Before I write anything, a final note to my last post. Even on TGV's the crazy smoking people exist, but they are so nicotine addicted they dont even wait for the stops! I guess there are no smoke alarms in the bathrooms, so the lady sitting in front of us actually went in, lit a smoke (after a 5 minute fidgit attack), and huffed away before coming to sit back down. What a retard. Plus no one actually is staffed on trains so everyone just ignores it and deals with her issues and stench.
That is a common theme in all of europe so far. Cleanliness, pleasent odor, fixing broken items in your commercial establishment... all not part of the culture. Sure, they will carry around an LV purse and wear a D&G belt with Ray-Bans, but pee in the streets, soil up a bathroom, actually have soap in the soap dispenser? non issues.... crazy people!!!!
The problem with Nice though was my stomach attack. It was on full evac after a few big (and really really good) meals in Lyon. We had one of our most fun times with 2 British men on an eating and drinking tour of France for 17 days. So nice to speak english to some people for once in France! They booked their whole trip all based on trip advisor ratings, and we were eating at the #1 rated place in Lyon (le Musee). Was an awesome meal, and even Jess liked it, which is saying something.
In Nice though the first night I just slept, and could barely go outside even to see the water. The next day I still wasnt feeling good, so we went down to the beach and rented comfy loungue chairs on the beach, which conveniently had their own private bathrooms... thank god. We met some crazy aussies that sat beside us, and jess had a lot of fun, but I wish I wasnt sick so i could have partaken. It was a fun night even for me, as we went out with a lot of really nice people from all over. I was sleeping by 12. I bet the aussies were out till 4.
Next day we went to monaco, which was worth it. They were setting up for F1 which has quite an infectious atmosphere. The amount of money involved is just astonishing. You see guys in Canada dress up their 'big rigs' with Chrome or whatever, and you see people with fancy paint jobs on their trailers or whatever, but in F1 they have the biggest, most expensive, nicest painted, cleanest and shiniest semi trucks I have ever seen in my life. And they have 12 of them. Plus youve probably seen rock concerts with speaker boxes and such. Maybe a few truck loads. In F1 they have 12 of them, and there is probably 10 teams, and each box is brand new, and each guy is wearing a fancy brand new team shirt, and on and on and on. Really neat. I was hoping to see some of the cars but they build these special little boxes in the pits around them so you cant see them. I did see a ton of Rolls, lambo, maybach, ferrari, and other in Monaco though. I also am proud to say I got a blackjack in the casino! Pretty big let down though, it was empty and awkwardly quiet. No music, no service unless you ask, and very very small. Maybe at night in my tuxedo it would have been different. Still, I was happy we went and played BJ with carved shirtless children and saintly looking oil painted women watching the action.
Now we are in Venice and its pretty neat! No cars obviously, just lots of walking. Its the first nice hotel we have stayed in though, so its so nice just to relax in a nice place. I'll have to write more about that later!
Ciao!
PS Jess never wrote a post, and in Lyon, at the Parc, they have an African Plain of animals! It was awesome.
