Return To Nice

RETURN TO NICE After a long flight, we arrived in Nice around 11 AM local time Saturday. We took a taxi to the Hotel Negresco, la Grande Dame of Belle Epoque hotels in this amazing city on the Cote d’Azur. You might notice, dear reader, that I am using more French phrases than usual, because my husband and big sweetheart James wants to learn le Francais. More power to him! The weather here is glorious, in the high 60s F, and we walked from our beautiful old hotel after Jim took some great photos of the circa 1912 interior, along the Promenade des Anglais past the Casino, the Opera house and the open-air market. We had a filling lunch in the market, including salads, a fish soup (very Mediterranean) and rich desserts, namely a mousse au chocolat and a fondant au chocolat. You can tell we are chocoholics. The architecture in Nice runs from the turn-of the century style, like our hotel to the earlier and neo-classical Palais Massena (next door to us) to the art deco of the Casino. They are all surrounded by palm trees and flowers, reminding me of the wonderful paintings of the city done by the great Henri Matisse. After a relaxing nap and rest at our hotel we were ready to explore the neighborhood for a good dinner restaurant. We lucked out at the wonderful Restaurant Franchin. Jim enjoyed an avocado salad with a lemon/olive oil dressing and Dan ordered a potted combination of crab meat, avocado, shrimp and greens in a ravigotte sauce. It came in a preserve jar. Best for accompanying the appetizers was downing a superb Cotes du Rhone red wine. I ate a scallop dish with a side of spinach soufflé, while Jim had a delicious entire dourade, or sea bream. For dessert we both could not resist the delicious home-made mango mousse with a raspberry sauce. Walking back to the hotel alongside the ocean we were startled again at what a beautiful old Provencal city on the Mediterranean looks like when the stars are out. Tomorrow we board our Seabourn ship the Legend, and then we will head out into the Mediterranean Sea. -Dan