Day 7 (Nice to Lourdes):
Well, I felt much better today – my sty has all but disappeared, my sunburn is turning to a nice sun tan, and I didn’t add to my considerably total of mosquito bites. We began travelling very early in the morning – a 4:30 wake-up call for 5:50 train from Nice to Marseille, the second largest city in France. We arrived on schedule and got some coffee/orange juice in the city near the train station, which is located on a hill with a lovely view of the city. Marseille is interesting – the French accent is nearly incomprehensible, totally different from Parisian style with considerable Arabic influence (Marseille has the largest number of Arab immigrants). Overall, good impressions of the town, and perhaps I will return another time.
Marseille to Toulouse was a bit more difficult. When we found our train, we found that we had reservations on a car that didn’t exist. Fortunately, we were not the only ones, and after an hour of asking the SNCF guys about the problem, they added 7 new cars to the train (kinda cool). We got on and got moving an hour late, but fortunately we had a significant layover in Toulouse which simply got cut down from 2 hours to only 1. It was a bit of bummer because I would have liked to explore a bit of this nice city.
Well, we didn’t leave Toulouse totally unscathed – we had an unfortunate run-in with three moronic, scantily-clad local hobos who decided to give us a hard time. Coming back from lunch, one guy asked me for money and he immediately recognized that I was not French. I lied when we asked me if I spoke English and walked past and into a nearby supermarket. Stupidly, I left Hansky alone, and one of the guys weirdly broke off the luggage tag off of my bag that Hansky was using for the trip, only to have it returned to me in the market 5 minutes by the moron-leader himself. Close call, but the score is as follows: intelligent, sarcastic travelers: 1; idiotic, uneducated, toothless locals: 0.
The trip from Toulouse to Lourdes went rather smoothly, and we arrived at our hotel after a lengthy walk up and down hilly streets around 7:30.
Lourdes is a quaint little town tucked into the foothills of the Pyrenees famous for being a Catholic pilgrimage site. Story has it that in the 1850s, the Virgin Mary appeared many times in a grotto in Lourdes to a young girl (Saint Bernadette) and told her to build a church on that spot. Well, at least I believe that’s right. In addition, the grotto is now famous because its water supposedly holds healing powers for ailments – so people come bearing gallons upon gallons of empty cartons and fill them up (if nothing else, the water here was amazingly fresh and tasty, as it came straight out of a spring). Anyway, Lourdes is ridiculously packed with Catholic tourists from all over the world, making it the 2nd most visited city in all of France (behind Paris).
As a Catholic, I found the story interesting – but to be honest, I was much more interested in the mountainous scenery. While MT and Hansky marveled at the pilgrimage sites, I gazed up at the mountains. :)
Our hotel was incredibly quaint, with an all-wooden staircase and small cottage-like room, a nice contrast to the tourist shops set up everywhere selling little water bottles and Catholic-related trinkets. We walked down to the grotto and the nice church on the side of a mountain before dinner – I explored a bit on my own as Hansky and MT prayed at the grotto. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and thus I was unable to see the true, snow-capped Pyrenees. :)
We ate Italian food for dinner and returned to the grotto for a mass in French – it was an interesting experience to see all the people praying in their respective languages (behind French, Italian was by far the most popular). Visiting the holy sites was just that…interesting. Mind-blowing and awe-inspiring? Well, maybe not for me…but that is another story.
Showing posts with label Nice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nice. Show all posts
Monday, July 5, 2010
Mega-Vacation Day 6 - Nice, France
Day 6 (Nice):
Unfortunately, the day two days after a night without sleep is worst than the first. I was in a foul mood as I woke at 7pm that morning, being dragged to my least favorite destination ever – the beach. But I sucked it up, brought an umbrella to cover my already burned face, and returned to the hotel around 11:30 to take my first of two solid naps during the day. As Hansky and MT went shopping at an open-air market, I slept – a much better use of my time, and certainly necessary if I wanted to survive the rest of the trip. We met back up again for a late lunch and then spontaneously explored Nice’s Modern and Contemporary Art Museum, which from the top affords great views of the town. This place made me realize how little I understand of modern art, however. I spent several minutes staring a painting of pure blue, no difference whatsoever between the different parts of the painting, and still could not figure out how this was art. I was dumbfounded.
