From the Inside Out

The forecast for Nice was cloudy and rainy today, so Gary and I toured through a 19th century Italian Villa this morning, then jumped on a train to get away from the rain and see the French countryside and Alps. The Chermin de Fer de Provence is a narrow gauge train that travels from Nice to Digne. It follows the white waters of Asse de Moriez and offers scenic views the entire way.

Self portrait on the train

One of the train stops looking out the window

The river we followed…it had the most amazing blue, but it’s hard to see in this pic

Mountains and snow!!

We stopped about halfway to Digne at Entrevaux. It’s a “fairy tale” Medieval village with a citadel perched on top of a large rock outcropping. This place has charm and character. If you travel to the French Riviera, don’t miss it — it’s outstanding! What was even better was that we were the only tourists in the village (one of the advantages of traveling in the off season).

Entrevaux

Port Royale entrance

Entrevaux was fortified in 1690 and it became of the strongest military sites in the Franco-Savoy border. Even the 17th century cathedral was incorporated into the turreted ramparts. When you see the pictures, you’ll see why it was so hard to breach. The citadel sits 440 feet above the village and is only accessible via a very steep, zig zag path.

The citadel

It was a very long, steep climb to the top!!!

Taking a break from the climb

At the top

Gary in one of the prisons, giving his best prisoner impersonation

We had a great day again. For new pictures from yesterday and for pictures from today, check out the updated pictures in the Nice album and Entrevaux album.

After spending 11 hours in the air, we arrived in Nice around 3:30 local time. The flight from London wasn’t full so we breezed through passport control and customs — no lines, yay! After exiting the customs area, we met our driver who escorted us directly to our hotel, the Palais de la Mediterranee on the Promenade Des Anglais, one of the most sought after locations in Nice.

The Palais de la Mediterranee opened in 1929, and it was restored in 2004. The Art Deco style remains both inside and out. Our room is nicely furnished and spacious by European standards. And the location can’t be beat. You walk out the front door and are treated with an amazing view of the Mediterranean Sea!

After settling into the hotel, we set out on foot to explore the area — and find food. Shops, cafes and restaurants line the street across from the beach and the streets behind our hotel. We found a neat area which was designated for pedestrian traffic only. Along that stretch were many interesting places to eat. We eventually selected a small Italian food restaurante to provide our first meal in Nice. Tres bon!

After dinner, it was dark outside, so we strolled around checking out the local sights and shopping in the stores along Promendade Des Anglais.

When we arrived back at our hotel this evening, we decided to investigate the small casino on the first floor of the hotel. Compared to Vegas casinos, this one is not notable, but it did have some really cheap slot machines, so we decided to take $20 and entertain ourselves for a while on the 20 cent slots. After playing for a few minutes, Gary hit a jackpot and won $200! We cashed out immediately and walked out happy — not a bad way to end the evening.

Tonight, we will try to get caught up on the sleep we missed while crossing the pond. Tomorrow we plan to visit Monte Carlo.

NOTE: For a complete photo album of Day One, check out the Photos section of the blog.

We’re traveling to the French Riviera in January! Nice will be our final destination with day trips to Cannes, Monte Carlo and the Southern Alps. After our October vacation plans were foiled (because of a hefty workload), I thought we’d be going elsewhere. Possibly New Zealand or Australia because the weather is warm and sunny in January.

I changed my mind after investigating the flight options. The best case scenario had us arriving in New Zealand about 24 hours after departing. With the time difference, we’d lose an entire day just traveling (i.e. depart on Sunday, arrive on Tuesday). While the charm of New Zealand is appealing, the thought of spending two entire days on plane is not. We’ll save that trip for a time when we can be gone for more than one week.

Even though the weather will be a little chilly, I’m really excited about this trip. We’re staying at the Palais de la Mediterranee, an oceanfront property located on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. And since there are ski resorts about 60 miles inland we can stroll along the beach in the morning and ski in the afternoon. How cool is that?

Viva la France!

The Palais de la Mediterranee

View from the pool area