Day 1 in Nice

Arrived in Nice at 9 AM, dropped luggage at Hotel Vendome, and walked to the open air market La Cours Saleya, where we had our first breakfast: OJ, coffee, croissants, and tartines. They were fantastic, worth the trip alone.

After walking the market, and finally having a piece of one of Theresa's soccas, celebrated by Rick Steeves in both his books and videos, we took a cab to a small museum, le Musee des Beaux-Arts, which was originally the elegant home of a a Ukranian princess. Saw several Rodin sculptures and a variety of paintings spanning several centuries.

Jet lag and the heat were kicking in, so we took a air conditioned cab to the port where we took a boat tour of Nice, Villefranche, and Cap Ferrat. Saw the homes of Elton John, Sean Connery, Bill Gates, Bianca Jagger, and Bridget Bardot among others. I think they would all be part of the 1%. Seeing Nice from the water was a thrill; the beauty of the Cote d'Azur at it's finest.

Walked back to the hotel and crashed, taking a 3 hour nap before heading out to dinner.

After striking out at our first six well-researched and highly rated restaurants, we settled for "Le Fete des Moules" (Festival of Mussels) on the Cours Saleya , where we each had a different version of mussels and French fries. Finished the night off with coffee, ice cream, and some window shopping.