Retiring to Nice Was a Dream; the Reality's Even Better

It's easy to rent an apartment in Nice. Check out www.holiday-rentals.com. or one of the many other sites. You can find all price ranges and all sorts of places - charming Old Town walk-ups and seafront places like ours. It saves a lot of money renting an apartment - usually less expensive than a hotel room and you can have many meals "at home" instead of going out all the time. It's nice to get up and have breakfast at home, instead of having to get dressed and be at the restaurant at a certain time. And an apartment will give you space to spread out, so that one person watching TV doesn't interfere with another person reading.

Public transportation in Nice and the whole surrounding area is wonderful. I recommend that visitors NOT rent a car; we lived here two years before we decided to rent one and that was because we like to go over to Italy and up into the further villages that are not accessible by PT. But as a visitor, with a couple of weeks to explore, you will not need a car.

You may arrive at the airport or by train. The Nice Cote d'Azur Airport is very easy. There are two terminals with a bus that will take you from one to the other. There is an Airport Bus - I think the fee is around 4 euros - and there are taxis. But for getting into town from the airport, I like to take the #23 bus which you can pick up at Terminal #1 and which costs 1 euro. It will take you to the main train station, passing points near the center of town, towards the west side. If you arrive by train, you can take the same bus to hotels on the west side of town. Or you could just walk to the center of town if that is where your hotel or rental is. There are other buses that can take you to the east side of town and the port area. Your hotel or rental owner can tell you which bus is best for you.

When you board a bus, you will pay one euro for a ticket; you must then "validate" your ticket in the machine behind the driver. There are stiff fines if you are caught without a validated ticket. The ticket is good for a transfer within 74 minutes, and you must validate the ticket on the next bus or tram that you take.

Getting around town:

The bus and tram system is terrific. There are buses that will take you up to the Museum area in Cimiez, to the Port, and anywhere else you will want to go. The new tramway goes all the way down Av. Jean Medecin, our main shopping street, through Place Massena, the center of town, and past Old Town, to beyond the Acropolis, the main theater and convention center of Nice. The bus or the tram is one euro - you will need a ticket for the tram before boarding, available at machines at each stop. Remember to validate after boarding.

To get to the many other beautiful and interesting village that you will want to visit during your stay, there are buses available at the Gare Routiere which is located along the tram line near Place Garibaldi. The #100 bus will take you, for one euro, as far east as Menton on the Italian border; a very popular stop is Monaco/Monte Carlo, about an hour ride from Nice. In the other direction there are various buses for Antibes and Cannes (the same bus), Vence and St. Paul de Vence (the same bus), Grasse, and so forth. Another very popular destination is the perched village of Eze - another bus at the Gare Routiere. Almost all these trips are 1 euro, so you can see that it is better to take the bus rather than renting a car - you will be busy looking at the beautiful scenery along the route.

Besides the city buses, there are two tourist options for Nice itself: a Hop on/Hop off bus and a Tourist Train. The two trips are quite different but, if you want to do only one, I would recommend the less expensive Tourist Train that will take you a bit into Old Town and by the Flower Market and also up to Le Chateau, the hill that separates the main part of Nice from the Port. The views from there are spectacular. However, the Tourist Train runs only in the nicer months while the Hop on/Hop off runs year round.

There are also bus tours of the region through Santa Azur (located on Jean Medecin, west side, just north of Gallerie Lafayette). For instance, this month (April 2009) they offer one day tours to Toulon, Les Arcs Sur Agrens, a medieval fair in St. Maximin, and various other destinations. They don't seem to have a website, but once you are in Nice, just go to their storefront office and pick up a schedule.

Any trip to France must be centered around meals. These are not rushed, fast-food experiences; they are time to sit and relax with friends and loved-ones, talking as much as eating. And there are many things that you should try when you are here that you won't find readily in other places.

For hors d'oeuvres, you must try pissaladiere, made of onion, sauted until falling apart, and olive and anchovies on a pizza-like crust.

Snacks: Socca is the ubiquitous Nicois snack: a chick-pea flour and olive oil paste and baked to a cake-like consistency and eaten quickly. Not my favorite thing, but you should try it.

