Just as well I enjoy train travel. We caught the first connection at 10:26am to Monterosso, and eventually arrived in Nice at 4:30pm after 2 other changes. On the way to the station at Manarola we bought a bottle of lemonchello, after Libby had tasted some last night at our host’s house. The train follows the coast the whole way and it was interesting to observe the Italian and then French Riviera from this relaxed viewing angle. Amazing, the opulence of both houses and craft on the water, the only break you get is when the train plunges back into another tunnel. It’s been a long day but we’re in France. Bonjour! As we are only in Nice for one night we chose a hotel just 3 mins walk from central station. We dropped off the luggage and went walking to the ‘centre historique’ to see the sights and get a feel for Nice, love the architecture - rooflines and balconies that remind me of Paris in ‘86. They have managed to preserve a lot of open space in the city and we found the traffic very easy to negotiate. Walked for about half an hour along the esplanade watching others strutting their stuff along this strip of beach. Nothing like our beaches and I feel a little sorry for them that they need rigid paths and platforms overlaid on the pebbles to designate who sits where and how much space you can have under your colour-coded umbrella. But no one else here seems to mind and it is great to see so many people of all ages out enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. We ate in the old centre and then made our way home, dodging a downpour by catching a tram. The food was beautiful at the restaurant but here on our first night in France and we’ve ordered Tuscan Lamb with garlic and rosemary. Our maitre de suggested a red wine to go with the lamb and it was perfect. Time to try and sleep in our dank, noisy, stuffy hotel room. Can't really complain as the price is right and location fabulous.
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