So another couple days in Nice...

So I can't seem to leave the blue waters of Nice behind! I've extended my stay twice...once because I wanted another day to fit in St. Paul de Vence that is nearby and again because...well, I just wanted to! :) The trains to Spain have posed a bit of problem...all of them require long travel times and connections. But we'll see...I needed another day to figure it out, and of course, ya know, lie on the beach while doing that!

I really won't regret staying here this long either...it has truly been a relaxing time and I've met many great people during my stay. Last I wrote I was heading to the Alps for the day but those plans changed a bit.

When I took my night train from Paris, I used my Eurail Pass....you are supposed to write in the current date before you board the train so the ticket agent can just stamp it as they go by. Well because I had to make that 1.50 reservation, the ticket agent stamped the reservation card and NOT my Eurail pass! So the 03/26 I wrote for that day of travel could eeeeeeeasily be turned into a 03/28 and give me another day of travel! ;) I didn't come up with this idea though....Steven and Kate whom I met in Amsterdam gave me the idea. Their logic was "if they don't check it, you should still be able to utilize that travel day!"....and since I only have 10 days of travel within two months on the pass, I thought so too :) So that 03/28 gave me a free day of travel to Cannes and Antibes which are just a short trip from Nice....they never checked my pass on that trip either.

I went all the way to Cannes first and worked my way back through Antibes. Cannes is where the international film festival is held in May so you can imagine how posh and beautiful it is. There isn't too much to do there besides walk around but since it's right on the water, who can complain? I saw where the film festival is held...took a picture on the red carpet! They also had an Allee des Etoiles where all the stars had imprinted their hands in the sidewalk throughout the years. Of course I put my hands in a few...ya know, Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, Julie Andrews, etc. Always star struck :) Anyways, the palm trees and beach were great to just wander through and enjoy the nice weather. I had to wait awhile for a train to Antibes and when I got there, wished I had budgeted more time for it! It was a walled village right on the ocean...you could walk along the sea walls and then wander through the village and shops inside. I'm sure I took 1,000 pictures between Cannes and Antibes but I just wanted to capture the views I was seeing! The camera doesn't do it justice though....just like everywhere else! I found an English bookstore in Antibes and had to curb this craving I've had since England....I bought the 5th Harry Potter book. Haha I have it at home but had already gone through my other books sooooo thought I'd just do it. Can't believe how big of a dork I am....:)

So I hung out with everyone back at the hostel that night...we all made the plan to head to the Alps the next day (this time for sure). I had to checkout and checkin again the next day since I had extended my stay. But they are so accomodating here...always offer to hold our luggage and make sure you have a meal before you head out anywhere, I love it. A group of us headed to downtown Nice and caught the bus to St. Paul de Vence. BUT to my dismay....we didn't head towards the snowy Alps!! It was another village surrounding an enormous church that loomed over this valley of houses and farms. I was a little "villaged out" after Eze and Antibes but it was still a great afternoon with everyone and very quiet, and relaxing as well. It also offered another amazing view of the mountains, countryside, and Mediterranean Sea. So I can't complain since it was just a euro :) Took the bus back to Nice later in the afternoon and headed down to the beach to read for awhile. Fell asleep for a bit and woke up to the sun setting on the beach.....ahhhhh so pretty!! It had started to cool off a bit was such a beautiful sight to wake up to. Headed back along the market and slowly made my way back to the hostel. Made dinner and hung out with everyone for the night...met a few people from Canada, Australia, and Germany. It was a great night and I was glad with my decision to stay another 2 nights.

Today is a "Sally" day and I'm just going to lay on the beach and read all day! Soak up some sun too :) I feel like I've seen most of the sights I had wanted to, in and around Nice, so I'm okay with a relaxing day...plan things for tomorrow. I have decided to make Seville my base in Spain and do daytrips from there...to Granada, Cordoba, and more of Southern Spain. Hope to stop in Madrid or Barcelona first but I don't feel too attached to those places...may just travel through. Have to stay with this warm weather somehow :)