For entrees (first courses that often are enough for a full lunch), try the Salade Nicoise, lettuce topped with tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and canned tuna. Other ingredients may be added (perhaps green beans?), but these are the basics.

Another entree that is a favorite of David's is Soupe de Poisson: a clear reddish-brown fish broth, served with a side plate of croutons, garlic (to rub on the croutons), shredded cheese, and rouille, sort of a mayonnaise-y sauce made with saffron and peppers. You top the garlic-rubbed croutons with the sauce and sprinkle with the cheese; then lay the crouton in the soup to soften up and enjoy.

Pizzas are really great, with very thin, crisp crust. You'll find all sorts of ingredients - cured ham, artichokes, and often a soft-boiled egg on top. Delicious.

For a main plate, the souris d'agneau is wonderful: lamb shanks cooked slowly until the meat is falling off the bones. Duck (canard)in any form is wonderful. Steaks (faux filet), on the other hand, an American may find to be a bit chewy. The pastas are great and often homemade; don't forget how close we are to Italy! Pizzas, too, are delicious with a very thin skin and a choice of many toppings.

Desserts are wonderful, as expected. At most restaurants you will find mousse au chocolate, tarte tatin (apple tart), ile flottant (floating island, meringue on vanilla sauce), moelleux chocolate or fondant chocolate (flourless chocolate cake that's melty inside - my favorite). Better restaurants will have fancier things, often using figs or lavendar or other less well-known (to Americans) ingredients.

Especially around Christmas time but available year-round are macarons. These sandwich-like cookies have nothing to do with the coconut macaroons available in the US. These are delicately colored (rose, coffee, vanilla, pistachio, chocolate, orange, etc) top and bottom layers of meringue stuffed with cream flavored in accordance with the color. Yum! (The raspberry are the best; no, the pistachio; no, the coffee; no......)

Foie gras: I don't eat liver and don't usually like liver pate. Foie gras is completely different. It's rich and sweet and decadent. Order an entree to share if you are hesitant about it. It should be accompanied by a sweet wine, ideally a sauterne. A real treat.

One of the favorite activities in Nice is a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais, which follows the sea from the airport almost to the Port. The sights both seaward and inland are beautiful and often evocative of an earlier time.

The Negresco Hotel is one of the most famous sights in Nice, with its pink cupola and ornate Belle Epoch facade. It has two restaurants - the starred Chantecler and La Rotonde. If you want to have a sumptuous meal, the Chantecler is wonderful. There's a special deal for lunch: for 60 euros you will get a 3 course meal and lots of wine to accompany it. If you're not ready to spring for that, La Rotonde is more reasonable and very good, with a nice terrace looking out to the sea.

My favorite terrace to sit on and have a "coup de champagne" is The Westminster Hotel, just a block east of the Negresco. The terrace makes me feel that I'm living in the 1890's.

Further east is the fancy and expensive Palais de la Mediterranee with its Art Deco facade. When we first came 10 years ago, there was just the facade: they had knocked down everything behind it and then entered a law suit that went on for many years. Finally a few years ago, the hotel, casino, and condos behind the facade were finally completed. Not an easy operation but worth it to save this beautiful facade.

A bit east of there is the Tourist Office, where you can pick up all sorts of useful information. Further on is Albert I Park; if you walk through there, you will come to Place Massena, the center of Nice. But if you stay on the Prom and go a bit further east, you will come to the beautiful Opera House. The view from the Prom is actually the back of the building - the pink marble front is on the other side.

Just a bit further on, if you go through the archways, you will find the Cours Saleya (see other review). Along the seafront are The Ponchettes, a series of two-story terraced houses and restaurants and galleries that were once fishermen's homes facing the sea and backing up to the Cours Saleya. These are charming buildings. Behind them you will look up to Le Chateau, the hill that divides the center of Nice from the Port. Look carefully and you will see the manmade waterfall high on the hill. The round building just by the hill at the end of the Ponchettes is an elevator that can take you up on Le Chateau for its wonderful views. A great place for a picnic!

