Better memories of Nice

We have spent a lot of time in Nice.  We always arrived there to begin our wonderful sojourns in Carqueiranne when Jim was teaching there.  In those days we were living in Victoria,  so Victoria to Vancouver, to Frankfurt, then to Nice.  We rented a car and somehow packed four large suitcases and four carry ons in a sub compact car (before they charged for baggage).    I'm into travelling light but Jim always has books,  teaching materials,  research materials, etc. Then we always  overnighted in Nice before the drive (about 4 hours to Carqueiranne), the first time (and other times) at the Hotel Suisse with a balcony and view over la Promenade des Anglais.  So wonderful.

That first time in January, 2002, it was after 9/11 which took place in September, 2001.  There was very heavy security even in the Victoria airport and Vancouver.  Things were rather different in Frankfurt.  Well,  we had entered the EU.  There was almost no security after that.  On the plane Frankfurt to Nice,  it was old home week.  Everyone seemed to know each other on the flight,  the door to the pilot's cockpit was wide open and passengers and crew went back and forth having lots of laughs.  The flight was only about an hour and it was before noon but the cabin crew managed to get three rounds of drinks out and most people were drinking booze of some sort.  There was nobody around when we arrived in Nice and the gate was locked.  We waited about 5 minutes and then the crew from the plane arrived,  laughed,  and kicked the gate open and we all went through.  We reflected  that things were rather different in the south of France and the horrors of 9/11 seemed very far away.

Other times we went to the Ibis because there was free parking.  (I think we paid about $100 for parking the first time we stayed at the Hotel Suisse...but worth every penny. )   There was a mini bar and we cracked open some champagne then went to the market in the "old town" and bought cheese,  meats,  and bread and wine of course,  and sat on our balcony enjoying the sunset over la promenade des Anglais.    In January,  we were quite warm after the flight and everything else,  but people seemed to be bundled up.  They viewed us curiously since we were in shirtsleeves.

On our way home we always spent some time in Nice after dropping off our car so we didn't have to worry about parking.   A wonderful jumping off point for many places and we took full advantage.

From Nice,  you can get a local bus ticket for a couple of Euro to go to all the villages of the Alpes-Maritimes like Vence where the wonderful Matisse Chapel is.   And Nice itself is so wonderful with the Chagall Museum,  etc.

And  there are all these wonderful huge sculptures by Niki de Sainte Phalle along the Promenade des Anglais.  One of Louis Armstrong just in front of the Hotel Negresco which was a background for all these horrible recent images.  I gain strength from all our wonderful memories of Nice and France.  Our thoughts are with everyone who is suffering from this horror and loss.