Skeddie Sauce and other Delights: Nice could be nice - Day 3

This morning I woke up at 7:30ish, swung open the pastel green wooden shutters to check and see if it is going to be a hazy day or a sunny day.

Yes !

There is a lot of interesting history to Nice. I wont get into all of the battles, and kingdoms and border changes and such. Instead, you can google a brief history of Nice for yourself or you can click here, here, and/or here. It's worth a quick click. Interesting stuff.

Today is the day I spend looking around the newer parts of town. You can easily see in the below photo that the dotted line clearly shows where the old town is separated from the new.

Of course to get to New Town, I have to walk through Old Town.

The first stop is the corner bakery just 7 steps from the door to my BnB.

The coffee is smaller than a key ring but tastes like a whole decanter full of ambition.

Then I have to walk past the outdoor market. Every day there is a marked and it's exciting.

These were beautiful squash (courgette in French) (zucchini in Italian) (yummy in my tummy) with the flowers still on them. I've never seen that before.

I actually bought one of these potted lavender plants for my BnB.

Interesting story of the origins of the word Lavender. It comes from the Latin lavare witch means "to wash" and of course the French and Spanish have a similar Latin based word of lavender for washing/bathing -- The romans used the fragrant oil in their baths. From the Middle Ages and Renaissance right up to modern times, lavender has been used in perfumes and toilet waters, potpourris, and sachets. As an aromatherapy oil, it relieves stress and induces sleep. The oil's antiseptic properties are also known to heal wounds and burns and to ward off disease. In a plastic purple pot on a cheap BnB dinner table from IKEA, it can cheer you up when you come home from a long walk in Nice.

After I pass the market, I pass the beautiful opera house.

(of which the two top "pediments" should have been my BnB view.)

I round the last corner of old town and I am greeted by European Union flags and Fontaine du Soleil of sun carrier god, Apollo, in a fountain with Earth, Mercury, Venus, Saturn and Mars splashing around, having a good, fun time. There is a long history to this statue of Apollo which includes being buried underground during WWII and being circumcised with a chisel due to some very conservative residents in the neighborhood and the Catholic women's "League of Feminine Virtue" who thought he was a little.... um...shall we say: "too large".

Mars to the left - Venus to the right

Mars

Mercury

Earth

This fountain is at the end of the main road that cuts through the new town. It leads north and just 2 small blocks from the main train station and to the south (where I am at now) at old town just steps from the city hall and the opera house.

Looking back towards old town and Apollo.

It's really hot today and I love it. I decided to sit in this very nice café and do a bit of people watching while sipping on more coffee and enjoying another croissant. I'm surprised by the huge number of people milling about. The great part about it is that the street has no cars. Only a tram runs up and down the boulevard.

Then I finally get to the train station.

Not that I am going anywhere in particular.

I just enjoy looking at train stations.

Now I try to find my way to the iconic hotel of Nice - Le Negresco.

I just take any street off the beaten path and make my way towards the coast.

Oh, there it is. Missed it by only 2 blocks.

If you like ornate and gaudy, you'll love this place. Check out the site. Click the link and see the rooms, the art, and be sure to read the history of this iconic hotel.

It's lunch time but I'm not hungry. I keep walking. It's hot. I should sit and take a break. But I keep walking. Now it's way past lunch time. I want a sandwich. I can't find a place that I can sit and have a sandwich and a beer. I can get a sandwich at a baker. I can get a beer in a bar. But I can't find a place that has both. Ok, shell food it is because Jens only like shrimp. So now's my chance to clam it up.

I sat here on this pedestrian street and pilled my way through the muscles, found the bottom of the beer glass wat too easily and topped it all off with another cup of dreams. My gut is full but my eye's are still hungry for more sights. So I get up and walk and walk and walk. Eventually I find this bar that is for funny fellas like me.

And of course, wouldn't you know it - they serve sandwiches and beer.

Well........ there's always room for a beer. But it was a sleepy place. There were only 2 other patrons inside and one guy showed up after me, sat down, ordered, completed his order and left. So it was a bit of a yawn. It must be a late night place. Carlos suggested I go back later tonight and check out the scene. Right ! The only thing this old man can think of is hitting the sheets after a 10 hour walk. Plus my finger was really tired from clicking my camera a 1000 times today.

Went back to my BnB, jumped in the shower and lavendered myself to freshen up and then go out for dinner. It's not that I was hungry but it was my last night and I had to make it my last nice meal in Nice. I went out at 7:30-ish, found a place with a very long line. I thought, this must be the place to eat if it has this many people waiting for a table. I get in line about 8:00. The Host of the restaurant goes through the entire line asking how many people are in your group. Just me. He continues on to all the people behind me. 10 minutes later the host comes back to me and says if you want to eat inside, I have a table ready for you. Well.... I really wanted to eat outside but it would be 8:45 by the time that happens. So I said yes. Went inside, ordered, and regretted saying yes to inside. It was so damn noisy. Then I remembered that I had a set of earplugs in my backpack. I put my plugs in, ate in peace. OMG I have never eaten a meal with earplugs in before but it really did make a huge difference. I actually enjoyed myself - nibbling on seafood pasta, sipping on white wine and scrolling news and sending a few messages on my phone and watching people thru the big windows. By the time I left, it must have been close to 9:30 and there was still a long line of people waiting for a table.