Nice Streets

Saying that Nice is nice is an understatement for some parts of town, but overlooks the fact that it is a city and does have its bad areas. Let's just say that the area by the train station and by our hostel was not exactly the greatest. But once you walk a couple blocks down to the Avenue Jean Médecin, one of the main arteries of town, things become a lot more friendly.

It seems like every city in France has a church called Notre-Dame, and Nice is no exception. This church did actually look like a miniature version of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris.

And it just so happened that we got a chance to see the church right before mass started.

At the end of the Avenue Jean Médecin is the heart of Nice - a square called Place Masséna, which has a beautiful garden to go along with this fountain. From here, lots of shops and restaurants are nearby.

The original Nice, called Vieux Nice, is situated right by the shore. The city has expanded a ton over the years, and is now the 5th largest city in France. In front of the Vieux Nice area is the Palace of Justice, which has an inscription on the front saying "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité," which of course were the three core values of the French Revolution - liberty, equality, and brotherhood.

At night, the square in front of this building, as well as the open spaces in the Place Masséna, are popular places for street acts. Breakdancing, for example, is very popular in France and some dance crews make their living by performing here.

The Vieux Nice area is something that I'd actually call "nice." It wasn't as old-fashioned as some of the other old towns we've seen, but it still had a peaceful atmosphere and some simple, colorful architecture. Perhaps if the streets were made of cobblestone, I might have had a different opinion.

One popular street among both tourists and locals is the Cours Saleya, which during the day is a flower market,

and in the afternoon and night is one giant outdoor dining room.

We first passed through this street at night when all the tables were set up outside, then again the next day. We had no idea it was the same street until we came by again in the afternoon and saw the restaurants setting up!

Vieux Nice is at the base of a hill called the Colline du Château, which offers an excellent view of the city and the beach, which is Nice's most popular attraction. On the hill is a giant waterfall, which was perfect because we needed a cool down during this sunny day.

Tomorrow, we will be going to Lake Como, so the earliest to expect the next update will be Sunday night. The water in Lake Como is too polluted to swim in, but there is still plenty to do... much more than we will have time for. I'm really excited to see all of the mountains, old towns, beautiful villas, and do some hiking. With all this on my plate, though, I wonder how backed up I'll get with the blogging...

Next Post: Panoramas of Nice and scenes from the beach

Then: Nice food and Stage 2 of the Tour de France