After Cinque Terre, I went to Nice in the south of France. I absolutely loved the city. One of my favorite attractions was the Matisse Museum. It's in the hills on the outskirts of the city, and is surrounded by beautiful gardens with fragrant olive, pine, cypress and cabob trees. Nearby are the remains of an old Roman town, Cimiez. Anyone can walk around the site. I saw two cats perched on the crumbled foundations.
After two days of exploring Nice, I went to Monte Carlo in Monaco. I still don't understand the concept of a principality. Monaco is exactly like France from what I can discern (and Sarkozy jointly rules over it with the Prince? Or something?). Monte Carlo is known for its casinos, yachts, and luxury cars, but I did find a few interesting things to do. I went to Le Musée Oceanographique, which houses a strange mix of art and seafaring instruments. It's in a stately 19th century building and there's an aquarium on the lowermost floor.
I also went to Le Jardin Exotique, a cactus garden. More interesting than the garden was the cave inside it. We climbed down hundreds of steps to get there. Inside the cave were stlagmites, stalactites, pillars and columns. It was cooler inside the cave than outdoors. The cave is always 18 degrees celsius regardless of season.
Back in Nice, I went to the Marché Aux Fleurs, which usually a produce/flower market, but transforms into an antique market on Mondays. I bought a framed illustration and three teacups, two of which I promptly broke.
Later that day, I was sitting under a tree, reading a short story by Kazuo Ishiguro, when a guy in his 30s approached me. He was skinny with long brown hair and a broad, tanned, expressive face. He asked for a light. We got into conversation, all conducted in my clumsy French. After I accompanied him on a few errands, we went to Le Chateau, a park with a panoramic view of Nice. The guy pointed out Elton John's house and told me about the medusas that bite tourists in the waters. He called me "ma princesse" and kissed my hand. Thanks to an invented boyfriend (largely based, it must be confessed, on a certain someone), things didn't go further. I really enjoyed Nice, but felt like I had seen the highlights after a few days. I would love to spend more time in France though, and hope to go to Paris for a weekend soon.
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