Day 8: Nice

Today got off to a nice early start, well at least for this trip. After waking up at 9 and getting out into the city about a half hour later Laura and I ventured over to the market for some breakfast. When we arrived there were rows of fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, and other home grown Nicoise items. We looked around for a bit and settled on some bananas and fresh baked cannolis. We ate them as we examined the rest of the market and figured out the day ahead of us.

Our first order of business was walking up the Promande des Anglais to La Colline du Chateau which is a hill that juts out of the earth right on the water. When you climb it you reach a spot where you can see all the surrounding towns and villages of the Cote D'Azur. You could probably see Africa if you looked hard enough. It was simply amazing. Laura and I plopped down on a bench to read our books, however I was certainly distracted by the gorgeous view of the Mediterranean Sea.

After a while we made our way down the other side to the port that housed a good number of massive yachts so big they had mini-yachts for lifeboats! Or helicopters if you wanted to escape in style. We walked up the street from the port to the Musee D'Art Moderne et D'Art Contemporain. Otherwise known as the MAMAC. The outside was being redone, but the inside was filled with unusual and transforming art that surprised, excited, and even revolted us. It was very interesting to see what the definition of "Art" is for some people.

By the time we left we decided it was too late for lunch and that some gelato and an early dinner would suffice. After getting some refreshing coffee flavored gelato, Laura and headed back to the hotel so Laura could relax and I could watch the US - Algeria game. If you watched the game then you know how stressful it was, but when Donovan slotted home the goal in the 91st minute I jumped of the bed, running around the room and preceded to tackle my wife and kiss her all over her face. It was very exciting for me to say the least. I think I even made a fan out of her.

I needed to celebrate, so we went out for dinner to the market were we passed so many great places last night. We looked over many menus, but settled on Nexus Cafe. It stood out because it its bright yellow awning and elaborate table setting. Laura ordered a French version of fettichini alfredo and I ordered rissotto with chicken. Both were phenomenal, but I think Laura ate more of mine than she did of her own. It was my favorite meal, and a fantastic way to end our time in France. Before heading back to the hotel we decided we needed to at least dip our feet into the Mediterranean Sea so we could at least say we had. If you don't know, instead of sand they have smooth, grey pebbles. We took off our shoes and got in up to our ankles. It was a bit chilly, but really nice (pun intended). We even picked up a pebble or two to bring home as a reminder of our wonderful time together in Nice. Tomorrow we leave for Italy and a new adventure!

-Kyle

Thoughts on Today:

1. It doesn't matter what Laura orders, because if its different than yours then she'll have both.

2. Bob Bradley needs to play a 4-2-3-1 with Donovan in a playmaking role so that Altidore isn't stuck holding the ball so long.

3. Je t'aime France! Until next time ...