My hair has grown back, which can only mean one thing: It is time to leave. We have a 7 am taxi for tomorrow morning and then we fly to Paris and on to Dulles arriving in the late afternoon. Our primary reason for staying here six weeks was to miss bad weather and it appears we did just that, at least in Charles Town. The past three days here in Nice have been windy, rainy and dark, not the best weather for the last weekend of Carnival. The Niçoises are being punished for having their Carnival during Lent!
I think perhaps that six weeks was a bit too long. We had grand plans to rent a car and tour the area a few times but then it just seemed like too much trouble so we stayed put, except for our adventure to Menton. Cindy was asked by her dear friend Karen what was different about our visit this time and here is her reply:
There were small changes in the apartment that were not positive - the kitchen pans were bad (mostly ruined by people who didn't understand teflon or similar) and the landlord had changed all the bulbs to LED and it's way too dim for our old eyes. However, garbage trucks only come in the late evening this year and last year they came at odd hours all through the night, so we slept better. :o)
We found a fabulous little brasserie 3 blocks from the apt. this trip that has been there all along - family-run, good prices, delicious food - not sure how we overlooked it last year. But as it turns out they sold it and this is their last week! This year we became regulars at a little coffee cafe every morning - last year we only went a few times. Much better to be regulars.
My French "acquisition" (I'll never be fluent) went better this year, partly because I hit the ground running whereas last year we got here just before Christmas and classes weren't available until mid-January. This year we arrived in mid-January and Alliance Française was in full swing. Concerts were better this year too, due to the timing (after the holidays) - we heard fantastic performances in the big Opera House and also at a small theatre up the street.
The worst difference (for Wm) was the choice of television shows - last year we had THREE channels that had French cooking shows, and this year none. Odd - not sure if the landlord changed her cable or the French decided that cooking shows aren't interesting.
We will give Nice a pass for the next few years and opt to explore other cities in France where the weather is mild, but perhaps smaller cities.
We are having our farewell lunch at our favorite restaurant, Voyageur Nissart . It always feels like we are having a Sunday lunch with family and friends, and the food isn’t bad either. The suitcases are mostly packed and the apartment has been inspected and we received our damage deposit back. It is always so funny to have to pay a damage deposit since we always leave an apartment much better than we found it, but I guess that isn’t always the case with renters (witness the damaged kitchen pans).
In all it has been a great trip with lots of fun, food and long walks. I’ve worn out my sneakers and I figure I’ve walked about 365 miles on this trip. It’s going to be hard to find another city that allows you to do that without crossing streets and is close to the water.
A bientôt, Cindy and Wm
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