First trip to Nice, France - 2001

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We love Nice, what a fabulous place, everywhere just buzzes and the scenery is beautiful. Four of us went in November 2001 for the first time and the weather was still really hot. People were on the beach in their cozzis and two brave souls from our party went swimming. The pebble beach shelves away very steeply so be careful if you don't like to go out of your depth too much. We stayed at the Hotel Suisse right on the front, http://www.hotels-exclusive.com/french-riviera.htm fantastic view from our balconies right around the bay, but it was very noisy at night because of the traffic zooming around the corner.
We didn't take breakfast at the hotel, it is very close to the Old Quarter so we went just around the corner to the Flower Market where there are lots of little cafes and restaurants. There was much more variety and cheaper too, and what a fantastic location, the flowers, fruit, veg., and local specialities on sale made a great picture. I bought some lavender jam, yummy! Evening meals are good here too, and it's great for people watching as they "promenade" up and down.
Take the little white tourist train up to the top of the castle area for a great view. We also had a trip to Monaco to rub shoulders with the rich and famous, well their yachts anyway! We did visit the casino but they would only let us in as far as the slot machines, there goes another dream. We caught the bus from Nice to Monaco, a great bargain at about 2 Euros and got a sightseeing trip along the coast for our money. Love it, love it, love it!! The photo is of us checking out the talent on the Promenade Des Anglais! (The trouble was they rollerbladed right past, ah well!)

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