Behind the Cours Saleya and backed up against Le Chateau, the hill that separates the main part of Nice from the Port area, is La Vieille Ville de Nice with its meandering narrow streets and restaurants and shops galore. This is not just a tourist mecca but a place where the Nicois go to shop at their favorite butcher, fish monger, pasta maker, or wine merchant. For souvenirs, it's probably better than the other little towns on the Cote d'Azur, with a wider selection and better prices on provencal tableware, pottery, clothes, leather goods, and more. It's easy to get lost on these pedestrianized streets, but you're never far from civilization. So explore!

There are a few things you'll want to see. My personal favorite is Fennochio's Gelato on Place Rossetti. This is the best gelato in town and if you can't find a flavor you like here, you're hopeless. They have avocado and they have tomato basilique along with the more traditional flavors. There are more than 50 - my favorite is orange chocolate.

On the same Place is the Cathedrale Ste. Reparate, built in 1650. Ste. Reparate is the patron saint of Nice; she was martyred at the age of 15 in Asia Minor in the year 250. It's worth a few minutes to peak inside this Baroque church with its ornate plasterwork and marble. The dome may be seen from various vantage points - it is covered with 14 thousand colorful glazed tiles. Next to the church is an 18th century bell-tower.

There are many restaurants where you can eat on this very pleasant square. At Christmas time, there is a "creche vivant", a living manger scene, in the square.

Nearby is Palais Lascaris, a free museum open daily except Tuesdays. The 17th century Italianate palace has a balustraded staircase leading to the second floor where you can tour the rooms with their typical furnishings - tapestries, painted ceilings, and so on. On the ground floor there is a re-creation of an 18th century pharmacy, with its collection of flasks and ceramic containers.

There are a couple of other churches in the Old Town which are of interest: Eglise St. Jacques, Chapelle de l'Annonciation (or Chapelle Ste Rita).

But just walking the streets and soaking up the atmosphere is the best thing about the area. The shopping is great, the ambience is invigorating; it's a must for your visit to Nice to be complete.

The Chantecler is a multiply-starred restaurant and an elegant dining experience. If you want to experience the highest type of French cuisine, this is a good bet and if you don't want to spend a fortune you can go for the lunch special. This special is a three-course meal, including more than adequate wine, for 60 euros per person. The decor is white and gold, with beautiful white linens and shining silver. Service is impeccable and attentive. The menu changes on a weekly basis but everything is good. I always find that, when I'm at such a fine restaurant, it is a good time to stretch my horizons and order something that I wouldn't usually order, perhaps the rognons (kidneys) or ris de veau (calves' sweetbreads) because you can trust the chef to make an appealing dish. But you would also have the choice of more usual offerings. If you are a "foodie", this may well be the highlight of your trip.

The Cours Saleya is the southern most part of Old Town (Vieille Ville), just a block in from the sea. On Mondays there is a flea market/antique sale that is lots of fun to wander through and a great place to find a special souvenir. There's glassware and china, silver, linens, artwork, ceramics, great old posters, and lots more. Looking for the forks to use for escargots? There they are. A antique map of Nice? It's a bargain - and you should bargain!

Every other day of the week the Cours Saleya is a food market in the mornings until about 12:30 or 1:00 PM and a flower market all day. If you happen to be invited to someone's place for dinner, a bouquet from the Cours Saleya is an ideal present to bring for your hostess.

Lining the market are shops and restaurants. Many of our friends think the restaurants are too touristy, but we love to go there for lunch in the sun. There's entertainment - a lady who is like Edith Piaf, a small band playing, or an accordionist serenading you with a French tune. How can you beat that?

Who wants to cart books on a vacation? Instead you can get a temporary membership at the English American Library in NIce. It was founded in 1863 with books donated by Queen Victoria who spent a lot of time in Nice, escaping the dreary English weather. There was a large British community here and there still is.

The Library is not just a place to get books. You can read the International Herald Tribune here each day. The friendly English-speaking staff can recommend restaurants, sights, and so on.

The Library is located on the grounds of the Anglican Church on rue Barla; you can also access it from the pietonne (pedestrian zone) just east of av. Congres. It is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10-11 AM and 3-5 PM.

The site for the Library is www.nice-english-library.org. Why not visit?

