Day 4 - Nice
Today was a such a stark contrast from yesterday. It involved a lot of sitting and looking and listening, and a lot less walking, and a lot less sightseeing, and a lot more free time, than any day yet. There were two highlights of the day; the first was a trip on the TGV, the world's second-fastest wheeled train - and it was fast, making the 900+km trip in under 6 hours, including several stops.
Although I had planned to sleep on the train ride, I can't turn down a good game when the opportunity is presented to me, and several different games contributed to our memorable experience on the TGV. Almost as soon as we left the station, the boys in my cluster of seats broke out the cards, and a brief game of hearts was followed by many spirited rounds of euchre. The other game that dominated the back of the cabin was the Picnic Game.
For anyone who doesn't know how this game works, it's basically a pattern-guessing game, where the host of a particular round chooses a pattern by which people will or will not be allowed to bring items to their picnic. For instance, if the pattern stated that people could only bring items beginning with the first letter of their name, then Johnny can bring jujubes but not candy or a salad, and Susan can bring snack mix but not an umbrella or ice cubes. It's amusing, though, how a simple pattern can stump players for so long - my pattern, stipulating that guys could only bring singular items and girls only plural items, had them perplexed for at least 15 minutes. And then, with a bit of luck, I beat our lead teacher in two straight rounds of euchre. So, all that was very entertaining.
Unfortunately, by the time we got to Nice it was cloudy, and it started raining soon afterwards, spoiling what (from I hear) can be spectacular landscape views and charming shopping in the old village. Instead, we were led on a coach tour around the city, with a guide who did not live up in any way to the Opera House guide from yesterday, a tour which included some rather bizarre sights, including the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral outside of Russia, complete with limestone walls and surrounding palm trees. As much as I don't think I let myself be affected by the weather, I can't help but wonder if I would have enjoyed the tour just a little more had it been sunny out.
Nice feels like an odd melange of elements of Florida, Spain, and France. It definitely feels like a resort town, which it is, of course, and although everyone speaks French, the overriding look of the buildings and venues is definitely Spanish. Here in the old village, where we're staying, it's almost overwhelming how little there is other than restaurants (brasseries, pubs, cafes) and touristy souvenir shops. I feel like it may have been a little more charming in some bright sunshine, but the insistent drizzle made for a mostly dreary visit.
Dinner, however, was more than pleasant: we ate at "La Pizza", which accommodated all 80 of us and served us some of the most delicious pizza I've ever had, in portions most of us couldn't even come close to finishing. More than half of my "slice" is sitting behind me in a container, taunting me silently, knowing I probably won't be able to finish it tonight as was my intent.
Tomorrow, the schedule says Avignon and the forecast says rain.
Although I had planned to sleep on the train ride, I can't turn down a good game when the opportunity is presented to me, and several different games contributed to our memorable experience on the TGV. Almost as soon as we left the station, the boys in my cluster of seats broke out the cards, and a brief game of hearts was followed by many spirited rounds of euchre. The other game that dominated the back of the cabin was the Picnic Game.
For anyone who doesn't know how this game works, it's basically a pattern-guessing game, where the host of a particular round chooses a pattern by which people will or will not be allowed to bring items to their picnic. For instance, if the pattern stated that people could only bring items beginning with the first letter of their name, then Johnny can bring jujubes but not candy or a salad, and Susan can bring snack mix but not an umbrella or ice cubes. It's amusing, though, how a simple pattern can stump players for so long - my pattern, stipulating that guys could only bring singular items and girls only plural items, had them perplexed for at least 15 minutes. And then, with a bit of luck, I beat our lead teacher in two straight rounds of euchre. So, all that was very entertaining.
Unfortunately, by the time we got to Nice it was cloudy, and it started raining soon afterwards, spoiling what (from I hear) can be spectacular landscape views and charming shopping in the old village. Instead, we were led on a coach tour around the city, with a guide who did not live up in any way to the Opera House guide from yesterday, a tour which included some rather bizarre sights, including the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral outside of Russia, complete with limestone walls and surrounding palm trees. As much as I don't think I let myself be affected by the weather, I can't help but wonder if I would have enjoyed the tour just a little more had it been sunny out.
Nice feels like an odd melange of elements of Florida, Spain, and France. It definitely feels like a resort town, which it is, of course, and although everyone speaks French, the overriding look of the buildings and venues is definitely Spanish. Here in the old village, where we're staying, it's almost overwhelming how little there is other than restaurants (brasseries, pubs, cafes) and touristy souvenir shops. I feel like it may have been a little more charming in some bright sunshine, but the insistent drizzle made for a mostly dreary visit.
Dinner, however, was more than pleasant: we ate at "La Pizza", which accommodated all 80 of us and served us some of the most delicious pizza I've ever had, in portions most of us couldn't even come close to finishing. More than half of my "slice" is sitting behind me in a container, taunting me silently, knowing I probably won't be able to finish it tonight as was my intent.
Tomorrow, the schedule says Avignon and the forecast says rain.