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