We discovered this terrific restaurant shortly after moving to Nice and have been back time and again. Everything I've ever had here was wonderful. The first visit, I ordered salmon with artichokes and the portion of salmon was HUGE. But I also noticed the person next to me having a plate of vegetables; the dish was called "Stuzzichini" (it's now called something else but is an appetizer plate of veggies) which I love to order for my whole lunch. Just as you enter the restaurant there is a cooler on your right with plates of these vegetables, each fixed a different way - maybe with sesame seeds or in a quiche. One of the best things is the onions served with the plate. Over all are shreds of fresh parmesan cheese. It's definitely enough for a meal.

The restaurant specializes in seafood and every time we try the seafood it's wonderful. The pastas are also great. There's a specialty pasta with eggplant (aubergine) and sausage which I love; it's served in a large frypan and is more than enough for two.

The desserts are spectacular and, again, huge. Definitely meant to share, with cake and ice cream. Yum. Often when we are done, they serve us a free small glass of Limoncello (sounds like lemon jello), a digestif, that just finishes everything off.

The walls have scenes of the Bay d'Amalfi area and the owner is often heard singing in Italian as he passes by.

We've been to Les Pecheurs a couple of times now and it is a keeper. This time we ate outside in a warm sun but the inside is very attractive too. There are set menus at 28 and 38 euros and also a la carte items. The chef is quite creative. My entree (first course) today was crab with avocado, but all was pureed and served in a blue glass placed in a clear glass of ice, a beautiful presentation and delicious to eat. For a main course I had the gambas (shrimp); there were only three, but they were a pretty good size and were served with rice topped with bacon; on the side were pureed carrots with crumbs on top and a glass holding pureed courgettes (zucchini). A friend ordered the souris d'agneau (lamb shanks) which were served with mashed potatoes - there was a sprinkling of powdered chocolate on the plate, indicating that there was some cooked with the lamb, not noticeable in the taste but the lamb was excellent. David had a marmite de pecheur, a soup-bowl of seafood in broth, which he loved. For dessert I had the chef's version of tiramisu while the others had a berry crumble.

Service is excellent and the manager is terrific and knowledgable and friendly. This is a good deal for such creative cooking.

I've named this for only one of the many restaurants along the Promenade. As you stroll along this lovely walkway, you will see below you, on the beach, many restaurants which will lure you in to enjoy a meal on a sunny day. The kitchens are beneath the walkway! Beau Rivage is one towards the eastern end of the Prom, and is one of the more expensive ones. Blue Beach is less expensive and there are many more.

Almost all the restaurants will offer a Salade Nicoise, a plate of lettuce, tomatoes, boiled eggs, radishes, with tuna and anchovies. If you don't like the anchovies, ask for "sans anchois". This obviously is a signature dish of the city.

For wine you must try a rose - not a wine we drink much of in the USA, but the "vin du pays" here in Nice. There's nothing better on a warm, sunny day.

The perched village of Roquebrune, east of Monaco and just west of Menton, is a medieval village with no cars and winding stone streets and covered alleyways. The "Donjon", as the keep is called, rises high above the town; it's a great place for kids to explore, giving them a true idea of what an ancient castle was like.

But we like to take visitors here for the amazing views which one can appreciate from the terrace dining room of Les Deux Freres. There is a menu available of good value - 3 courses and a 1/2 bottle of wine of your choise for 24 euros. There are several changing choices for the 3 courses - the day we were there recently there were a salad with chevre chaud (warm cheese) and an avocado with shrimp as the choices for the entree (first course); for the second course, two of us chose souris d'agneau, lamb that was falling off the bone, and two of us chose the perfectly cooked salmon. For dessert there was chocolate cake, tarte de pommes (apple tarte), and several other items.

From the cliff near the restaurant one can see back to Monaco, with lovely homes and swimming pools cascading down the hillsides. There are usually hang-gliders making their circuitous ways down from above to the sea below, landing on a narrow beach.

This re-creation of a seaside villa of ancient Greece is a lovely place to spend an hour or so. Tickets are available individually at 8.50 euros or in combination with the Ephrussi de Rothschild Mansion on Cap Ferrat at 15 euros, so you could easily spend a day at the two with a nice lunch in between in St. Jean Cap Ferrat.

