The Aftermath: Nice, France (Part 3)

Whenever you see Nice, or the general south of France area in the movies it is without fail sunny. Sunshine, fancy cars, and gorgeous women, pretty much summarize the entire depiction of the region in the media. So I wasn't really expecting to blend in at all, with my backpack and bus pass. However, when I was there it rained. And it was perfect.

From the moment I landed, the skies opened up and gave me the high-pressure shower I had been dreaming of all over Asia. The only thing missing was a little privacy and a exfoliating shower gel. But even without it when the heavens opened, I quickly realized the single jumper that I had packed into my bag wasn't going to be enough. I was thrilled. An excuse to shop in the south of France, it was like Christmas (only really it was about two days after Easter)!

In France it is important to speak french. This may sound painfully obvious but, as anyone who has ever had the misfortune of meeting a British tourist will know, we tend not to learn languages. Instead we speak loudly and slowly. In English. Which is ridiculous. And while much of the world has adapted to our ignorance and stupidity, by translating or learning English, the French are having none of that. So if you are planning on heading to France, 'please' 'thank you' and 'sorry' are worth a quick google translate (if you're English, especially the last one).

So after checking into an Airbnb so small the toilet was outside the apartment, I made my way to the center of town. One of the best things about most places in Europe is you can walk everywhere, and Nice was no different in one single afternoon I; walked to the shops, had a small heart attack when I realized the prices, walked up a big hill, saw a waterfall, visited a museum, saw where they filmed part of one of the James Bond movies (I don't know which one, I just tripped over a load of tourists down an alleyway...), visited three of the many many churches, and ate my ever-growing weight in chocolate. Not bad for one afternoon.

I should say that once your visited basically everything in the tourist book, if you don't have the wealth of a oligarch your options are slightly limited. Nice the city had a lot to offer and though it is well connected to the neighbouring towns I wasn't really interested in heading to far out. Especially as I was battling some pretty heavy duty jet-lag. Instead I dived into the local food, and befriended the lovely lady at the bakery/chocolaterie round the corner from my apartment. Also for reference, eating out in Nice can be very very expensive, and as there aren't any options in terms of 'street food', french bakeries do excellent food all day, always fresh and always wonderful. And with baguettes for less than a euro, its also your most affordable choice.

Another option for affordable food is of course the supermarkets, though be warned the prices do vary a lot based on the chain of stores. If you end up like me accidentally going over Easter weekend, when literally every store in a thousand mile radius of Catholicism closes, you may have a little trouble stocking up on the first few days. However, Nice had another little surprise for me...

As we all know, the traditional story of Easter is when thousands of years ago Jesus Christ went to the top of a mountain, and the Romans bullied him, taunted him with bunny rabbits, eggs and brightly colored flowers. Which is why now, all around the world, to mark the occasion, Christians and non-Christians alike gather to give each other chocolate eggs. Or something along those lines. Either-way, the final result is essentially an international chocolate giving festival. Which I missed, by like one day. Upside, France is infamous for its chocolate, and during Easter everywhere you look there are extravagant chocolate sculptures and creations. 'And what happens after Easter?' I hear you say. That's right, they go on sale. Mountains of french chocolate at every corner, labeled perfectly 'reduced to clear.'

Safe to say the foodie in me was very very happy.

My time in Nice was short, and it was perfect. Rain, bread, and heavily reduced chocolates. It was almost as though this part of the trip was exactly what I needed.