I
have had a pretty good day. I got up and had breakfast. Toast with a lot of
butter, was probably a bad idea but I was hungry. Tomorrow I bought food to
cook. Actually, I cooked my own dinner tonight. Steak with grilled peppers and
a glass of sweet white wine. The food at the store, enough for dinner tonight
and two breakfasts, cost €8 and some odd cents. The glass of wine was €2.50.
So,
first thing this morning I went down to the train station. Villa St. Exupery
Hostel is far from everything, and the shuttle down to the tram stop doesn’t
start running until 8a so there was no point in getting up really early.
Anyway, I picked up my tickets to Marseille, and then from Carcassonne to
Paris. The machine would not take my card even though it has a chip in it. The
machine did take it though for selling me tickets! Anyway, I had to stand in
line for a bit, but then the nice lady at the counter, she printed my tickets
for me. I said “merci beaucoup!”
 |
| Nice Flower Market |
I
then got back on the tram and got off at Place Massena and walked over to the
old town. I went to the market. They have some wonderful stuff but it is really
impossible to buy any of it while backpacking. There are nice public restrooms
in the market area. Costs €.50 and there is an attendant and they are very
clean.
After
I browsed the market, I walked up Castle Hill. Unfortunately there’s no castle
any more. One of the Louis something-or-others had it torn down in I think the
17th century. There were the remains of a church, a series of small
walls. Very nice views of Nice from up there.
 |
| View from Castle Hill |
There
were also two cemeteries, a Jewish and a Christian one. Also a neat waterfall.
I wonder if it is man-made or from a spring?
 |
| Jewish Cemetery - the Christian one requested no pictures taken |
 |
| Waterfall |
After
that I went and perused the old town, Vielle Ville, for a place to eat. I ate
at a kebab place, cost €7.50 for a kebab, really like a taco, in a tortilla,
filled with meat, a side of fries and a soda water.
 |
| Old Nice - Vieille Ville |
Then,
after I ate, I walked back to the train station (a long walk) and did some
window shopping along the way. I bought a ticket and return ticket to Antibes.
I should have just bought the return ticket in Antibes, because I didn’t allow
myself however much time I needed. A lesson learned!**
I
went to the Picasso museum. Since they were working on installing some art, one
floor was closed so admission was half price, €3. Very nice works by Picasso.
And clean bathrooms.
 |
| Antibes - Picasso Museum |
I
then tried walking to the fort, but my leg started hurting me, I had a bad
muscle cramp in my right calf, so I actually headed back to the train station
early. It was good people watching at the train station. People were smoking in
the waiting area, despite a sign that said “no smoking”.
I
also had some gelato in the old town of Antibes. It was quite good, chocolate and
mint chip. It was a bit pricey at €3.50 but not every place can be as cheap and
good as Portici!
On
the way back to the hostel, I stopped at the Casino market and bought my
aforementioned dinner. I’m not sure what I am going to do tomorrow. I am going
to read some of Rick Steve’s guide book and see if anything jumps out at me.
Oh,
and here, there are not purse/umbrella sellers, Not one! There was a black man
that tried talking to me on Castle Hill, he was like “excusez moi,” and I just
shook my head and kept walking. He made this disgruntled noise. Maybe he was
nice and not one of those scammers, but I don’t speak enough French to have a
conversation. Maybe it was rude, but that’s life. [And I'm a girl traveling by myself. Mother taught me not to talk to strangers.]
**Everything works out the way it does for a reason.
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