Visit to Nice Part 1

Hello all!
We finally arrived back on Saturday evening from what turned out to be the most awesome week away I think I've ever had.
All the way through writing these blog posts I'm going to be asking myself which I now prefer, Paris or Nice.  I'll let you know my decision at the end.

I've got to tell you first of all that I HATE TURBULENCE!!  The pilot said we would encounter a little on taking off from Gatwick.  That's the same as when a doctor says you're going to find 'this injection a little uncomfortable,' isn't it?  What they mean is, it's going to be flipping agony!
I gripped the arm of the chair and I gripped John's leg, poor man.  I listened to my music on my Kindle, which did take my mind off things a bit.  Note to self: listening to 'Skyfall' on a plane really isn't a good idea!
But eventually it was over and we were there.  We were met by sunshine and palm trees.  Who could ask for more, really?
I had my first French conversation there and then as we had to buy bus tickets from the ticket office (and yet on the way back you can buy them on the bus, how strange).  Anyway, tickets bought, and we set off once the bus turned up.  But this is the bit that puts me off buses abroad, as I don't think it's obvious where to get off like it is with trains.
We decided to get off at Gambetta Promenade though, and found the Hotel Negresco.  You can't really miss it to be honest.

Our apartment was just down the road from here but it took a bit of wandering up and down to work it out at first.
Finally found it and then had the saga of opening the gates.  It was quite late by now and a woman appeared on a balcony above and I explained we were renting one of the apartments for a week and she told us how to get in.  Then we opened the main door, and then, across the hallway, the actual door to our apartment.  Finally, we were inside.
It took a while to get used to the apartment as all the shutters were down and there are no curtains and no carpets.  It took a while to realise how lovely it was.
We set off to try and find something to eat.  All the supermarkets were closed so we went to a little Italian restaurant and had a pizza each (all ordered by me, obviously!)  Finally had artichokes and have decided I don't like them!
Time for bed, so tired.
Jane x

Nice Too

Woken up this morning and I am thrilled and delighted and mega excited to a) be in France, but more importantly b) in this amazingly beautiful part of France.
This is how it was:
John left the keys in the door all night and having struggled to get in, we now found it impossible to get out!  Neither of us brought a mobile phone.  And let's be honest, who would we have phoned anyway?
After much persuasion, John finally managed to unlock the door and I packed away my panic and claustrophobia and we set off to find the church and get some breakfast.
We walked up Rue Gambetta and found Passage Gregoire but we were quite early so we stopped off at a café on the other side of the road for a quick coffee.  Having supped said beverage it was quite clearly now time to cross the road.  Except... now the Nice marathon had started and the first of 9000 people were running up the road.  I don't think, "Excuse-moi!" would cut it somehow.
But time dragged on.  Every so often there were little gaps in the groups of runners, so we decided to chance it.  John got across pretty niftily but I got half washed up the road like a piece of flotsam and was suddenly a participant in the Nice marathon, until I leaped onto the pavement on the other side!  Phew!
And so we walked down quite a rough looking side street and into the Victoire Church.  It turned out to be pretty awesome.  It was all tiled and really cool.  We sang some songs in French.  It really messes with your head because some of the songs we knew in English, but suddenly were only capable of singing them in French even though our brains knew perfectly well what we were singing in English.  I don't know how to explain it.  Right brain was going, "Pull yourself together woman," and left brain was going, "LOLOLOLOL!"
Then a beautiful moment when we greeted one another.  There was lots of kissing, but this beautiful woman came up to me and said, "Ma soeur!" and kissed me and I thought, 'Yes we are sisters because we both love the same God and even though I'm in another country God loves you and He loves me and it's amazing, isn't it?' and I was trying not to cry.
More singing and then a sermon relayed to us in English through headphones, which was awesome.  I did look at the Bibles but they were so expensive.  Maybe one day.

Then we decided to go for a walk through an area called The Promenade du Paillon.  It's beautiful and fun and imaginative.

I am blown away by the architecture.
It's like how I imagine Cuba or something from Love In The Time of Cholera!

And then I finally came face to face with Apollo.  So pleased to have found this.

 Strolled home and bought our first bread from a boulangerie but then went into a supermarket to buy essentials like tea bags and milk.
More tomorrow.
Jane xx

Nice Again

Sent John out this morning to buy bread and he actually came back with... bread!  This is astonishing for him in English, let alone in a foreign language!
Decided today (Monday) was the day to walk round the Colline du Chateau.  Didn't want to break it to John that there actually wasn't a chateau at the top!
We strolled through the Cours Saleya, taking in the sights, the smells and the voices.  It took a while to grasp the accent, but it's because of the massive Italian influence.  Once I'd got used to it, it was fine.  There was an antiques/brocante market going on.  Some very interesting stuff, lots of very catholic ornaments and interesting paintings. 

Carried on and went under an arch onto a very narrow street.  Further on there was a war memorial

and then, having walked past the lift and the stairs, we began the climb upwards.
It wasn't that strenuous, and it was well worth it.

We passed a beautiful cemetery but John wouldn't let me go in.  French cemetaries are always quite stunning compared to English ones, aren't they?

The view from the top is awesome.

And so is this.

It was a day for getting wet, really.

Stood up after this and the back of my coat was soaking wet!

 

 

So all in all a fantastic day.  Of course we got sunburned.  Nothing says, 'Brit on holiday' like a bright red nose, does it?!

More tomorrow.

Jane xx