It’s Nice to be Back in Nice

Once again I find myself back in the beautiful city of Nice. There is a big harbor here, but not much room for guest boats. We wiggle between a couple of boats in hopes that we will be able to spend a few days at this port. I love wandering around the old town. There is a big plaza that goes on for blocks. In the morning it is a farmers market with exotic flowers, fresh vegetables, home made jams, candles, and a host of other items the vendors hope you can not live with out. By afternoon all the shops dissolve and the restaurants that line the streets spread out their tables and chairs for an evening of tasty locally caught fish and freshly made pasta. The system seems to work flawlessly and keeps the area busy day and night. There are a sprinkling of great museums scattered throughout the city. Chagall lived here for a while and donated a series of painting he did. The collection was added to and it turns out to be a nice representative exhibit of his work. Attracted by the unique Cote de Azure light, Matisse also lived here for a while. There is a good collection of his work housed in a 17th century villa. Just walking around you will stumble across a section of ruins that remind you the history of this city dates back to the Greeks. It is at Nice that I say good-bye to Mike and Jose. We have had a great couple of weeks together that has gone by so fast. My friend Bruce LeCheminant joins me in the afternoon. Bruce and I have oared down the Grand Canyon together. He just happened to call me up a couple of days ago and wondered what I was up to. The next day he was aboard a Delta jet looking forward to some adventures on the high seas.