Earlier this month I took a short weekend trip to Nice to take the SAT. The test was administered in a very fancy private international school. I was the first to arrive, and I waited outside of the locked gates. After about forty five minutes of sitting alone on the cold gravel in front of the school, I started to wonder where the other students were. Had I confused the date or the location?
I had not. On closer inspection I realized that I was far from being the only student waiting for the test. Parked on the other side of the street were about twenty luxury cars, each containing a driver (the parent) and a single passenger (the treasured student). As time dragged on in the chilly morning temperatures and more BMWs and Mercedes joined the silent queue, I started to wonder why no one offered me a back seat place in one of their sumptuously heated cars.
Then again, I could see at least one parent's silent yell as he obviously impressed the importance of an ivy-league education, illustrious career, etc. onto his son. Another boy was feverishly reading a paper back book (undoubtedly The Catcher in the Rye or The Great Gatsby) and beating it from time to time against his forehead as if he could physically transfer the words into his skull. Perhaps I was better off alone in the relative tranquility of the parking lot.
Finally, the gates opened and everyone started filing into the school. A pretty blonde girl from one of the silver Mercedes approached me with a welcoming smile. I returned the smile, relieved to have found a friend amongst the imposing Ralph Lauren coats and Lacoste bags. In faintly accented Britannic English she said, "Excuse me, Mademoiselle, but you have some dirt on your coat." She delicately wrinkled her brow and continued in a slightly admonishing tone, "You were sitting... You were sitting on the ground."
After we finished the test, I heard the same girl speaking loudly to a friend. "I answered every question," she bragged.
"That's really good," her friend swooned, "I couldn't even answer half!"
"I've always been good at making 'educated guesses,'" the blonde shrugged, obviously pleased with herself.
As she slid past me at the bus stop in her Daddy's sleek Mercedes, I met her pitying expression head on with my own cool smile; incorrect answers count as negative points on the SAT.
I stayed in the youth hostel, Villa Saint-Exupéry, which has been voted the best hostel in France. For only 18 euros a night, it was very ritzy. I highly recommend it!
Breakfast was included with the room.
There was also free wifi, a number of available computers, and video games.
Poison in a vending machine! Where are the puritans to save these European youths?
The old section of the city.
The following is series from the Promenade des Anglais.
I didn't eat anything on the train and by the time I arrived, restaurants were closed for lunch. I was starving for this salade Nicoise!
Salmon
Creme Brulée
The Christmas tree in the city center.
Most every homeless person in France seems to have an animal companion. I've seen lots of dogs, but I have also seen cats and even a rabbit. This cat was trained to sit on his owner's shoulder. Yum Yum!
Snow in Nice? No, it's the spray-on sort.
Downtown Nice
It's rare enough to find five French Santas, but five French Santas who happen to make up a perfect quintette?
An open air book market.
Ice cream in December.
Roller skating around small cones to 90s pop music.
There is a park on a hill with a view over the ocean and the city.
Very French.
Roman ruins at the summit of the park.
The following are all photos of the city of Nice taken from the park.
Because I was traveling alone, I thought it would nice to see a theatre performance that evening. I saw advertisements for the Moscow Circus on Ice and, for some reason, this sounded interesting. I believe my train of though went somewhat like, "I enjoyed the Chinese Circus, China and Russia are geographically close, therefore the Moscow Circus on Ice should be just as good as the Chinese Circus." Not so.
When I arrived at the theatre, I was the only person younger than 50 and older than 10. It was absolutely torturous! Imagine any regular circus with cheep costumes, magic acts, and acrobats, but instead of walking, everyone sort of "shuffles." New axiom: Excluding perishable foods, nothing is better 'on ice.'
After my humiliating exit from the theatre with all the little children, I found refuge in a nearby restaurant. I don't think I've ever explained before, but the reason I always have photos of three dishes from diners (entrée, plat, dessert) is because I usually order the "menu." You get to choose between three or four possible dishes for each course and it is less expensive than ordering from the regular menu. This appetizer is an eggplant salad.
Fruits de Mer
Creme Caramel
Promenade des Anglais at night.
Au Revoir!
Christmas-theme Chocolates
