Friday 22 and Saturday 23 November 2024

Friday was a lazy day with a walk around the market and a taste of socca, a thin crepe made with chick peas and delivered to the pop up stand by a chap on a bicycle, with a giant sized crepe pan and welder's gloves. So cute. The day ended in a sunset drink at one of the ‘on the sand’ bars. And when they say on the sand, it is literally on the water’s edge. At one stage we had to put our feet up on the table as the big wave brought foaming water up past us.

Friday night, Flashy went downstairs to the hotel’s restaurant to have a look at the Opera evening. This is where two opera singers pretend to be waiters and serenade the diners with a couple of numbers from well known operas. Well, blow me down, the joint was full. He did manage to get a table at the back and have a burger and a wine and soak up some culture.

Saturday and it’s our last day in Nice. We have been here six nights in what has been clear blue skies, crystal clear turquoise sea and crisp, low teens temperatures, Quite amazing really, given we are seven days away from winter and it’s snowing in Paris and parts of the UK. We have loved being back in Nice. Our favourite place on the trip, with enough places still open and not too many tourists.

For Lunch today we went to le Bocal, a little 24 seater, very local bistro - all locals and due to incredible demand for food photos, I have posted more today. A fantastic and tasty meal of the softest veal and mushroom sauce with a mountain of mashed potato. How much cream and butter went into this dish is not worth considering – too scary! Lady P’s Thai Beef is unusual for a French restaurant, but it was also delicious. Here’s an observation. The French hereabouts use a knife and fork like us, except they swap hands. Fork in the right, knife in left. It looks weird when you are people watching.

In the warm afternoon we joined the throngs of locals doing the Saturday afternoon stroll along the Promenade. Some were lying on the beach and even some swimming in the 20C sea water.

We premixed some of the gin and tonic in the good old water bottle and walked across the road to watch the sunset. Back to settle the bill, making sure we got our discount on the restaurant meals and accept the kind offer of a breakfast box to take with us in the early morning tomorrow.

The socca bike

Just one week from winter.

The memorial to those killed in the 2016 terror attack in Nice.

Our bar on the sand.

Here comes wave seven. That's the big one.

Escalope du veau.

Thai Beef and Rice.