Nice, French Riviera

After weeks and weeks of great Italian food and excellent vino, we came to the conclusion that there really was such an occurrence as too much of a good thing, and we needed a break.  As one of the highest recommendations we received from friends was to make a trip to Nice, France, in the French Riviera, we set off for a French adventure.

The drive to the coast was full of hills, tunnels, curves, and quick glances at the beautiful blue of the Mediterranean sea.  Despite the fact that Garmino went a little haywire once we got to the city, we made it successfully to our hotel and immediately set out to explore.

First we had to get in my classic pic with the mermaid.

Then we made our way straight to the beach.  We were surprised to find that the beach was made of mid-sized stones, as opposed to sand or pebbles.  We hadn't really seen anything like it before, and its color and texture added a great deal of unique beauty to the scene when contrasted with the clear blue sea.

As the sun began to set, we headed towards a park located on a very high hill at the end of the old city.  We had taken notice of it on the map and been told by the woman at the front desk of our hotel that it was a beautiful place to watch the sun set.

About 10,000 stairs later, we reaped the rewards of our climb with breathtaking views.

 After sunset, we headed back to a bar that had caught our eye earlier so that we could be supporting our Spartans with a toast on the moment of the kick-off!

Getting a little hungry, we decided to check out a restaurant that had also been recommended to us by the woman at the front desk of our hotel as one of her favorites: La Maison De Marie.  We knew from that first basket of french bread (which we devoured... along with the one after that... and the one after that) that it was going to be a good night.  Making our way through palate cleansers, our main courses of steak with rosemary (Luke) and scallops in a truffle cream sauce (me) arrived.  Hands down, one of the best meals of our lives.  Topping things off with three different kinds of creme brulee (regular, chocolate, and pistachio) put us into food euphoria.  It's still impossible not to talk about that meal without longing groans escaping from both of us.

The next morning, we checked out of our hotel, saying goodbye to the smallest elevator in the world.

 We headed back to the old town to enjoy a delicious traditional French breakfast.  Soft boiled eggs, meats, cheeses, and salad were a little different from our previously standard breakfast burrito, but wonderful all the same.

 Who could resist?  Finding Nemo style: "He touched the butt!"

 Wandering the streets of the old town felt surreal with alleys like this lining every street.  Exploring this one, we couldn't help noticing opera music drifting from one of the open windows above; it was incredible to imagine actually living in one of these apartments day after day. 

 Armed with some snacks and drinks, we headed back to the beach and decided we couldn't pass up the opportunity to test out the waters of the Mediterranean.

 Notice the large wave crashing up towards Luke...

 and its aftermath.  As a result, Luke ended up testing those waters a little more than I did.

We walked to the other end of the beach and found a comfy spot on the wall to relax and take a little nap.  Believe me when I tell you, rocky beaches are a lot more comfortable than they look.  It was so amazing to sit back and watch the waves of the turquoise sea roll in (while being careful not to look too far to our right, as many of the older locals prefer topless or nude sunbathing - yikes).

Nice was definitely one of the hardest places for us to leave.  From the phenomenal food to the charm of the old city to the extraordinary natural beauty, it holds a firm spot towards the top of our list.