Nice stay assessed

We are leaving on Friday and generally speaking it’s gone well.

Inevitably there are hiccoughs.

The boiler in the flat packed up this week, depriving of us of hot water for 24 hours until the grumpy concierge repaired it; the weather improved this week but the crowds mounting the staircase to the château increased – the stairway is just by out flat so noise levels increased too and one cheeky tourist asked whether he could join us for coffee.

The USP of the flat is the double balcony with its breathtaking views over Nice.

We take some persuading to leave there.

Bob had left some important medication at home so his p/a Polly brought it out.

She was rewarded with lunch at the Colombe d’Or yesterday.

Bob reported that – except for fatty lamb cutlets – it was its normal high standard and all the better on the terrace for the hot weather.

Walking in Nice is not that agreeable.

Apart from the normal metropolitan problems of people on mobiles walking into you and e-scooters, the pavements in the Old Town are narrow and you must be aware of inconsiderate drivers at all times.

The policy at pedestrian crossings seem to be who gets there first has the right and the particular risk is the motorist approaching it by filter.

The Promenade des Anglais is wide but crowded too. In almost every shop the assistant gets on with whatever he/she is doing before serving you.

Against this the crescent of the azure bay is gorgeous and the produce in the market much better than any English supermarket.

We feel we have ‘done’ Nice in terms of seeing everything but this means we can do what we enjoy best – chilling out on the balcony with a glass of chilled rosé and a punnet of superb strawberries.