Nice is Nice

If I were a cop in Nice, I am not sure I would be able to take myself seriously. If you pronounce the name of the city correctly then they are called the nice police. If you shoot some men do they put you in the pen? If you commit a crime do they make sure you do the time? Are they the meanest law you ever done saw? I mean come on. And if you don’t pronounce the name of the city correctly, and you pronounce it the way we all think it should sound, then they are just the nice police. As in, the amicable, friendly and kind police. They certainly will have a hard time convincing anyone to take them seriously. And on carnival (which happened to take place while I was in Nice) most of them were just standing around chatting.

For those of you unaware, I am on my Spring Break. It is an eight-day trip that begins in the French Riviera and ends in Rome. Actually those are the only two places it goes. This post is coming to you from Nice (my home base in the Riviera although today I made a day trip to Cannes and tomorrow I am making a day trip to Monaco.)

I have spent most of the time just sitting on different beaches reading. Or walking along different beaches staring at the surf. I have seen a few art galleries as well. I have watched two sunsets. The one in Nice was incredible (pictured here). I thought about how when I was a kid, my parents always wanted to go watch the sunset over the water, and I never wanted to because I thought it was boring. Inevitably, we all end up a little like our parents and, quite frankly, I am happy that I have.

Nice has this incredible park on the eastern edge of the city. You can’t even notice it from the street. You have to climb the long winding trail to get to it, but once you reach a certain level it opens up into this magnificent children’s haven of fields, playgrounds and jungle gyms. The view ain’t bad either (here is the view from the top).

The coast here reminds me slightly of Florida. Unlike Wales or Cape Cod, the beachfronts here are quite built up. I think California is actually a better comparison, but I have never been there. Hotels and glimmering lights border the ocean. I am not sure I like that. The Welsh coast was much more breathtaking. Of course, you can’t knock the tropical feel, either. It’s just different, and if this coast wasn’t built up it is possible I would prefer it over the Welsh coast. Actually, I take that back.

Tomorrow is going to be more of the same except it will take place in Monaco instead of Nice or Cannes.

Comments Welcome,

Andrew