We got to Nice alright after 12-13 hours on trains and in stations. But we got to meet some nice people on the last train which was otherwise a tortuous affair. It had to have been 45 degrees in the train for that four hour stretch.
Nice is a nice city in which to just walk around. The outer part of the city offered amazing views of Nice from the small mountains around the city. The stretch along the main tourist street dotted with palm trees saw a fantastic view of the Mediterranean in front of which swarms of tourists would gather to cook themselves in the intense midday sun. A French girl we'd met told us that things are pretty relaxed in the south of France. People get up late, have a relaxing breakfast, take a rest, go to work for a spell, then take another nap in the afternoon. So it came as no surprise to see so many locals turn up on the weekend to play lawn bowling along that main street. Leisure is a way of life - must be nice!
Monaco was a sight to see as well. It's hard to imagine a city so rich and clean, and having such beautiful land. Tourists were flocking to the casino to see it, to take pictures of themselves in front of whomever's expensive car would pull up, and waiting to take pictures of any famous person who might go in or out of the casino.
There were some pretty interesting museums in the area, including Marc Chagall's museum. His works were generally off the wall but I loved his stained glass works. The longer you gaze into it, the more you see. His series of biblical paintings were pretty interesting too.
Monaco's prince has his own vintage car collection open to the public, which I was amused to see included American military vehicles. Other honourable mentions were the VW toaster wagon and the Lamborghini.
We were headed to Geneva today, but due to a bomb scare at the train station (accompanied by what I thought was a ridiculously small-looking fire truck), we only made it to Lyons which was even so a very convoluted trip. We met a family of Swiss people who were also trying to make a connection to Geneva and a German girl who looked very lost and on the verge of tears until we let her know that there were other people in the same boat. Conversation with her on the train ride was tough because it wasn't just ordering food or getting directions or checking in or out. It was quickly apparent that my comprehension by far outpaces my mouth's ability to shape the correct words! We spent hours in train stations not knowing where we were going or what we would do when we got there, but in the end, we all scored free hotel rooms for our trouble.From tomorrow I will be in Switzerland taking in some fresh mountain air. It's going to be great if we ever get there!
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