France and Italy 2012

I just got back from just over 2 weeks based in Nice, France and I didn't want to come home!  Usually you're ready for the comforts of home, but I could picture myself coming back year after year.

Nice
People asked me when I got back what was my favorite location, and it was Nice itself.  There is a ton to do, the food is good but expensive, the people were very nice, and it was close to a lot.

Most things are closed on Sunday, but a lot of the museums are open.  So go then!  Or, to the beach.

Venture out of Old Nice and check out the other neighborhoods for different food that's usually a better value.  For something different, Nice has something that seemed like a Chinatown slightly southeast of the train station.

Favorite bits:

• Jardin Botanique
• Amorino Gelataria
• La Pizza restaurant
• Chagall Museum

Eze-le-village
Old hilltop town with narrow, winding streets.  Cute, but very tourist-trappy.  Most of the shops contained absolutely nothing I would ever consider buying, but it was worth the bus ride (although I'd say barely).  I happen to go on the day of the Monaco Grand Prix so I had a little bit of trouble getting a bus back to Nice.  They were "complet".

The restaurants don't open for dinner until at least 7 but the last bus to Nice is at 8.  :-/

Villefranche-sur-mer
Cute, small town that's close to Nice.  It's very close (I think it's about 20 minutes by bus and I think you could technically walk in a pinch) and worth a visit.

Calvi, Corsica
Gorgeous, probably my second favorite location on the trip.  The scene was breathtaking when I first arrived, especially at my hotel which was outside the downtown area and uphill.

On my second day I walked to Notre Dame de la Serra, stopping downtown to buy a hat (I had already gotten a little sunburned on the ferry ride over).  It was hot, I was wearing jeans, and I thought I was going to die getting there, but it had great views.


View Walk to notre dame de la serra in a larger map


St. Paul de Vence
Eze-like.  But in general, prettier, although it took longer to get to.  If choosing between the two, go to St. Paul de Vence.

Monaco
Monaco was all right but not what I expected.  I expected it to be more... shiny and expensive looking, I guess.  I went the day after the Grand Prix and the guardrails and fences were still up, which was a pain in the rump.  Even without them, though, the sidewalks were inconsistent (or absent) and it didn't strike me as a particularly pedestrian-friendly area compared to the other places I had visited.

San Remo, Italy
An hour and half (or so) train ride from Nice, it was nice to pop on over to Italy basically for lunch.  The town itself is small (with the standard old section, pedestrian only) with not a huge selection of things to see and do, so we only spent a few hours.  Lunch was great though.  Carbonara!

Advice

• At least in the spring when I went, bring an umbrella with you just in case, unless you don't mind getting caught in the rain.  The weather is a little unpredictable and kind of like Florida.  Sunny in the morning, but often cloudy and/or rainy in the afternoon, clearing up again in the evening.
• Say "Bonjour" to the shop keepers when you enter and "Au Revoir, merci." when you leave.  In talking with others, this might be where they went wrong.  From what I understand, it's considered rude if you don't do this.  They'll be rude back, apparently, although I don't think I encountered a single rude person in a shop.
• Don't wear jeans if you go to Notre Dame de la Serra.  hehehe.
• If you're in Nice, it's tempting to go to Fennochio with its 1000 flavors, but try Amorino on Rue Massena.  All natural, awesome texture.

When in Rome...

... do as Romans do.  So what does that mean?  In my opinion, from three days:

• Eat massively delicious food and somehow keep from becoming morbidly obese.  I haven't figured out quite how they manage.  
• Drive like MANIACS.  Holy crap.  On a road with two car lanes and one for buses, they drive 5 cars wide, and that's not including the motorcycles driving between the cars.  We're talking like an inch or two from their handlebars and the cars' mirrors.  Eeep.
• Live totally casually among ancient (ANCIENT) ruins and beautiful architecture.
• Spray graffiti on anything modern.
• Drink Acqua Panna.  Yummmmm.
• Learn how to "Ciao bella" at women if you're a guy and learn how to deal with it if you're the bella.  No one said "Ciao bello" to me.  :-P
• Wear tight pants.

