Places and Travel: France
Showing posts with label Places and Travel: France. Show all posts

I Need Something Nice

With our summer plans currently resembling a blank slate, the endless possibilities for our next holiday are at the forefront of my thoughts. Yet with all the cities and countrysides we have yet to explore, my mind wanders to a place we've already been, but have been hoping for a return visit: Nice, France.

Take Me Back
Perhaps mere nostalgia for our first vacation together is what brings my thoughts back to this stop on the French Riviera. Then again, I recall a beach bound exchange that leads me to believe there's more to this urge for another visit to Nice.

Walking along the promenade with beach towels in my tote bag I turn to Isaiah and declare, "This past year stuck in a classroom has made me a sorry excuse for a Mexican. I can't wait to lay out!"

"Yeah, and in this heat - I definitely want to go in the water."

Upon approaching the public beach I utter, "Um. Are we in the wrong spot? There's no sand, just stones."

"Well, everyone else is lying down on them, so this must be it."

Ok, the stones are smooth, but for a couple of then California residents accustomed to fine grain beach sand this is a shock to the system.

"I'll tell you what -- the water is great, the setting is great -- if we were just a little more prepared for the stones, this would be heaven."

"Next time. Next time."

Well, now we have to go back to conquer those stones, don't we?

I could be wrong, though. Maybe the draw to return to Nice has everything to do with ice cream from Fenocchio Maitre Glacier, where parfums like avocado and olive offer the palate a delicately sweet burst of flavor. Would I return just for another taste of this ice cream? I certainly would, but next time I'll have to pass on their free sample of tomato-basil.

Cours Saleya Flower Market in Old Nice

So Be It
If our plans end up leading us to Nice, you'll find us sunbathing on camping mats, wandering around Vieux Nice (Old Nice), and taking in spectacular views from Colline du Chateau (Castle Hill). You won't catch us staying at a hotel, though. Most likely we'd stay at campgrounds outside of Nice -- rough, yet more affordable -- or at a flat we find through Craigslist, which is what we did the first time around, and it worked out swimmingly!

For your Rolodex:
Fenocchio Maitre Glacier (Ice Cream Shop) * 2 place Rossetti * Vieux Nice, France

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Goodies: Things that Made Me Smile in Stasbourg, France


I thought I’d share some last bits of splendor from our Strasbourg trip.

The first is a patisserie called “Stein” located near Parc des Contades (55 Boulevard Clemenceau). We stumbled across it Easter Sunday as we took the twenty-minute walk from our hotel into the city center. We ordered coffees à emporter and some delicious cinnamon breakfast pastries. Mmm.

The other is a women’s clothing boutique called “Ultra Funk” that carries a lot of merchandise by the name “Skunkfunk,” which I think is a Basque label. Here you can find colorful tops, dresses with asymmetrical patterns and hems, accessories, and a few novelty tees for the guys. Rue des Juifs at Rue Brulee.
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The Sights of Stasbourg, France

I've never found myself walking around a city with a permanent goofy grin on my face repeating the phrase "I like it here" the way I did this past weekend in Strasbourg. I find that this city has the cosmopolitan charm of Paris without being overwhelming and fussy. The shop, hotel, and wait staff were all so kind and friendly -- even after we butchered their language.

The city shares a lot of what makes metropolitan cities like Paris pulse, but on a smaller more accessible scale. Designer boutiques like Hermès abound, but mixed in with discount retailers, so it feels less pretentious. Jazz shows, river boat bars, and parks lead the nightlife scene. Young people partying along the river bank mooned us on the boat tour and surprisingly everyone just cheered and laughed.

I don't mean to keep comparing Strasbourg to Paris, but I've been wanting to make a trip back to the City of Light ever since we moved to Switzerland. I'm glad, though, that it hasn't worked out, otherwise I would never have discovered this little gem: Strasbourg.

Chocolate Easter eggs too beautiful to eat!
Christian Chocolatier

Antiques Flea Market on Saturday (Rue du Vieux-marché-aux-poissons)

Magnolia Trees in Place de la République


View of Restaurant "Au Pont Saint Martin" from boat tour on the Ill

Quai des Pecheurs
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Tourists in Strasbourg, France

Although at first glance we may not appear to be the touristy types (fellow tourists have very mistakenly asked us for directions to major sights), we are indeed map-wielding, photo-snapping, coupon-redeeming travelers. We do, however, enjoy strolling to the monuments instead of racing and only consulting the map when absolutely necessary (and in the most discreet manner possible). When we have no local contacts to show us the local hot spots and don’t speak the local languages, we rely on the advice of the tourist office.

Over Easter/My B-day weekend, Isaiah and I took a road trip to Strasbourg, France, located in the Alsace region along the border with Germany. It was kind of a last minute decision, as we had been following the weather forecasts all week to find out which cities within a few hours driving distance would have warm weather. Yes, it was nice here in Switzerland, but we wanted to do a little getaway. Strasbourg did not disappoint.

Upon arrival, we purchased the Strasbourg Pass, coupons you can redeem for major tourist attractions. Overall, we saved about 20 Euros using these passes, and we still had coupons leftover!

Top 5 activities we enjoyed this weekend:

1. People-watching after dark, sitting on the edge of the Ill River, with a bottle of wine.
2. Relaxing on the boat tour (coupon).
3. Climbing to the platform of the cathedral for a view of the city (coupon) - photos below.
4. Admiring junk at the Saturday flea market.
5. Visiting the Museé Historique de la Ville de Strasbourg (coupon). This was one of my favorite museums ever. Recently renovated, you can try on costumes and armor as well as interact with the displays. The relief map from 1727 is impressive.

One more thing we enjoyed was renting bikes for a few hours (coupon) and riding to all the parks. Parc de l’Orangerie was my favorite, but I felt the Jardin Botanique we could have skipped altogether (it was totally run-down.)

As for food, I regret that because our trip was a bit on the spontaneous side, I didn’t get a chance to research the best places to eat. We ate mini “to-go” versions of tarte flambée (crème fraiche, white onions, and bacon on dough), which are like pizzas, but Alsatian style. Our one big dinner was at “Au Pont Saint Martin,” which we spotted on the boat tour. The building is typical Alsatian style with cuisine to match. I recommend the 1/2 Coquelet au Riesling et spätzle, one of the house suggestions.

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