The villa was built by Theodore Reinach, a German with an intense interest in ancient Greece. With his architect, Emmanuel Pontremoli, Reinach envisioned a house based on the villas of the 2nd century BC on the Greek Island of Delos, with a central courtyard surrounded by 12 columns of Carrera marble. Everything in the villa is based on known records of how the Greeks lived, including the layout of the villa, wall paintings, and the furnishings of exotic woods. The mosaic tilework on the floors, the fresco paintings on the walls, the inlay work of ivory and coral on the furnishings are all authentic. And yet it was also built as a home to be lived in in the early 1900's.

I wouldn't normally recommend having a car if you are spending a week or two in Nice or on the Cote d'Azur. But if you do have access to a car, this makes a terrific destination for a wonderful meal and a delightful town to visit, off the beaten track.

The fortified town of Fayence, not far from Grasse, is perched on a hilltop and is charming. Nearby is the restaurant Le Castellaras, owned by chef Alain Carro who is assisted by his daughter Hermance. Madame Carro is the hostess. It isn't inexpensive - the menu that we had today was 45 euros, plus drinks. But the portions were enormous. The next time I would order an entree (first course) and a dessert! Or just a main plate and dessert, at most.

We started with a coup de champagne and they brought out little hors d'oeuvres of smoked salmon and cheese. We were then served a bouche-amuse of smoked salmon with wonderful home-made breads. Next came our entrees (first course): I had a very generous portion of foie gras and a delicious salad of beets, green beans, tomatoes, lettuces, nuts; David had rouget (a local fish) with risotto which could easily have been a main course with 5 pieces of fish and a generous helpiing of the risotto.

For the main course David had the rognons and ris de veau (kidneys and sweetbreads) while I had the loup (sea bass) with beautiful green vegetables - peas, broccoli, pea pods, fennel, and brussel sprouts, with one piece of carrot for contrast. We had a 1/2 bottle of rose to accompany all.

The cheese course was interesting - David's was a glace (ice cream?) of brebis cheese while mine was a layered soft cheese with truffles. With this we shared a glass of red wine.

Then for dessert I had the moelleux au chocolate (a soft chocolate cake) with ice cream and David had a pancake wrapped around a Grand Marnier souffle that was outstanding. With coffee, more sweets were served.

This would be a particularly lovely place to come in the summer months, with its outdoor patio and gardens. But inside is very welcoming, with its pale green linens and exquisite place settings.

Henri Matisse lived in Nice for many years in various hotels and apartments. Born in 1869, he didn't start painting until he was 20 years old, during his convalescence from appendicitis. He was influenced by the Impressionists and the post-Impressionists and is famous for his use of bright colors. His later works were cut-outs of sea creatures and plants, several of which hang in the museum in Nice. He also designed the Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence, a chapel near Nice; plans for the chapel are also in the museum.

Near the Hotel Regina where Matisse lived for many years is the beautiful 17th century Italian villa that houses the collection. It is open daily except Tuesday and, like all Nice museums, is free.

One of the things I particularly like about the museum is that, in addition to Matisse's paintings, there are many of his possessions. For example there are an imaginative table and chair that also appear in his paintings. It's interesting to see the actual object and his interpretation.

The 1878 villa, built for a Russian princess, is built in the style of a 17th century palace of Genoa. The museum is worth a visit just to explore the villa, with its beautiful sweeping staircase. There is a lot of art by Jules Cheret (he died in Nice in 1932), which is not particularly to my taste, but there is also a large collection of Raoul Dufy, with several of his works of Nice.

The Romans, of course, were all over France, planting olive trees and grape vines wherever they went. And we have some great Roman ruins to prove it. In Cimiez, an area of Nice on the hills behind the center of the city, there is the wonderful Musee Archeologique (open daily except Tuesday; free) with collections from the area all around Nice. Outside is the on-going dig, with the Roman baths, showing the underground heating apparatus, and Roman roads that lead up to Vence and beyond.

Nearby the museum are the remains of the Roman Amphitheatre, just part of a large park where Nicois come to play and picnic.

To most people the Roman presence in Nice sounds like ancient history, but this museum records the Paleolithic times, about 400,000 years ago. That's no "typo"! These hunters camped on the waterfront of the Mediterranean, at a higher level than the present day. The displays include a reconstruction of their shelters made of branches, stone tools, and indications of fire in an open stone hearth. If you're a lover of ancient history, this is the museum for you.

