A Sunday in Nice

Last Sunday, after a quick visit to a bakery for breakfast for the girls, we jumped on a train for the twenty minute journey to Nice.

Lily enjoying her bakery pizza breakfast on the train to Nice.

We hadn't any specific plans for our out of town trip, but found ourselves wandering down Avenue Jean Médecin a block away from the train station and popping into some of the stores that were open on a Sunday.  We checked out the "Nicetoile" shopping centre, which looked much like any other indoor mall we've been in but with a few differences; not one bench to sit on and pay toilets for anyone over the age of 12.  Grace could barely believe it when Barry, wanting to save the €.50 toilet usage fee, tried to convince the attendant that she was a week away from her 12th birthday.  She told him afterward, "Dad, I didn't even have to go!".

Avenue Jean Médecin led us to the spacious Place Massena with its colourful Italian style buildings.  

Lily was adamant that her newly purchased French "slime" (bought for the mere price of 3 mall-bathroom visits), make it into the photo.

We then continued our way down to the sea and the Promenade des Anglais.  In the background is "Castle Hill" (Colline du Chateau), which was once a Greek-Phonecian fortified town and later the site of a medieval castle under the rule of the House of Savoy.  Louis XIV had this castle completely dismantled during the French Occupation in 1706, so there is little trace of any castle now. 

We decided the climb to the top would give us some great views.  We weren't disappointed.

On the Promenade des Anglais.

View of Nice from the first look out point on the hill, The Bellanda Tower

The vista looking west towards Antibes after an even higher climb

On top of this hill is a park that was created at the end of the 19th century that includes a man-made waterfall, a playground and several cafés and, I might add, some more €.50 user fee washrooms.  Grace made it pretty clear to her Dad after the mall visit that from here on in she would be entering all pay toilets as the fee paying thirteen year old that she is!

View over the city from atop the waterfall.

Enjoying a drink and ice cream after our climb to the Parc du Chateau

We walked back to the train station through the narrow and winding alleys of Nice's Veille Ville, (Old Town).

The Place Rossetti in the Veille Ville.

While I took the above picture, the "Orchestre d'Harmonie de la Ville de Nice was playing in the 17th century Cathédrale Sainte Réparate

After a great day, a quick train ride had us home for dinner.  Green slime and all.