There’s a French restaurant in Albany called Nizza Bella and I often wondered why it had an Italian name. Now I know. Nizza is the Italian rendition of Nice. Although it’s most definitely France, Nice is only about 50 km from Italy and much Italian influence about including pizzerias on about every corner.
Driving on Sunday from Cecina di Mare was a good idea because there was no truck traffic to contend with. I finally found my hotel, the Meurice, just off the Promenade des Anglais, the broad boulevard that circles the Nice beach front. It’s also the center of town. This major city actually sits right on the beach and people stroll the promenade which is lined with grand-looking hotels.
I did some wandering around and found the town delightful. A nice pedestrian-only zone exists near my hotel but steps away are all the major French shopping stores and many boutiques. After a needed nap, I explored for a while and settled on a seafood restaurant where the fresh fish including shellfish made up the entire menu. The oysters were briny and the sole cooked whole then fileted at my table. Quite expensive. In fact, Nice is much more expensive than Italy.
Today I spent at the beach. It was really grand. The water was refreshing and clear so I really enjoyed two separate swims. Lunch at the beach-side restaurant completed the afternoon. For the evening, I’d planned a last Michelin dinner at a port-side restaurant Journi Atelier du Gout. I walked through the amazing old town along the port and soon realized that while it was beautiful, it was also much further than I’d thought. I arrived rather perspired but soon cooled as I sat on the balcony overlooking the beautiful harbor and cityscape.
The dinner stared well with an interesting amuse bouche of chilled carrot-cardamom soup. The salad, described as crudites was wonderful. But I fell for the “americans like lobster” trap and order the special which was only described as langoustines. Unfortunately, the dish seemed to have been prepared in a different kitchen altogether. The lobster was fine but it was served atop a mass of uninspired and boring pasta with red sauce. I barely ate three bites.
Skipped dessert and asked for a cab. It came. I couldn’t see the meter but when we arrived at my hotel about 15 minutes later, the cabbie said “26 euro.” I couldn’t believe it but was in no mood to challenge him. So, my “big night” in Nizza Bella did not end so well. At least the robbery was only figurative. Tomorrow a couple of museums and on to London.
