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Nice: Go, Eat, be Happy

By Kate Hooten

There’s nothing nicer than Nice, no matter what time of the year you go. The people are friendly, the food is excellent and the scenery is lovely. It’s a very calm place, and after the hustle-bustle of Paris, it’s a great way to wind down, or, in my case, to start up, a trip.

I went to Nice at the end of February. I went by myself. And the last thing I heard on the radio on my way to the airport was that war was no doubt imminent and people needed to be cautious traveling to foreign countries.

I guess maybe they should have been ... if they were planning on visiting Basra.

But me, I like France. I went to Nice several years ago for business and was completely charmed by the Old City, the museums and, of course, the food. I knew when I left that I had to come back, and February was a good time for me, so war or not, I decided what the heck and I just went. I’m so glad I did.

From Dallas, I flew to Zurich, then on to Nice. You fly over the Cote d’Azur, where you can see Monaco to the right and Canne to the left. (Nice is in between, about a 30 minute train ride to both cities.) The sea is a bright, brilliant turquoise blue and the buildings are warm, yellow stone with brick red or bottle green tile roofs.

The airport is small, but as it serves the entire region (including Canne, where the film festival is each spring), it’s very efficient and easy.

I stayed in the Old City, which is close to the Blvd. des Anglais, and for the most part I walked places, though the bus and trains are quick and convenient if you want to go to Monaco or Canne. The hotel I stayed in had little brochures advertising various daytrips; I signed up with one that took me and another couple to the Grasse area (where they make perfume), Canne and Antibe (where the Picassos, Murphys, Fitzgeralds and Dorothy Parker hung out). It’s a quick way to see three individual towns, and the perfume factory (we went to Perfume Fragonard) was interesting. (Try to hit it either in the morning or afternoon, but not at noon, because everyone goes to lunch.) There are other perfumeries you can tour, too -- see Grasse’s website ( http://www.ville-grasse.fr ) to find out more. Perfume Fragonard is more of a museum than a factory, though they do still make perfume there. They demonstrate how scent used to be extracted from flowers, a time-consuming process. For those wishing to buy some genuine French perfume, fear not: the tour ends up in the showroom, where you may purchase all sorts of lovely smelling things.

Nice has great museums. The Musee des Beaux-Arts is a bit tricky to find, but worth it; the belle epoque villa was built in the late 1800s for a displaced Ukrainian princess. It’s got lovely pastels and some interesting sculpture. Don’t miss the Matisse Museum, which is also in a home of his; in addition to the art, you can see the things he used in his still life paintings (furniture, figurines, vases, etc.) You can also purchase prints that are difficult or impossible to find in other museums. In the summer, the area around the museum is used for concerts, so check the schedule. The gardens and view are lovely from this vantage point.

There’s also the Massena Museum, a natural history museum, but it’s being renovated and isn’t open. Don’t miss the Musee National Message Biblique Marc Chagall. It’s little, but very impressive, and all the works in it are Biblically inspired. There’s also the Musee d’art Moderne et d’art Contemporain, which I saw for free for some reason (it was Sunday? The last day of the month? I don’t know.) It was crowded (well, it was FREE) but it had some really interesting exhibits, lots of modern art.

While in Nice, I also inadvertently participated in a peace march. At first I thought it was a street party: I heard whistles, drums and chanting, and after all, Carnival was the following weekend. But no, it was a peace march. I grabbed my camera and ran out to join it. We walked along the Blvd. des Anglais and ended up in the old city center, near the old town hall. The drummers got revved up, everyone started dancing, and all the children clapped and hopped around. I’m not sure how long it lasted; they were still going strong when I abandoned them for a cup of cafe au lait and a chocolate crepe.

Things you must do in Nice:

1. Walk along the Blvd. des Anglais. It borders the sea and was designed for strolling.
2. Drink hot chocolate.
3. Eat a crepe.
4. Visit at least one museum.
5. See the lobby of the Hotel Negrasco. If you can afford it, get a room. The bathrooms are something else.
6. Take a day trip to Monaco or Canne.
7. Get lost in the Old City.
8. Buy olive oil.
9. Read an artist’s bio: Matisse, Picasso, etc. so you can see what they meant when they said they came to this area because of the light.
10. Go to the beach. But bring shoes, it’s rocky, not sandy.

Myths Americans have about France

1. No one speaks English; and if you do, no one will be nice to you.
I’ve never had this happen to me. Granted, Nice is a resort city where most citizens are used to attempting to communicate in several different languages, but I’ve found that if you try, most people will go along with you. It doesn’t hurt to memorize key phrases: Pardon, madam, je voudrais une pan a chocolate, s’il vous plait is a good one to know. If you know any key phrases in Spanish or Italian you can also get along. If you don’t, just look pathetic and know how to say please and thank you, and say it after everything you say. Your mother was right: Good manners will carry you far.

2. French hate Americans.
This is a difficult concept to grasp, but the fact is, other people don’t hate Americans. They hate our government policies. Remember: no French people begged you to go to France, you are not doing anyone a favor by coming to visit, and you’re a guest in another country. It doesn’t hurt to read a Newsweek, a U.S. News and World Report or the British publication Hello! before you go, because chances are, you’ll sit next to someone, strike up a conversation and will need to be informed. In a pinch, talk about movies, entertainers or soccer.

3. The food is too rich and weird.
Depends on what and where you eat. God forbid, there is always a McDonalds, though I would have to be some kind of desperate to eat at McDonalds in France. (Though they do have great advertisements.) Try local food. In Nice, it’s a mixture of French and Italian. There is a lot of fresh seafood, olive oil, chick peas (try the Socca, it’s like a pancake/flatbread), gorgeous lovely desserts, lots of fresh produce, great pasta, good ice cream. I had some great Italian food, ate at the Scotch Teahouse (where you can get a salad if you’re not up for teatime), sampled glazed fruit (a specialty here), and ate lots and lots of chocolate. Everyone should stop in the carousel restaurant attached to the Hotel Negresco. It doesn’t rotate; the inside is decorated like a carousel and every 30 minutes or so, calliope music comes on. It would be a great place to have a birthday party, no matter how old you are. Great onion soup, great desserts.

4. Everything is expensive in Europe.
Nice is a resort town, but I got my hotel for about $85 and it was the week before Carnival, so if you are stingy enough, you can find bargains. Try Hotelsnow, Orbitz, etc. Get a map from the Nice tourism folks ( http://www.nicetourisme.com )  figure out where you want to stay, and look for places near there. I like Vieux Nice (the Old City) because it’s quaint, but there are regular American chains a little farther away. Since tourism is down now, you might be able to get some great deals.

5. France is dangerous; I’ll get mugged.
Well, this could happen, I guess. Depends on where you go and what time of day or night it is. I have never felt threatened in France. Be careful, don’t keep a lot of money on you and be aware of your surroundings. If it feels weird, leave. You can either get Travellers Checks or you can use your bank card -- check with your bank before you leave and make sure ATMs in France will accept your card. You get a better exchange rate with your bank card and charge cards, but you may be charged a fee, sometimes from both banks. If you want to blend in and not look like an American, don’t wear sneakers, one of those pouches that attaches to your belly, a ball cap or a sweatshirt. Just about everyone wears jeans now, but nice slacks pack better and you can wear them anywhere. Remember, people in Europe dress better than Americans.

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