After nap #2 back in the hotel, we went back to Old Town for dinner (excellent & cheap crepes) and hoped to explore the chateau, located on an elevated cliff next to the seashore, but it was closed for the night. We managed to salvaged our plans by finding a bench just below the cliff and next to the water, however. The only problem? We forgot to bring a corkscrew for our leftover wine from Italy. After about a half hour of trying every trick to get the cork out, we finally found a group of Brits who had a wine opener. But it wasn’t meant to be – the wine tasted like vinegar. Gross. Yet the sunset view was lovely and a nice end to our trip to Nice.
Overall, I wasn’t that impressed with Nice. Probably because I was in a bad mood and I don’t like large cities (5th largest in France). But that being said, there are some nice components: though I have never been, I would say Nice is somewhat comparable to New Orleans. Or rather, Nice is what New Orleans was striving to be as a French city in the U.S. Both are lively with live music, warm climate, and colorful buildings. However, Nice has the extra addition of having a modern feeling – kind of like Chicago with its Art Institute and modern art scattered around the town. Nice was nice, but I was eager to find something else – perhaps Nephew haha.
Unfortunately, the day two days after a night without sleep is worst than the first. I was in a foul mood as I woke at 7pm that morning, being dragged to my least favorite destination ever – the beach. But I sucked it up, brought an umbrella to cover my already burned face, and returned to the hotel around 11:30 to take my first of two solid naps during the day. As Hansky and MT went shopping at an open-air market, I slept – a much better use of my time, and certainly necessary if I wanted to survive the rest of the trip. We met back up again for a late lunch and then spontaneously explored Nice’s Modern and Contemporary Art Museum, which from the top affords great views of the town. This place made me realize how little I understand of modern art, however. I spent several minutes staring a painting of pure blue, no difference whatsoever between the different parts of the painting, and still could not figure out how this was art. I was dumbfounded.
After nap #2 back in the hotel, we went back to Old Town for dinner (excellent & cheap crepes) and hoped to explore the chateau, located on an elevated cliff next to the seashore, but it was closed for the night. We managed to salvaged our plans by finding a bench just below the cliff and next to the water, however. The only problem? We forgot to bring a corkscrew for our leftover wine from Italy. After about a half hour of trying every trick to get the cork out, we finally found a group of Brits who had a wine opener. But it wasn’t meant to be – the wine tasted like vinegar. Gross. Yet the sunset view was lovely and a nice end to our trip to Nice.
Overall, I wasn’t that impressed with Nice. Probably because I was in a bad mood and I don’t like large cities (5th largest in France). But that being said, there are some nice components: though I have never been, I would say Nice is somewhat comparable to New Orleans. Or rather, Nice is what New Orleans was striving to be as a French city in the U.S. Both are lively with live music, warm climate, and colorful buildings. However, Nice has the extra addition of having a modern feeling – kind of like Chicago with its Art Institute and modern art scattered around the town. Nice was nice, but I was eager to find something else – perhaps Nephew haha.
Mega-Vacation Day 5 - Cap d'Ail to Nice, France; Monaco
Day 5 (Cap d’Ail – Monaco – Nice):
Yet I still got up at 5am with little problem. Maybe the beautiful sunrise and the fact I had not yet reached a deep sleep yet were the reasons. Of course, knowing my luck, my essay for the State Department application was too long, so I scrambled to shorten it. It was not my best work, but miraculously, at 5:56 local time (11:56pm in the US), I managed to submit it. What a load off my chest!
Some other good news came too: my problem with the placement test for the French course beginning in a matter of days was solved as one of the coordinators sent me an essay assignment that finally worked. I would finish it two days later – another sigh of relief.
