Nice in Nice

I'm not sure how appropriate it is to name a blog post after a Stranglers single celebrating their drugs bust in the South of France, but it's a pun you just have to use!

Anyway, we're back after a week in Nice. A couple of rainy days meant that the trip was surprisingly cultural at times. We got to see the Matisse and Chagall Museums (photo of the beautiful house that's the home of the Matisse Museum above).
And we saw some amazing, playful work at the Museum of Contemporary Art. We were particularly entranced by the work of Niki de Saint Phalle, especially her Loch Ness Monster:


But of course, Nice is also about THAT beach, and that weather and that amazing Provencal food and that way of life. When the sun came out for the last few days, we were able to wander around the harbour and the old town. We could swim (at least till a shot of icy water gave me an ear infection). Dear daughter had some fun avoiding a suntan, which is verboten for one as goth as she!
But she just adored the relaxed pace of life, the language (elongated vowels and rolling consonants compared to crisp Parisian - but we so need to work on our spoken French). And the chocolate. And the olives. And the churches. And the bell towers. (And, at least for us parents, the wine!).

We also found a little gem in a suburb of the city - a Russian Orthodox Church. For a few blocks, you see shops full of Russian produce with cyrillic lettering on their doors. They're cheek-by-jowl with the usual boulangeries selling pissaladiere and baguettes. A lovely example of effortless multiculturalism (ironic, given the goings-on near Calais this week).



I'm sure we'll go back, although next time I'll bring more mosquito repellant - we gave some of the local insects several square meals, but perhaps it's the season!