Nice

Up Tuesday morning for breakfast, and a quick walk around before we head out to Nice. Gotta say, Marseille on a regular business day feels very different. What looked like an abandoned warehouse yesterday is a Levi's store today. We didn't know we were right around the corner from a big multi level mall. Casey had to buy some new shoes his feet were really causing him grief. Head out to Go Sport, Europes version of Sport Check.

We're pretty done with Marseille at this poing. Experienced it, but did not enjoy it. Ready to head out. Load up, walk the 10 minutes to the trains station, validate our tickets and we're off. As intenet savvy as we are, it doesnt't cease to amaze me that we can buy train tickets for Europe at home, they're shipped to use FedEx in two days, we show up in Europe, scan them on their machines and the bar code is recognized. We've never had a problem. Technology, it's nifty.

2.5 hours to Nice. Nice ride in a newer train...view of the ocean and country side all the way.

While on the train we met Mataise and Gaìa (pronounced guy-ya) They are 4 and 6, speak French and Italian, no English. They're travelling only with their mom, and she's a bit overwhelmed trying to wrangle the two of them with no seats left. We are sitting in four seats, two seats on each side facing each other. We, like everyone else, were in no real rush to move over. They're a bit close together and you end up touching knees with the stranger across the way. We're spread out and planning a nice ride, maybe a nap and reading. But we feel sorry for her when she finally finds only two seats, put the kids in them, then stands behind. Not sure where she plans to get off, but if she's going all the way to Nice, she can't do that for 2.5 hours. So I signal for her to come sit with us. We then spend the next couple hours playing with the kids. 4 & 6 year olds are the same no matter then language they speak. They like to draw, play video games on your blackberry, pretend that a box is everything from a space ship to a garage to a race track. They have grubby hands, smell like outside and are amazed by magic tricks.

About 20 minutes into our time wit Mataise and Gaia, Casey is talking to Mataise with limited but decent French. This conversation is in French of course, and Mataise looks an awful lot like the kid off Stewart Little, complete with the round glasses.

Casey - What's your name?

'Mataise'

Mataise?

Oui

I'm Casey

Que....what?

Casey

Mataise then gives him a very distinct look that says...'Whatever dude, that is not a name.'

Siblings are also the same in Italian French, or any other language. Being 6, Gaia caught on to the game I showed her on my Blackberry. Mataise was getting frusterated that it was his turn and she was no remembering, conveniently, that is was his turn. So we work out that he wants to play next. Gaia then spend all her time instructing him, and he spend all his time purposely doing it wrong so she will be irritated with him. Then momo tells her to leave him alone, he gives her a 'ha ha, go away' look and she give him a 'buzz off you're dumb' look.

We all got off in Nice, and continued on our journeys.

In Nice we are staying two nights at a hostel, our first experience. This turns out to be a regular type home for those of Europe, apartment building that is cold and stone, couple floors up, all tile. Brigette is our hostess. Though she's listed on the Hostel World website, it's actually her home that she rents out rooms. Shared bathroom, but that's fine because we never saw the other people. We're right next to the train track, but a train strike means that it's pretty quiet at night.

As always we head out to get our bearings, find the major streets and subway system...walk around and get a feel for it all. Nice is way more touristy than Marseille, we feel very comfortable here. Unfortunately we started by accidently leaving Casey's new jacket on a railing, and it was not there when we returned. Some guy has very nice, very new jacket.

Nice is right on the ocean and has a 4 mile beach, which is rocky but beautiful. A long boardwalk all the way along, we enjoyed some time there and a fantastic dinner in a side cafe off the main area on the way home.