Nice is Nice (Nice Day 1)

After waking up at 2:30 a.m. for a 6:00 a.m. flight we finally made it to Nice in the French Riviera. The plane came down over the water and we got a breathtaking view of the cities coast. We navigated the bus system and made it to our hostel, The Mayerbeer Hotel, in no time at all. With no elevator we got in our morning workout lugging our suitcases up the three flights of stairs to our room. The view of the surrounding street from our quaint balcony definitely makes up for the serious shlep we had to endure to get up to it. After checking in we began to explore the city, first stopping to marvel at the beautiful seascape. Abby and I ventured on to the rocky beach to dip our feet in the water. We underestimated the strength of the tide and ended up much wetter than originally intended. After the beach we wandered through the charming streets. The buildings are so beautiful and many are painted in bright yellows and pinks with pastel shutters. At first we found the city to be surprisingly empty but after lunch time the streets became more lively. We walked to Vieux Nice the old part of the city where we walked around the Cours Saleya the town center filled with outdoor cafes and flower vendors which is also home to the house once occupied by the artist Matisse. We also walked through the Place Massena a square surrounded by colorful buildings and decorated by two fountains. After lunch in a little sandwich shop we visited the Cathedrale Sainte-Reparate A cathedral built in the 18th century flanked by a bell tower and topped with a green and yellow mosaic dome. The interior was covered with frescoes and incredibly detailed decorations. From there we walked to a small park and stopped to take a ride on the carousel there. After that we took a gelato break and sat on the promenade that runs along the Riviera. We ate dinner at an outdoor pizzeria near the Cathedrale Sainte-Reparate. Afterwards we went to another restaurant that was advertising live music and found ourselves surrounded by Australians who are doing a group tour of Europe. So far Nice is pretty amazing.