AFTER THE TOUR
Day 13: Another kind of tour
The only thing included on the last "day" of a tour is breakfast. With nothing on a schedule tour members wander in and out of the dining room as they want. I find those days are always bittersweet for me so I have learned to schedule something specific to do to bolster my mood and motivation. In Nice I booked a food tour with A Taste of Nice Food. It was a great choice! There was a group of 7 of us who followed Ally, the owner/guide, around Nice while she talked about the history, culture, and food of the area. We stopped at 8 different local vendors and a food market, and finished at a restaurant. I was very full by the middle of the afternoon when the tour ended.
I did a bit of shopping and sat by the beach the rest of the day. No need for dinner this night!
A last day in Nice
My plan for this final day in Nice was to take a bus to Villefranche-sur-Mer or Monaco. But, I was tired after all the traveling and knew I had a journey to get home. So, I decided to focus on enjoying the ocean instead. I actually hung around the breakfast room in the hotel, talking to other remaining tour members for much of the morning. It was fun to get caught up on what they had done in the Nice area and I got a couple ideas for my day.
I started out at the Cours Saleya to buy a few gifts for friends back home. This is the beautiful market near the hotel that had flowers, produce, other foods, and small touristy gift items. I brought home some typical Provencal goods: lavender soap, perfume, local chocolates, and a Cote d'Azur tote bag.
After a quick stop at my room to drop off my purchases I started walking along the ocean promenade towards the marina. It was a beautiful warm, sunny day and I enjoyed watching the people as I listened to the waves crashing on the shore.
I stopped and took the elevator up to the top of Castle Hill. I found a park and beautiful views of Nice from the top instead of a castle. From one side was a panorama of the old town and the other was the marina. The sea was just as blue as you hear!
From the base of the elevator it was not far to the "I Love Nice" sign for an obligatory photo. Of course. Then on to the marina itself. This was the more modern part of Nice and the houses spread far into the distance. I poked into a couple stores and stopped to havc a salade Nicoise before walking back to the hotel.
I spent the evening getting organized for my very early taxi ride to the airport. I dashed outside multiple times to enjoy the ocean while I could. For the second night in a row I was there for sunset.
My trip home the next day was long but, thankfully, uneventful. Au revoir, France!
I have a special page about the hotels. click here if you want to know about where we stayed....
Or, click here if you want to know what I thought of the trip.