Last night we had the nicest evening out with Carol’s cousin. They are vacationing in France and happened to match up with our itinerary here in Nice. It was Mary’s birthday and David selected the restaurant La Cucina, very near our hotel. We had an amazing appetizer plate …
And then we waited … and had wine … and waited … and talked … and waited … and finally the waiter came and talked to Carol – un probleme dans la cuisine – yes, a problem with “la four” – the grill broke. It took a while, but after wonderful conversation, and a beautiful evening (intimate outdoor seating for about 15), we had a really nice meal. Carol arranged with the chef for a fun treat – we had a totally decadent chocolate dessert – with sparklers in Mary’s (for her birthday).
Then the chef came out with a bottle of Champaign to apologize again, and toast Mary and our kind patience. Every time he came out and talked with Carol (a very good looking young man, by the way) he would rub her back as he talked with her. 😳 😁 He toasted with us – very French – they played about five different versions of happy birthday over their sound system – including French, a pop-rock version in English, the muppets, and Marilynn Monroe singing to President Kennedy. 😂 We laughed but appreciated the effort.
Squares, Old Town, shops, and cafes … Nice has so much to explore! Today with our guide, Eva (who speaks French, German, Italian, and English), we drove along the Promenade des Anglais – saw palaces, the Art Deco of the Palais de Mediterranee, the neoclassical Negresco Hotel, and the St Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral. The “block head” guy is the offices of the library.
We ascended Cimiez Hill and wow the villas!! We stopped to appreciate the exceptional view from the top. So spectacular.
I took a great video, which, of course, won’t upload. Agh!
On the rest of the drive we passed the former vacation home of Queen Victoria, now high-end condos (high end has a whole new meaning here), the Roman Amphitheater, and Franciscan church and gardens.
Carol and I selected the villa we would like to purchase … found the listing online for a mere €16,478,000. A go-fund-me page, maybe?
We enjoyed Old Town, including the Opera de Nice, the Cours Saleya market, and a maze of narrow lanes!
We had a very normal lunch of sandwich and chips, and dinner of pizza and salad. And we were all done by 6:00 PM. What!? We are ready to get back to normal eating …