Nice to Pisa, ITALY: 6.16.07

Making progress,

we leave for our first Italian stop over:

famous Pisa, Italy!

Map: Nice, France to Pisa, Italy

A few hours on an eastbound train, a fairly disgusting mayonnaise sandwich takes the place of our missed breakfast.

Sharing a train car and conversation

with some American women from San Francisco, CA.

Soon, a train change is necessary somewhere in northern Italy. The bustling platform leaves few seats for the weary travelers and it does not take long for us to meet new acquaintances as we await our connecting train. 

The Italian mother and son we converse with

understand much of our Spanish, 
and likewise, we understand much of their Italian.

Back on the train, we share a car with a young mother and her son as well as a the dark angel Dante of Turin.

Arriving in the late afternoon, we soldier through the city over the river Arno to our reserved room at the Welcome Bed and Breakfast.

A quaint two-level home and its owner, Antonella, greet us warmly. We drop our gear and head out again to find an ATM to pay for our room.

Upon our return, Antonella encourages us to clean up and rest while she makes reservations for a near-by restaurant. She also informs us on the evening's festivities as we happened to be in town during a major festival: the Luminaria.

Up to our beautiful and comfortable room, a gift has been left for us: a bottle of red wine!
 

Reclining and laughing, we take turns in the shower.

A short walk to the restaurant, we are starved! Seated outside, the ambiance is pleasant, but the staff and service seem sour. 

Gnocci, ravioli, calamari, and expensive water leads to a steep bill. Portions are small and we were glad they mistakenly brought two dishes of gnocci.

After dinner, we decide to venture out into the night to inspect the Luminaria festival on the Arno river.

Upon the river's banks, mobs of people wander through the darkness illuminated by thousands of candles.

Frustrated with weaving through crowds for an hour or so, we made back through side roads to return to our soft beds to nap before our early checkout time the next morning.

Nice: 6.15.07

The last day planned in Nice, we awake late. The fellows feel even worse still and rain falls heavily outside.

We decide to keep the room another night for more recovery time before continuing on to Italy. I ride the elevator down to the front desk to make our arrangements.

The key had expired by the time I returned to the room and my knocks were greeted the guys already beginning to relax.

Tired and worn from our whirlwind of travels, we took the time to horse around!

Our LCD light headbands make excellent props.

The rain fell heavy and steady with comforting sounds and smells.

The reflections in the large window provides unique photo opportunities.

As the rain clears, our heads do as well. Feeling a bit better, we set out to find the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Nicholas (L'Église Russe) featured in Jude's guidebook.

Through the trees, the ornately tiled

“Onion Domes” come into view.

 



A fee of 3 Euros to enter, the cashier cuts us a break – 2 for 1!

Inside, the visitors are blinded by all the gold. Every wall was covered with luxurious devotional details.

Cameras are not allowed inside,
but a sneaky tourist published this photo online.

Deemed one of the most magnificent Cathedrals outside of mother Russia, St. Nicholas became home to many relics after communism took hold in the early 1900's.

Closing time, we are asked to be on our way.

On the way back to Etap, we stop at the train station to secure tickets for tomorrow to Pisa, Italy.

News from home: we enjoy a laugh at how Parisians must feel...

One more night of self-catering and early to bed to prepare for departure the next morning.

Nice: 6.14.07

Sleep in late, the guys feel a little run down or sick this morning. Today there is laundry to be done. The front desk directs us to a nearby laundrette with a cafe next door.

A few hours enjoying croissants and espresso then later a fresh chef salad while the laundry dries.

Back to the room to clean up, change clothes, and relax. A tour a typical Etap accommodation:


The spacious,

circa-1993

water closet.





Dorm style furniture with a queen sized bed on the bottom and a twin above.

Out for a walk in the late afternoon along the Promenade des Anglais. As the sun begins to dip in the sky, the walk in front of the residential buildings facing the sea become more active.

Not looking for anything in particular, a group of transvestite prostitutes was one unforgettable feature.

A stomach rumble decide on locating a dinner. Unfortunately, the French prices were a bit steep. Crepes from a street vendor become a fair goal for a meal.

As we search for a crepe monger, a sign reading, “Mother India” promised another possibility. Narrow and dark, the alley houses a luxurious but expensive hookah lounge. 



Decorating the front entrance is two men. One older drunk in a suit, and the other is a young accented man named “Safe” claiming to be from Tunisia. Safe said he spoke not only English, but French, Arabic, and Spanish.

A mess of interaction, the old man dances, clothespins drop from the window of an apartment above, Safe becomes carelessly affectionate, and we are ejected from the alley by the maitre'd of Mother India.

Continuing forward to crepes, it is obvious that Safe does not how read his situation and relax. With an arm around my shoulders and neck, Safe is interrupted by the guys informing him in rusty imprecise French, “Excuse moi, mon frere, c'est mon fille...”

Blinking and not understanding, the phrase is repeated, but this time in clear Spanish, “Pardon, mi amigo, esta mi novia...” (“Pardon, my friend, she is my girlfriend...”)

Still not hitting home, I laugh and exclaim, “I thought you said you spoke French and Spanish!” Whether Safe understood or not, it was enough for him to slip off into the shadows and disappear.

Shortly after, we find some crepes topped with nutella. Tasty, but a bit sweet, I prefer the salty variety eaten as a dinner.

Straggling back to the Etap, an underpass features a beautiful blue light that we are unable to avoid.

Finally, we retire to our dorm beds

for a restful night.

Marseilles to Nice: 6.13.07

Today is the last day in the historical city of Marseilles as we venture forward onto

the popular destination of Nice, France

on the ancient Côte d'Azur (French Riviera)!

Map: Marseilles, France to Nice, France

Early checkouts always required, we relocate to the familiar Etap courtyard to enjoy our breakfast of French bread with meil (honey), tuna, and kiwis.

Thinking ahead, we also request the front desk to make reservations at an Etap in Nice.
 
We share the drippings from our tuna and soon make friends with the lingering hotel cat.

After some very enjoyable leisure time, it is back to the train station to continue on to Nice.

This time, the train seating arrangements are much more accommodating as we are able to sit at a table facing one another. 
Another train, another game of UNO breaks the ice, and it does not take long to make friends with the fourth passenger sitting at the table, Etienne, a mechanical engineering student from Cannes.

We thoroughly appreciate his company and sense of humor, but soon it is time to exchange addresses as we arrive in Nice, and he continues home to Cannes.

A small rest to gather our bearings before setting out to catch the bus to another Hotel Etap. Near the boarder of Italy, the cultures begin to blur.

A quick bus ride to the Etap with the aid of a local, we arrive with daylight to spare. The view out our window is a beautiful surprise...

...the sparkling Mediterranean Sea is in view!

Downstairs, a corner market provides the comforts of self-catering required for a fine dinner. Bleu cheese, French bread, salami, and Dutch beer.

After a snack, we venture a block away to the Promenade des Anglais (Walk of the English) that boarders the seafront.

The sun sinks as we skip sea-polished stones over the smooth water and watch airliners take off and land over the French Riviera.

Soon returning to the room to rest,

the guys stay out late on the beach

to relax and enjoy their new surroundings.