I loved Rome... no way I could drive though.  I'd never get anywhere because I am no good at forcing my way through traffic.  That's why Jose's always good for driving when leaving big events like concerts.  And there's only two metro lines downtown because of the multiple levels of ancient ruins under the city.  

Rome II

From France and Italy 2010

Our second full day in Rome had us taking the bus to the Vatican (no students - they were probably all hung over).  The line to get into the basilica was INSANE.  Perhaps even a mile long.  We took some photos and browsed some cheesy tourist shops around St. Peter's square (there was even a calendar of hot priests!).

We walked around the wall of the Vatican to the other side where we got into the Vatican Museum with no line... but there were old people tours everywhere and at one point it was really bad - packed like the bus was!  We forced our way through and pretty much ran through the museum to the Sistine Chapel, pausing ever so slightly in the hall of maps, which was probably my favorite room.

The chapel was pretty awesome - lots of people, some occasionally taking a photo and getting yelled at, and guards shhhhing people.

We found a little pizzeria and had some pizza and some crab things I love so much.

We did some shopping and I got a bunch of great shirts from a store called David Saddler... really great stuff - contrasting inner cuffs you can flip out, cuffs that have both buttons and holes for cuff links... they took a lot of my money but the woman who helped me, Andressa, was really sweet and from Sao Paulo so we talked in Portuguese.

The Castle of Angels and the Piazza del Popolo were next and by then my feet were ready to fall off.  Home and then dinner at Pomodoro which had good food but Jose and I agreed our favorite restaurant was the one we went to on our first night... Mmmmmm that carbonara.

Rome I

Patty, Jose and I got up and went to a whole bunch of places around Rome today.  We had lunch in the Piazza de Campo del Fiore and I had a really great fettucini with truffles - first time having those and they were so good!  We walked around some more - the places are generally documented in my photos.  Then we came back here for a little to take showers (it was kind of warm today) and rest up before going to this concert of famous opera arias that Patty got tickets to at the Pantheon.

From France and Italy 2010

We rushed to get there in time, taking a bus and a train (there are only two metro lines in Rome because of the archaelogical sites), and the concert was very... entertaining.  The singers were generally only OK and the orchestra was crazy.  The violinist tuned to the harp and I knew at that point that it was going to be weird.  Then he was waving his bow around whie they were playing like he was conducting but he was just following them, I think.  He would wave it at the singers like he was tapping them on the head.  It was crazy.

For dinner we ate at this place that used to be the studio of a famous sculptor and they had original plaster "tryouts" all over the restaruant.  I had linguini with lobster which was very good.  We got rushed out because they were closing fifteen minutes after we got there.  It was tasty stuff though.

We walked and did some window shopping and then took a bus home.  A whole bunch of college-aged kids came on to the bus and packed it solid.  And while we were moving, this drunk kid sitting directly across from me started to throw up - thankfully he didn't have anything to eat.... it was just liquid and spit.  Patty and I jumped onto our seats in time and road on the backs until they all got off.  They were, of course, American.

Quick note from Rome

From France and Italy 2010

Hidy ho from Rome - just a quick note because I'm not using my computer while here, I probably won't post much more until I get back home.  Rome is crazy though - it's amazing how the old and the new are so integrated. 

Jose, Patty and I have gone a WHOLE bunch of places, so far mostly in the southern part of the center (I guess) - tomorrow there is a parade for their equivalent of the 4th of July in that area so we did that today and tomorrow we'll be hanging out in the general area of the Vatican.

Tonight we're going to see a show where they'll be performing famous arias.

The food here is incredible.  I'm glad I'm only here for a short while, otherwise I'd gain 500 pounds.

From France and Italy 2010

Next Up! Europe 2010

Flights are booked for Europe 2010.

On the itinerary: Madrid, Paris and Rome. Jose's performing in L'incoronazione di Poppea again and that'll take us from Madrid to Paris, and then we're stopping in Rome to visit our friend Patti who's from Brazil.

It'll be my first time in Spain and Italy!

What's Next?

Besides a long weekend in Charleston, my next big trip takes me back to Switzerland and London. I'm also planning on visiting Italy, Germany and France! So check back for updates...

I've already purchased by EuroRail Swiss Pass and my flights are booked!