Days 5 & 6, last day in Paris, train to Nice

Day 5 - last day in Paris

Well we were a bit tuckered out after our last day in Paris and had plans to update our blog on the train to Nice today, but alas, no wi-fi.  Bit of a disappointment.  So here it is Saturday morning in Nice.  We've headed to the semi-deserted market for some fresh produce and a coffee and croissant and while Damien makes his breakfast (which today is eggs, mushroom and cheese to be wrapped in a buckwheat crepe), I am scribbling down the last couple of days' events.

So, Friday was our last day in Paris; what to do?  We had a bit of a sleep-in then headed to the Latin Quarter.  On the way we lingered around Notre Dame and its surrounding gardens, which are quite lovely.

Damien artfully framed at Notre Dame

Charging posts for electric cars.  Not an uncommon sight.  Most of the cars of course are tiny and when they park (we observed a driver parking by touch yesterday) they're lucky if leave about 6 cm each end.  How they drive out I do not know!

And on to The Latin Quarter. This area is generally held to be the more bohemian part of Paris; here you will find the Sorbonne (although it actually no longer exists; it is the University of Paris and many campuses) with lots of students lounging in the square near the Pantheon (see pics below), wondering the streets in funny costumes (much like home) and the feeling that all the grown ups earnestly talking over lunch are probably academics.  They may be shop assistants for all I know - everyone in Paris is so darn chic!

We spent the large part of our time in the Latin Quarter in the Pantheon.  Originally a church dedicated to the memory of St Geneveive, who, in the 400's saved France from the advance of Attila's  Huns  by prayer!  Soon after the French revolution it was transformed into a place to remember great men (ahem).  Geneveive is also heavily featured in the very large murals in the Pantheon.

So the crypt contains many of the great people of France. It is quite stunning inside, with the upstairs area featuring the beautiful Dome of the Pantheon from which is strung Foucault's Pendulum:

A stolen shot of the inside

Then down into the crypt to see the tombs of various famous French (sorry about the line)

Voltaire

Rousseau

Victor Hugo

Louis Braille

Marie and Pierre Curie

Other buildings around the square: Law Faculty

Town Hall of the 5th Orrondissement

Of course lunch came around and on the way to finding it we looked at beautifully presented food and quaint shops.

Great slabs of marshmallow!

A shop for the artistes we know and love

Star Wars shop for another known and loved

Lego for ditto

Lunch was delish ...

Steak of some kind

Burrata on eggplant with little roasted tomatoes and simple salad

We walked home, changed and headed off to where I had booked dinner.  It was a lovely little restaurant, L'Ange 20, which did not disappoint.  We were seated next to a couple from Amsterdam (so close we had to chat, which was fine, they were nice guys, very interesting, just hope we didn't crash their romantic dinner - I just head to lean slightly to my left for the photo!) and headed home and to bed, ready for an early morning of packing then train travel.

Day 6 Paris - Nice

Packed and Ubered to Gare Lyon with plenty of time to board with our picnic food and wine our train departed at 10:19.  

Gare de Lyon station (the stations are incredible!)

The scenery soon changed from built up city to green rolling hills, dotted with gorgeous stone villages and church spires.  Plenty of "wow" moments.  As soon as we hit the coast the architecture changed drastically.  Red spanish style roof tiles everywhere.

It took a fraction of the journey to get from Paris to the South of France (we hit the coast and beautiful sea views at Marseilles before briefly heading inland again) and we were quite dubious the journey would be the scheduled 6 hours, but from then on it slowed, stopping more frequently and we pulled in to Nice at 4:01 (per the timetable!)

We checked in to our apartment and hit the streets of the old town.  It's a rabbit warren of laneways: 

restaurants, bars, shops etc.  Really fun to stroll.  We ate at a quirky place called Chez Juliette.  It was OK.   We had a glace and strolled home.  

We have a double bed ... I know that was the size of all beds in the old days but when it also tends to be higher on the edges than the middle it feels even smaller!

A stolen Nice Old Town laneway shot.  We were there at night.

The glace shop

We've risen and eaten and the rains have descended.  We will venture out anyway and check in tomorrow probably.  Hugs to all xxx