Place Garibaldi, with its yellow ochre buildings, green shutters, and arcaded walkways is my favorite square in the city. It is named for one of Nice's most famous sons, born here in 1807, who led the unification of Italy in the mid-1800's. It has just recently been refurbished, after the new tramway bisected it. It now has less traffic so it's easier to see its charm. On one corner is the famous Cafe de Turin, a great place to meet, have a drink, or enjoy their famous oysters. In another darker corner is the Mercury Theater, which shows films in V.O. (Version Originale), so if it's an American, British, Australian film it will be in English with French sub-titles. Near the Cafe de Turin is the Chapelle de St Sepulcre, a chapel of the Blue Penitents, a group of Roman Catholic worshippers who often performed penitent works such as wearing hair shirts, fasting, and other sacrifices. Of a completely opposite theme, also on this square is the most decadent patisserie in the city to buy a chocolate dessert. If that's not a draw, you're not a chocoholic like me.

Place Massena, until quite recently, was a traffic congested, too busy place. But with the arrival of our new Tramway, much of the traffic has been eliminated and we have a new stylized checkerboard pavement, new public art, and a beautiful place to be. Just east of the Place is the Old Town of Nice. In the Place at Christmas time there is an ice-skating rink and Christmas Village; for Christmas and through Carnaval a huge Ferris Wheel offers spectacular views of the sea, the Old Town, the mountains behind Nice. At one end of the square is the Galleries Lafayette, France's famous department store, at the start of Avenue Jean Medecin, the main shopping street of Nice.

Towards the sea from Place Massena is Albert I Park where there is a charming Merry-Go-Round for children and an old-fashioned gazebo where band concerts are held from May through the summer.

The new Tramway will take you up Jean Medecin in one direction and up to the Acropolis, our huge theater and convention center, in the other direction.

We live in Nice for 6-7 months each winter, escaping from the brutal winters in Chicago (see my blog at www.dgnomads.blogspot.com). We've had many wonderful experiences, but one of my favorites is visiting with my cheeseman. One day I was planning a dinner party, and I went to the large market at av. de la Buffa to my cheeseman. After we had decided which cheeses would be perfect for the cheeseboard that evening, my cheeseman indicated that I should try something on the counter. I saw olives, but wasn't really in the mood for olives at 9 in the morning. "Non," he said, "pas des olives. Du vin." And I noticed the little carafe of red wine which I was happy to help myself to. Such a way to start the day!

Vence is a short (less than 1 hour) bus-ride on the #400 from Nice. It's one of my favorite towns and a place I am sure to take all visitors, spending the morning in Vence and then the afternoon in St. Paul de Vence, another nearby perched village but with a completely different atmosphere.

Vence was an important Roman town, with a road leading up to it from the Roman town in Nice. You can see the remains of this road leading into Vence Old Town. One of the things I like especially about Vence is that there is well-marked walking route to follow around the Old Town with numbered signs in French and in English about what you are looking at, whether it is the tiny Cathedral, with its Chagall mosaic (my favorite Chagall work), or the obelisk that was a gift to the town from the city of Marseilles in the year 230! Yes, 230! The ancient stone gateways and walls of the town enclose the small area of the Old Town where there are pleasant squares with fountains and tables for dining, beautiful pollarded trees forming a canopy over the tables, interesting shops that will lure you in to see their linens, pottery, prepared foods, clothes, and all the other things a tourist will have trouble resisting.

On Mondays the Old Town is pretty much closed up, so that isn't the day to go. I love the tiny alleyways through the town, one in particular that sells all the foodstuffs, displayed as only the French can display them. The specialty of Vence is Craquelin, a doughy sweet breakfast bread studded with sugared almonds. Irresistable and worth the trip just to buy!

Monaco is not one of my favorite places but it seems to be high on the list for almost all of our visitors, so we go a few times each year. We usually don't drive as the traffic between Nice and Monaco is terrible; we take a bus (#100) or the train. Both travel along the sea with fabulous views along the way, so the trip goes quite quickly.

