Bon jour, mes amies,
I am shameless. I walk into department stores or places like Sephora and help myself to squirts of expensive perfume. This time it was the latest from Hermes--Jardin de Something or Other. It's nice, too. A bit spicy. A bit citrusy.
Let me settle into my apero, which I earned today. I am having some nuts brought from home along with the rose.
You get a little more tourist action today, but there was a giant thunderstorm last night and hard rain. Today was ok. I'm cautiously optimistic about tomorrow, but the weather outlook over all is not looking good. Before I arrived Nice was in drought, so I must have brought the California Drought Busting vibes with me.
It's still chilly and a bit drippy, but layers sufficed today and a lot of walking kept me warm. I could have trammed or bussed to my target and if the weather had turned nasty or I was feeling as chilled as I did yesterday, I would have taken public transportation, but it was ok. I set off down my pedestrianized street and did some comparison shopping for postcards. Ha! I found a cheap source and got some for half the price others were asking. Later I popped into the main post office in Nice (La Poste also acts as a bank) and bought stamps. Here's my method. I display my postcards and say, "Je voudrais dix timbres pour ce cartes postales a Les Etats Unis." I hold up ten fingers. The kindly postal clerks get the message even with my deplorable accent.
Two friends of mine, who are familiar with Nice and know of my interest in Art History insisted that I go see the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Nicholas. Among the people who came to play on the Cote d'Azure were Russian aristocrats, and of course they brought their entourages, and various other Russians came along to work in the area. In the early Twentieth Century this church was built for them by Tsar Nicholas II himself, and is evidently the largest Russian Orthodox Church outside of Russia. It is spectacular!
It's set in a small park with a cafe, and there was an unexpected bonus. Bunny Rabbits. Oui. Lapins. So cute and furry. Tame, too. One of them let me pet it and stroke its ears.
The church itself is a central plan affair with the usual arrangement of onion domes--one large one surrounded by four smaller ones. Designs and images of saints decorate the exterior. The interior is dim, but very beautiful. A large iconostasis covers the wall by the altar. I saw some icons that looked old and very precious. This is a living church and no mere tourist attraction, so there are no labels for the visitor.
At certain times of day Nice smells like food--and it's a good smell, starting around 11:30 when people might start thinking of lunch or a snack. My walk took me past bakeries, and a lot of candy stores. A few hardy and well-wrapped souls braved the outdoor terraces of cafes and restaurants.
The beggars were back out as well. A few days ago I gave some money to a bent over crippled old lady, mostly because I don't want to end up that way. Most beggars seem to be able bodied immigrant women, and I ignore them. One guy I could not believe. I wanted to say to him, "Honey, if you are soliciting money from strangers, don't be talking on your cell phone." This seems like a supremely boring and uncertain way to make a living.
A demain
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