So after my victory at 5:56, I figured it was not worthwhile to go back to sleep. Hansky (who also barely slept) and I took some photos of the sunrise and talked to the same nice lady for over an hour. Her story was incredible – kidnapped at the age of 14, she grew up in Strasbourg until recently, when someone recognized her and she was reconnected with some members of her family. Of course, she explained in French, so I could not quite connect the dots on the rest, however: she now lives in a nearby town on the French Riviera, where she owns the former villa of a fabulously rich noble. Beats me why she was staying at the hostel – perhaps because she was lonely and wanted to meet people? She also has a twin she never met, I think? The rest was more comprehensible, as she gave us the history of nearby Monaco (an independent principality never owned by France, but practically French in most respects) and happily gave us all her maps of the area. What a lovely lady.
I was getting tired again, so I woke myself up by doing some exploring along a great path along the sea, which led to a spectacular vista of a massive cliff leading down into a tremendous cove (home to what an American later that day would tell us is the best beach on the French Riviera). This place – Cap d’Ail and the hostel – was truly awe-inspiring.
After breakfast, the three of us did some more exploring and then MT and I laid out on a small island for an hour (her because she loves the sun; me because I wanted to lie down and sleep). This was when I got burned.
I was in a slightly hazy and bad mood at this point, but as we began our 1-mile walk to Monaco, I quickly felt better. The walk went from majestic cove to majestic cove, with the waves crashing up against the rocks and the mountains towering above (see pics on Facebook). Amazing.
Arrival in Monaco was abrupt. There are no markers, no border guards, nothing. But you can tell the difference – this town is pristinely maintained. The joke that the nice lady told us was this: in France, you must use the stairs everywhere; in Monaco, you have escalators. And it was totally true. This place is amazing well-kept.
But once again, I was shocked by the prices, which I expected to be astronomical but were actually very reasonable – not quite Italy cheap, but better than northern France.
So Monaco is composed of 4 neighborhoods, each with a different vibe. The first is Fontveille, where there is a large stadium and a ton of identical hotels. It is also home to a small port with a striking view of Monaco Ville and the Prince’s Palace towering above on a huge cliff. We ate lunch here and rested for a VERY long time on a nice bench (the sleepiness was getting to Hansky and I).
Second is Monaco Ville, home to the Prince’s Palace, the national cathedral, and striking views of the city. Hansky and I again waited here on a bench as MT explored the relics of the Prince’s Palace. This was also the area where the famed Princess Grace Kelly was buried after her death.
Next is La Condamine, a small area known for some gardens – not much to see.
And lastly is the high-class Monte Carlo, home to all the casinos and the nicest collection of cars I have ever seen. Ferraris, Lambourghinis, and Astin-Martins were commonplace. It was actually quiet a sight – I was pleasantly surprised and in awe by the pristine nature of all the buildings, roads, and wicked awesome automobiles.
Finally, we returned to the Monaco train station and accidentally boarded the wrong train, which passed by but did not stop at Cap d”Ail, where we had to pick up our bags. But it was really not a big deal – we quickly turned around, caught the next train, and picked up our bags from the hostel with very little time lost. Probably our biggest goof-up of the trip, which means we were pretty darn good travelers.
We then headed to Nice, west along the coast, where we arrived around 7pm and checked into our nice hotel (a pleasant surprise after the bad beds of Florence and Cap d’Ail). We explored Place Massena and the Old Town for a bit before eating at an Italian-French fusion restaurant, where we got free kirs and I had the best goat cheese salad ever. Unfortunately, I did not feel so well 0 I could barely finish my second course (a fish goo-type thing). Probably a mixture of heat, sunburn, and lack of sleep – symptoms of mild heat stroke. Fortunately, I felt better later, as I went straight to bed (still around 11pm).
Yet I still got up at 5am with little problem. Maybe the beautiful sunrise and the fact I had not yet reached a deep sleep yet were the reasons. Of course, knowing my luck, my essay for the State Department application was too long, so I scrambled to shorten it. It was not my best work, but miraculously, at 5:56 local time (11:56pm in the US), I managed to submit it. What a load off my chest!