We like to leave Nice around 9:30 or 10:00, to get there around 10:30 or 11:00 in the morning, getting off the bus at Place des Armes and then climbing the long walkway up to "The Rock" where the Old Town and the Palace stand. We wander the narrow streets of the Old Town, admiring the beautiful architecture; we visit the Cathedral where Grace Kelly and Prince Ranier were married in 1956 and are now both buried; and we walk in the beautiful botanical gardens that are layered down toward the sea. If we have children with us, we visit the Musee Oceanographique, founded by Prince Albert I in 1910; Albert was a scientist and great oceanographer. The aquarium is wonderful, with 400 species in their natural habitats. The colors of the tropical species, in particular, attract much attention as does the nurse shark. There is a live coral reef from the Red Sea and many rare specimens are on view.

At 11:55 AM the Changing of the Guards at the Palace Square starts. The soldiers march in, playing the drums, keeping in formation and relieve the guards who have been on duty for the last many hours. The whole exchange takes about 15 minutes. The Palace itself is rather plain, built in the 17th century, with earlier buildings on the south side.

By the time the Changing of the Guards is finished it's time for lunch. There are many places to choose from up on "The Rock" or you can take a bus to Monte Carlo and eat at the Cafe de Paris, near the world famous Casino. We did this just recently and we all enjoyed the meal and the architecture of this area. The Casino is not welcoming for tourists: you must be properly dressed and carrying your passport or you will be turned away.

Last year for our anniversary we went about an hour west of Nice to Les Arcs sur Argens to stay one night in Le Logis du Guetteur, a hotel housed in a 10th century "chateau-fort". Perched on a hilltop over the town, the views of the countryside are spectacular. The rooms are done up in a very comfortable style, some with canopy beds. There is a pool for summertime and fireplaces to warm you in the winter. This is an experience that is not possible in the USA!

We had a grand lunch in the restaurant, which was memorable. See the restaurant review, same name.

Le Logis du Guetteur, where we stayed overnight for our anniversary last year, also has a wonderful restaurant, under the stone vaulted ceiling in the keep of the fort. I love places like this, that give an atmosphere that is impossible to find in the US - here, an ancient fort overlooking the town of Les Arcs. It was a leisurely meal in this unique setting, with fine linens and fresh flowers. With a coup de champagne, we were brought small hors d'oeuvres to enjoy while exploring the "carte" (menu). When we had finally decided, we settled in to enjoy a wonderful meal. First they brought a beautiful "amuse bouche" of pumpkin soup, drizzled with green olive oil. Next came our entrees (first course): for David, sardines roasted with ratatouille (the ubiquitous melange of vegetables) and for me mushroom soup with a bit of foie gras. Then our main plates: David's pigeon, which he loved, and my loup (local sea bass), both served with beautiful fresh vegetables. For dessert David had the pear crumble with chocolate sauce while I, the chocoholic of our twosome, had a moelleux (melty) chocolate cake with warm sauce anglaise (vanilla sauce). Heavenly.

This place is not accessible without a car, so many short-term visitors will not be able to get there. But if you can, it's great!

For those visiting Nice and hoping to visit a very uncommercial perched village, there is Falicon, just above the city. The number 25 bus can take you there - it runs about every 40 minutes from the center of Nice.

You might want to plan a day's outing, with lunch at Parcours. A bit modern in decor for our taste, but with stunning views down to Nice and the sea. The food is very good and beautifully presented.

We ordered a nice bottle of rose wine to accompany our meal. Our starters were mushroom soup and sardines. Actually, it was one rather large sardine (not what you would find in a can!) that was butterflied with a delicious sauce nestled in its body. On either side of the sardine were rounds of eggplant topped with onion confit topped with a small tomato. The mushroom soup was presented in a pretty glass, with sliced mushrooms decorating the edge; along side were toast points topped with cured meat.

For the main course we both ordered the daurade.(sea bream), served in a soup bowl with potatoes, zucchini, artichokes, and tomatoes in a lemon/butter sauce.

For dessert we both opted for the soft chocolate cake with ice cream and fruit. Lovely. More sweets came with the coffee: a spoonful of strawberry mousse and a chocolate truffle.

Everything was excellent. A warning: this is not a place for people with huge appetites. If you are one of those, you should order the 5-course menu! But we were very happy with the meal and the amounts were just right for us.