NICE: Notre Dame Cathedral; Russian Orthodox Cathedral; Henri Matisse Museum; Dinner at la Voglia!

Our morning started with café au lait, but we were bewildered with the pint size croissants that came to the table today. Ron actually said, "No merci", and sent them back. I thought perhaps something had gone wrong with the proofing of the pastry dough!

I must say, we have had some interesting moments when it comes to communication. It seems that some of the French don't like to admit they speak English. This is fine except when they work in the tourist offices. Yesterday, Ron asked the lady behind the glass, "Parlez vous Anglais?" "Non!" she replied. Ron proceeded to ask her a question in English anyway. She answered, "Oh, you just go around the corner, down the street...!" Ron replied, "Merci, bonne journee!" I have posted lots of market pictures in this blog, but I can't help posting another when it comes to something a little on the unusual side, Here is a magnificent display of candied fruit at the market this morning:

We decided to walk to the famous Cathedral Russe (Russian Cathedral) this morning. On our way, we walked by the gothic Basilique Notre Dame de l'Assomption, so of course we stopped in. It was built in 1864 and took 4 years. It is known for its imposing twin towers and vibrant stained glass. I am disappointed that my camera could not capture the beauty of the stained glass, but this picture gives an idea of the interior:

We carried on towards the Russian Cathedral. This took about 50 minutes to walk, but it was such a pleasant morning, and the streets were fairly quiet. This Russian cathedral is recognized as a national monument of France. The cathedral was built for the hundreds of wealthy Russian families who liked to winter in Nice in the late 19th century (following in the footsteps of the English upper class). Since they were not Catholic, they needed a worthy Orthodox house of worship. The cathedral was opened in 1912 and it is full of fascinating icons and colours:

We left the church, and saw a variety of beautiful vegetation in the nearby neighborhood:

We passed by a lady selling Socca (a chick pea flour crepe) at a little booth. Apparently this is a food that originated in Genoa, Italy and later became a typical food of the Ligurian Sea, from Nice to Elba Island. It is a specialty of southwestern French cuisine, particulary in and around Nice. So, we bought a serving for 3 euro and tried it. It had a different taste, and we both found it a bit too salty, but it was fun to try. I think it need jam or something...

Our next stop of the day was at the 'Musee Matisse'. The gallery contains a large collection of Henri Matisse paintings, drawings, collages, sculptures, and lithographs. The style of his work was influenced by the Mediterranean light and also by other artists who lived in the area - Pablo Picasso, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. This art is not everyone's cup of tea, but it's interesting to see how his style developed over time. Henri Matisse, who died in Nice in 1954, had a fascinating life story! Here is a portrait of Madame Matisse, done in 1905.

Here is another of his most famous works. You can see Ron standing in the front. This gives you an idea of the scale. I snapped this photo as the security guard sternly said, "No Madame!"

After this, we went into the nearby Musee D'Archeologie De Nice, even though we have seen a lot of ruins in our travels over the years! More proof the Romans were everywhere. By this point, we were quite tired and decided to hop a bus back to our apartment for a bit of a break. Look at these dangerous high heels:

This lady also carried a large, red Prada handbag. She proceeded to tell Ron and I she wasn't used to taking the bus (Who cares?) When we got off the bus, we saw a brilliant pastry shop where there was quite the selection of macaroons for 1,20 euro. We bought two, so we could eat them right away. One was praline and one was coffee flavor. As well, we picked up two fabulous desserts for later.

We are trying to take in as much of the Promenade as we can while we are in this beautiful area - the Cote d'Azur. We went for a long walk enjoying the sun and the beauty of the water. There were people walking, running, skateboarding, bike riding, all loving the beauty, just as we were. After walking, we found two chairs very close to the water and sat for quite awhile watching the waves roll in.

Soon it was time for dinner. We went to a restaurant that our landlord recommended called 'la Voglia'. I had a vegetable antipasta meal, Ron ordered the 'Spaghetti aux Fruits de Mer', (seafood spaghetti). Both meals were spectacular to look at and delicious as well.

After dinner we walked over to Place Massena to see the seven figures designed by Jaume Plensa specifically for this area. These seven figures represent the different continents. At night, soft variations in colour, symbolize the dialogue between the communities making up our society. They invite passers-by to look up and rediscover the sky of Nice! (Zoom in to see their beauty!) They are amazing to look at, as well as very unusual.

Today was a great day. Tomorrow is our last day in Nice. How fast these days have gone... Bonsoir, Karen