Well, do you remember the “poo” story from a few days ago? As I said, we have one on every trip, and this time we had two. Again, I won’t go into detail here, but sometime when you are visiting our home and we have had some wine, I’ll fill you in. Maybe we are eating too much…that could definitely be the case. Suffice to say that we decided to hang around Nice today……just in case…..
We cautiously headed out this morning to find some coffee, a croissant and an ATM machine around 11:00. The front desk people directed to the street behind our hotel. Surprise….we have been here for a full week and have never walked on the street behind the hotel. We found the ATM and then a very nice cafe where we could sit out and enjoy our cafe au lait. Very nice!
We decided that the plan for the day would be to wander through Nice again. I would have liked to have viewed the museums today, but they are closed on Tuesday. Too bad! But, there were some shops I wanted to see again and I wanted to get another look at the old town. I really loved the street where the market was on Sunday. The street was very lively….lined with restaurants and cafes. On Sunday there were some people playing music, an accordionist and a small combo playing jazz. Maybe we will find some more music….we’ll see!
Last night when we were heading out to our carb fiesta, we passed a hat store and looked in the window. They had a very nice selection of hats, and I thought it would be fun to go back and look at some of them.
Some of you may know this, but Mike has a collection of Panama hats. I bought him the first one for Christmas many years ago when we were still living in McLean. I wanted a “real” Panama that was hand weaved in the traditional way. I researched on the internet and found a man whose job was shaping the hats. I got in touch with him and he advised me as to how to approach this. As it tuns out, he was one of the few craftsmen in the country who was skilled in shaping hats. Imagine that!
At his direction, I purchased the shell of the hat at a store in Georgetown. Then, I went to his home and viewed the different styles that he could make. In the end, we decided that I should wait to select the shape and style until he could see Mike and make some recommendations. And, so we went on. I bought the shell and gave it to Mike for Christmas and then had it shaped and sized to his head. It was quite an experience for both of us. Now, Mike has 3 Panama hats of varying styles, and we sometimes look for these as we travel so as to add to the collection.
I also now find that I like the hats, too. Mine is a collection of one, that is, until today.
I steered us to the hat store so we could take a look. I tried on several fun hats and then asked the sales person if we could see one of the Panamas in the window for Mike. He tried on the hat, I tried on the same hat in a smaller size and we both tried them again (they are unisex, these Panama hats). In the end, the sales person said if we bought both hats, she would give us a discount. Negotiation…..I love this! So, needless to say, we now have matching hats and got a discount! It made my day…and, I think Mike’s too, although one can never tell with him.
After the hat purchase we walked on to “Vieux Nice” (old Nice) and did some window shopping, had an ice cream and then had some coffee. It was a nice, relaxing afternoon. The weather was sunny and clear with just a little breeze off the sea. This is liven’. By the time we walked back to the hotel, Mike could barely move his feet and needed a nap before we could go to dinner. But, as we were walking to dinner, he was refreshed and complimented me on my insistence that we walk. In his own words, he feels……and looks….better. A revelation! Exercise is good for you!
You may recall from our last trip, that Mike is not really a lover of walking. Usually, there is a negotiation on taking a bus, taxi, or walking. But, not on this trip. He has done great on this trip! Lots of walking and only a little complaining. Not bad! Kudos to Cramer!
We opted for another Italian meal….mostly because it is directly across the street from the hotel. It was really great and a totally different experience from last night. No large plates of carbohydrate. I had the equivalent of a French Cassoulet….only Sicilian. I have never really had a cassoulet, so I suspect that this one was exactly the same as the French. But, it was YUMMY! The highlight, though, was a chocolate, vanilla and pistachio layered Panna Cotta with a tart fruit sauce and Chantilly Cream. What a treat! Again, fat and happy….but, in a good way.
Mike has been taking a business card from each restaurant we try to the man at the front desk in the evening. He has been the most helpful and most friendly of all the desk people. When we came back this evening, he was waiting for our review and a card. He seems surprised that we are enjoying our food experiences. Again, I am surprised that others don’t enjoy this as much as we do. It’s the most important thing, after all! But, I guess we all have our priorities. Ours is definitely food and wine!
Tomorrow, on our last day, we are going to tackle the bus and visit Antibes. I didn’t mention that the French train personnel are on strike today and probably tomorrow. This is common in both France and Italy. There is really no rhyme or reason to it. They just arbitrarily decide that they will strike and so none of the trains run. I’m not sure what they are trying to accomplish. Puzzling…. It’s a good thing that we did our training early in the trip.
Buses tend to put you in touch with the local color, if you know what I mean. It should be a great adventure. I’ll let you know.
Travel With Betsy 
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