Some other good news came too: my problem with the placement test for the French course beginning in a matter of days was solved as one of the coordinators sent me an essay assignment that finally worked. I would finish it two days later – another sigh of relief.
So after my victory at 5:56, I figured it was not worthwhile to go back to sleep. Hansky (who also barely slept) and I took some photos of the sunrise and talked to the same nice lady for over an hour. Her story was incredible – kidnapped at the age of 14, she grew up in Strasbourg until recently, when someone recognized her and she was reconnected with some members of her family. Of course, she explained in French, so I could not quite connect the dots on the rest, however: she now lives in a nearby town on the French Riviera, where she owns the former villa of a fabulously rich noble. Beats me why she was staying at the hostel – perhaps because she was lonely and wanted to meet people? She also has a twin she never met, I think? The rest was more comprehensible, as she gave us the history of nearby Monaco (an independent principality never owned by France, but practically French in most respects) and happily gave us all her maps of the area. What a lovely lady.
I was getting tired again, so I woke myself up by doing some exploring along a great path along the sea, which led to a spectacular vista of a massive cliff leading down into a tremendous cove (home to what an American later that day would tell us is the best beach on the French Riviera). This place – Cap d’Ail and the hostel – was truly awe-inspiring.
After breakfast, the three of us did some more exploring and then MT and I laid out on a small island for an hour (her because she loves the sun; me because I wanted to lie down and sleep). This was when I got burned.
I was in a slightly hazy and bad mood at this point, but as we began our 1-mile walk to Monaco, I quickly felt better. The walk went from majestic cove to majestic cove, with the waves crashing up against the rocks and the mountains towering above (see pics on Facebook). Amazing.
Arrival in Monaco was abrupt. There are no markers, no border guards, nothing. But you can tell the difference – this town is pristinely maintained. The joke that the nice lady told us was this: in France, you must use the stairs everywhere; in Monaco, you have escalators. And it was totally true. This place is amazing well-kept.
But once again, I was shocked by the prices, which I expected to be astronomical but were actually very reasonable – not quite Italy cheap, but better than northern France.
So Monaco is composed of 4 neighborhoods, each with a different vibe. The first is Fontveille, where there is a large stadium and a ton of identical hotels. It is also home to a small port with a striking view of Monaco Ville and the Prince’s Palace towering above on a huge cliff. We ate lunch here and rested for a VERY long time on a nice bench (the sleepiness was getting to Hansky and I).
Second is Monaco Ville, home to the Prince’s Palace, the national cathedral, and striking views of the city. Hansky and I again waited here on a bench as MT explored the relics of the Prince’s Palace. This was also the area where the famed Princess Grace Kelly was buried after her death.
Next is La Condamine, a small area known for some gardens – not much to see.
And lastly is the high-class Monte Carlo, home to all the casinos and the nicest collection of cars I have ever seen. Ferraris, Lambourghinis, and Astin-Martins were commonplace. It was actually quiet a sight – I was pleasantly surprised and in awe by the pristine nature of all the buildings, roads, and wicked awesome automobiles.
Finally, we returned to the Monaco train station and accidentally boarded the wrong train, which passed by but did not stop at Cap d”Ail, where we had to pick up our bags. But it was really not a big deal – we quickly turned around, caught the next train, and picked up our bags from the hostel with very little time lost. Probably our biggest goof-up of the trip, which means we were pretty darn good travelers.
We then headed to Nice, west along the coast, where we arrived around 7pm and checked into our nice hotel (a pleasant surprise after the bad beds of Florence and Cap d’Ail). We explored Place Massena and the Old Town for a bit before eating at an Italian-French fusion restaurant, where we got free kirs and I had the best goat cheese salad ever. Unfortunately, I did not feel so well 0 I could barely finish my second course (a fish goo-type thing). Probably a mixture of heat, sunburn, and lack of sleep – symptoms of mild heat stroke. Fortunately, I felt better later, as I went straight to bed (still around 11pm).
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