Nice is lovely in the fall

This 43-room hotel is a well run, compact hotel, located just a few blocks from the major shopping district of Nice. There are two buildings with a connecting courtyard; thus, there are two separate entrances, with two separate dining rooms for breakfast (breakfast is 15 euros per day, or 10 euros if you opt upon check-in to have breakfast every day, and includes croissants, jams, eggs, and chocolate. I would recommend not having breakfast every day and exploring Nice for other breakfast spots at better prices -- there are several). We stayed in a junior suite, since we were travelling with our 11-month-old baby. The room was spacious, with separate shower, bath, and toilet rooms. The shower had glass doors -- a big plus, since we were tired of the European-style showers with no curtain, much less a door. The hotel is fairly new (built within the last two years?), and so fixtures are clean and work well. They provide L'Occitane bath gels/lotions, which is a nice luxury (this may be limited to the bigger rooms, like the suites). The rooms are clean, and if you get an upper floor, you don't hear the traffic from below. Staff is friendly and professional. There are two computers with free Internet access near the lobby, although beware -- the French keyboards are slightly different than American keyboards. Well-priced for what you get -- 100-150 euros per night for the suite was a good deal.

Although I'm uncertain of the exact address, you won't miss this boulangerie on the corner of the above-mentioned streets, due to the green awning and the lovely smells of fresh-baked bread beckoning you in. While most bakeries bake in the wee hours, this place continues to bake during business hours, ensuring the freshest bread will be on-hand to satisfy hungry customers. Lines during morning and afternoon rush hours can go out the door and around the block. Service is fast here, so the wait shouldn't keep you away. The pastries here are so divine -- lots of pain au chocolat (light as air), fruit tartes, napoleans, eclairs, a cheesecake made from fromage blanc, hazelnut tortes, several types of quiches, and sandwiches on fresh baguettes, prepared to go. Take a few minutes to inhale all the yummy smells before you order -- it's part of the experience.