October 17 - Nice

Hard to believe but twenty months after we put down our first payment, our French River Cruise is over.  These two weeks went by so fast it became a blur.  Scenic promised us a five star experience and they did not let us down.  The boat was spotless, the food was outstanding, the excursions were wonderful and the staff was exceptional.

This may sound strange but despite all the great food, I think I’m going to miss the chocolate cookies that were out for each lunch, the most.

We said our goodbyes to the staff.  We are going to miss our waiter Ricardo and his assistance Sabrina. Danella and Anna who worked the lounge and got us our drinks will also be missed. Also Ishmael, who is a dead ringer for Sheldon on the Big Bang Theory and always had a big smile on his face, will be missed. Of course there were other staff, but I won’t bore you with a roster list.

Marg with Ishmael

Marg & the Captain

Of course we also had to say our goodbyes to our travelling companions. But as the cruise director said, don't be sad the trip is over, be happy you took it.

Upon debarkation, Scenic Cruises bused us from Tarascon to the Nice airport.  It was a scenic drive with mountains to the north of us and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.  It took about four hours.

John and Ellen

I really feel for Ellen and John as they head home to Australia.  They had to take the Scenic bus from Tarascon to Nice, which is about a four hour drive.  Then they had to catch a flight to Frankfurt which connected them to a flight to Singapore.  After a night’s layover they were flying to Sydney.  This is about twenty one hours of flying.  This obscene schedule is the norm for Australians.

Rocky and Joan flew to Paris from Nice.  We will catch up to them there on Monday evening.  Sue and Dave are staying in Nice for a few days before they fly home.  We will be staying in Nice for two nights before going back to Paris for Marg’s birthday.

Sue and Dave

Rock and Joan

A close bond has developed between Dave and Rocky !

Marg & Brian

Our cab ride from the Nice airport to our hotel was interesting.  The cab had only two speeds, Mach 1 and faster.

Nice is the fifth most populous city in France with a population of about 1 million people.The natural beauty of the Nice area and its mild Mediterranean climate came to the attention of the English upper classes in the second half of the 18th century, when an increasing number of aristocratic families took to spending their winter there.

We are staying at the Ambassador Hotel.  The Ambassador is a nice boutique hotel that is located about a block from the seaside boardwalk called the Promenade des Anglais. For the local inhabitants, La Prom has become a favorite place for bicyclists, baby strollers, and whole families who can be seen out for a stroll along the Promenade. It has also become a favorite place for skateboarders and in-line skaters. We went for a long walk on the Promenade.  There still some people swimming and sunbathing.

We then went to the old town where Marg finally found a necklace that she liked.  It is silver.  During our walk we meet several people from the river cruise, who are also staying in Nice for a couple of days.

The cold that spread throughout the ship has finally caught up to me.  So for dinner we went to a cheap, middle of the road restaurant called the VIP Grill.  What a shock when the bill arrived.  I’ve gotten quite used to the all inclusive service on the boat.

All the bars are showing the France .vs. Australia rugby match from the World Cup in England. Unfortunately the French are getting their collective butts kicked.