Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Monday 19th September
After we woke and showered we rang Stu as he wasn't available either of the previous times that we tried. We went out for coffee and croissants again and decided to go and get the little train that takes you on a tour of the Old Town, the boat harbour, the old fort and the beachfront. We got to the pickup point just as a train pulled in and disgorged all of the passengers from the previous ride. Jannie grabbed us a seat in the first carriage and we waited for the next trip to start. The trip started a few minutes late and we listened to the commentary as we went along. In Ancient Times the Greeks founded Nikaia in the 4th century BC and used it as a major trading post in the Western Mediterranean. Three centuries later the Romans wanting to control the Alps settled in turn in this ideal position where they built the town of Cemenelum. Over the next ten centuries witnessed the invasions of the Barbarians, Ligurians and the Saracens. The Counts of Provence took over in the 14th century and then it was the turn of the French King Louis XIV in 1792 and again Napoleon I took over as part of his Alpes-Maritimes department. The population of Nice and its Comte voted in 1860 to become part of France thanks to the treaty of Turin signed by Napoleon III. Today Nice is the fifth largest city in France with 400,000 inhabitants and has become a highly fashionable resort.
After our trip on the train we went looking for a lunch stop in the shade some place and ended up back in the Old Town. We had an enjoyable time and during lunch were serenaded by a musician playing the accordion. Jannie had this idea after lunch that we catch the tram up to the end of the second large pedestrian way where there are only trams and people. Bought our tickets from the machine which was so slow and when we had finally got our hands on the tickets the tram that was in the station had gone. Still only 4 minutes and there is another one. Got all of the way up to the end of the street and got off. We started walking back facing straight into the hot sun only to find that 90% of all of the shops were closed for the siesta break. Jannie was heard to utter "This is the most stupid suggestion that I have made all day" and I hardly picked up on it!!
We walked all the way back to our hotel with Jannie admiring my homing pigeon skills once again as we ended up right on the street back to our hotel. On the way Jannie saw a wool shop and in she went looking at the knitting patterns whilst I went across the road to buy more of the Muscat grapes. When she came out she complained that all of the patterns were in French - we had a good old laugh and other people around must have thought that we were crazy. Back into our room to rest the weary legs and feet and to catch up on some of the reading that we have not had today.
- comments