THE MAMAC

The one rainy day in Nice called for a visit to the Musée d'art Moderne et d'art Contemporain. 

I wandered around listening to this which really elevated the whole gallery experience (particularly this song with the work by Juliao Sarmento). On the way back, to get out of a torrential downpour I ducked into an open pub and found an American ex-pat behind the bar who gave me all sorts of recommendations and info for day trips outside of Nice. He told me stories of how he met his Belgian wife and why he still hates the French even after living there for 10 years. It was an extremely informative unplanned happy hour. 

AROUND NICE

My week in Nice proved to be lovely for lazying around on the rocky beach, strolling through the flower market, big nights out with fellow travelers, running along the coast, easy day trips and many cappuccinos on sunny terraces. 

I stayed at Hostel Meyerbeer Beach which was one block from the beach and perfect for socializing. One of the dudes in my room turned out to be an intern at Cramer 15 years ago (!!) and I got an English kid to make me a traditional English dinner called "Toad in the Hole" which was deliciously hearty. It felt like Thanksgiving compared to my recent apple + brie combo meals. 

Geoff, Cramer Alumnus

Traditional English dinner, by Rupert. 

Most nights consisted of games in the hostel, followed by wine on the beach and then we would meander over to Wayne's, a dirty dive bar in the center of town that felt very out of place in Nice but made me feel right at home. I was very happy to discover that House of Pain is universally loved as our diverse group (American, French, Australian, French Canadian, Finnish, German, Columbian + British) went wild and all jumped on tables to dance to this song. 

Local liquor/cookie store owner who every time I came in told me I was "looking more African" (tanned) so obviously he was my favorite person in all of France. 

When planning my time in the South of France I originally had a different destination in mind but after less than 24 hours in filthy, crowded Marseille I said "screw this, I'm going to Nice". After reflecting on how insanely absurd it is that I can say something like "screw this, I'm going to Nice" and then hop on a train, I hopped on a train and had a fantastic week in Nice. I constantly feel very lucky and also like a complete jerk for getting to have experiences like this... but I'm certainly enjoying it. 

NICE, FRANCE

Nice, France deserves it's name. 

Within an hour of arriving I was on the beach, swimming in the French Riviera and very, very pleased. Nice is super clean, warm and colorful. It has tight, winding alley-ways around the Vielle Ville (Old Town) and a vast turquoise ocean that seems to curve over the horizon. It's really quite nice.