was packed as were the nearby places, so instead we soaked up the atmosphere, did some people-watching (fascinating in this part of the world) and got some ice-cream instead. A great way to end the day!
The sleep, or lack of, was awful due to it being a Saturday night, a guy throwing up his every last organ in the room next to us along with drunks-a-plenty out on the town. Never mind, we’re in Nice – a minor inconvenience.
We’re currently heading back to Monaco for the day. We’re not sure whether we’ll stay the night yet given the huge price of hotels. $240+ for a
basic place and given we don’t have going out clothes, we’re not sure whether we’ll be able to do much. We’ll play it by ear! Definitely the best aspect of traveling without a fixed itinerary!