Nice is nice

So for starters Nice is pronounced like niece.  Now moving on, the weekend of the 25^th to the 27^th of November I went to Nice, France with my program.  It is in the south of France and just a short ride from the country Monaco and just a little bit longer on the bus and you have made it to Italy.  However, this weekend I just stayed in Nice and it was super nice!  We were blessed with awesome awesome weather!  It could not get much better than this.  It was warm and sunny the entire weekend and well Nice is on the Mediterranean Sea and so a lot of time was spent at the beach.  I had so much getting to know people in my program and wished that it had been earlier in the program because the end is drawing near for a lot of people.  However, it was still a great weekend filled with lots of adventures and hanging out with some really awesome people.

Vendredi le 25 novembre:

Well today I got up and got ready for going to Nice!  I had an early lunch and then met up with Kacey to go to the airport and meet up with Shelley and everyone else in the program.  We got to Orly Ouest in plenty of time and hung out in the airport until we boarded our plane.  It was a quick flight.  We made it to Nice and the warm weather was a breath of fresh air compared to the cold weather Paris is now subjected to since winter is drawing near.  Anyways we took a bus to the city and then walked to our auberge (hostel) and dropped off our stuff to go check out the beach and sunset.

The amazing sunset at the beach in Nice, it was stunning.

Shelley then took us over to Vieux Nice (which means old Nice, so it is the old part of town) and said goodbye and she left us to do our own thing.  I hung out with Amanda, Kacey, Clayton, Heather, and Lily.  Lily left and did her own thing which was fine.  The rest of us found a pizza place and got some really cheap yummy pizza for dinner.  We then decided it would be a good idea to go and eat our pizza on the beach.  It was fun but chilly.

The gang waiting for our pizzas.

On the beach at night, where we ate dinner

We then walked around and headed back to the auberge and played some card games.  Then Clayton had the brilliant idea that we go and get some gelato.  So we ventured out and got ourselves some delicious gelato.

Me enjoying a vanilla and strawberry gelato.  The couple that runs the shop were so cute and nice.

We then walked around town and got really really lost.  We ended up on the other side of town and got really confused as how to get back to the auberge.  It was getting kind of late and so I asked this couple directions and when I first started talking to the lady she gave me this look of like “why are you talking to me and I don’t want to give you money.”  It was kind of amusing because all I wanted was directions; the husband chimed in and told us how to get where we needed to be.  We made it back to the auberge and talked for quite some time and then went to bed.

Samedi le 26 novembre:

So today I got up early despite the fact that I didn’t sleep that well the night before.  I took a shower and the water was FREEZING!! No joke, it was jumping into a bucket of ice water and yes it was warm in Nice but not that warm that one would appreciate a freezing cold shower.  Let me just say I think that was the fastest shower I ever took.  I had breakfast downstairs in the kitchen area and then headed off to the beach with Kacey, Ang, Emily, and Lauren.  The beaches in Nice are all rocks there is no sand but I don’t mind that much. 

The beach at Nice, it was nice and rocky but gorgeous.

Nice and the beach, I could get used to this.

Me at the beach, yes I did put my feet in the Mediterranean Sea

Clayton showed up at the beach and said hello and hung out with us.  We then made our way back to the auberge to meet up with the rest of the group to go to our 3 course lunch.  We went to that and it was delicious!  I really liked the food and it was super filling.  We then went on a walking tower and went up to the château, which isn’t really a château anymore it is just ruins but there are amazing views from this huge hill that you can take an elevator up.

Walking to the château, the elevator is straight ahead

Well we took the elevator up and now I show you through pictures the view because trying to describe it won’t give it justice.  These pictures won’t give the breathtaking views justice but this the best I can do without bringing you here.

Looking onto Nice and the beach and mountains in the background

I just really like this picture with the sun shining through the trees and the water and mountains in the distance

Looking at the Port of Nice

More of the Port of Nice and the mountains in the background

The “château” which is just ruins now

Nice and the mountains in the background

We then walked down instead of taking the elevator down and stopped at a church and then the tour guide left and we were left to do whatever we wanted so I did some shopping with Jaynellen and Kacey and we had a really nice time.

Walking around Vieux Nice, I love the colors of the buildings

Well night time rolled around and Jaynellen, Kacey and I ended up on the beach and went over to the big rocks and hung out there for a while chatting and we decided to head back to the auberge since it was chilly.

Looking at the city from the beach at night

We stopped at the Monoprix and picked up some stuff to snack on since we weren’t that hungry from our huge lunch and then just hung out in the auberge chatting until well, late at night.

Dimanche le 27 novembre:

Today was my last day in Nice.  It was sad to be leaving because I loved going to the beach and the amazing weather that we had!  It was just so much fun!  But vacations have to end.  However I still had time to do some fun stuff and go to the beach one last time.  I got up and was warned that the shower was still freezing so I went to Clayton and Perry’s room and knocked on their door with towel and soap in hand and asked if I could take a shower in their bathroom since well theirs was warmer.  They didn’t mind, and it was a lot warmer than in the girls’ room!  I then had breakfast and waited to meet up with the rest of the group to go to the markets.  I got some really pretty watercolor paintings.  I then walked around Nice with Jaynellen and Kacey and we got some food.  I got a delicious ham panini.  We then ended up at the beach for one last hurray. 

The beach, the water is just so blue!

The beach is just stunning in Nice

Me at the beach, it was just wonderful there

Even saw some sail boats out on the water that is just so amazing blue

Well we had a late afternoon flight, it left at about 5pm and so we got to see a gorgeous sunset from the airplane and it was just so breathtaking.  Then when we were about to land in Paris it was night time and we got to see the city all lit up from above and the Eiffel Tower all lit up too from the airplane which was really cool.  I then took the RER home and didn’t get a ton of work done but oh well.  It was an amazing weekend and was nice to get to see somewhere I’ve never visited.