Nice

We woke up this morning at 6:00 a.m. to get on the road as soon as possible. We had about an 800 k.m. drive ahead of us and wanted to get going. We left Bordeaux for Nice at about 7:15 a.m. and put the pedal to the metal... literally. The speed limit on the freeways here is 130 km/hour. On average, I had the cruise control set at 143 km/hour. I'm not sure if being allowed to drive more quickly was a good thing or bad thing. Yes, we got here a couple hours before we would have with North American speed limits, but our experience with French drivers made the trip... well, interesting. We've found that a lot of drivers leave their blinkers on at all times whether changing lanes or not, if in fact they are only in one lane. I was never sure if I was going to hit someone or be hit. We all moved like a school of fish. We also drove through about 100 k.m. where the electronic signs warned of 'Vent Violent' (violent winds). Needless to say, I am treating myself to a pair of fresh underwear tomorrow.

We also didn't realize how expensive driving would be in Europe. When we thought of driving, we really only thought about the car rental and the fuel. This seemed like a far better option when considering running around with all of our luggage from train to train, cabs, flights, etc., especially if it was all going to cost the same. I think on our drive today, the tolls alone (which are everywhere!) totalled just over $100. We also didn't factor in parking at the hotels. The last hotel was $45/night. Barf. We could have parked it ourself but after the Bordeaux posting, you know why we didn't. I also can't imagine looking for an impounded rental car in a foreign country where you don't know the language.

After a mess of traffic and winding roads, we found our hotel. We're staying at the Hotel Palais de la Mediterranee. I couldn't have been happier to fall onto the bed (Um... for the record... I have done all the driving so far). Ryan feels that his services are best used as DJ for the trips.

The hotel is quite nice. The room is huge compared to what we've been in so far. We also lucked out with the view from our room. We asked for a 'partial water view' because the cost of the 'full water view' was way higher. We ended up on the top (9th) floor and really have as nice a view as the other rooms. The hotel is quite large, which I'm thankful for. Ry likes the small ones where you can use the staff and concierge, etc. I like the HUGE ones where you can go to your room with a bag of McDonald's without anyone seeing you. This one is somewhere in the middle.Nice is really... hot. Apparently this is quite normal and the city comes alive at night once it has cooled off. We went for an hour walk after a late lunch and got a feel for the city. Again, it feels like we're in another country: tropical, hot, and a really strong Italian influence as we are really close to Italy. We're back at the hotel room in air-conditioning for now and are waiting for the sun to go down before we go out to find dinner and see what nightlife the place has to offer. We considered tanning for awhile but were scared Greenpeace would be called to save the beached whales.

The next two full days here, we have no plans. We might take a day trip to Monaco or St. Tropez... or just read and lounge and nap... oh, well maybe one more thing...

I think I'm going to try and get Ryan to combine his three fears (ocean and heights and exposing his body in public) and do this with me tomorrow:
Hi Ryan here....not happenning.