Biking along the French Riviera

Simon took a time lapse video of our bike ride from Nice out past the airport. We brought our suits so we could take a dip on a free beach, since our hotel was in an expensive area.

Those hills in the distance surround the main part of the city.

Schoepfer!

The cheese and wine in France was delicious and cheap. We enjoyed baguettes and cheese plates each day on our patio.













I'm not sure how my good friend Katie Schoepf is involved, but this photo proves she had something to do with it. Thanks Katie!

Dinner at La Merenda

The front door of La Merenda is a bit intimidating when you come to it in the morning to make a reservation - a beaded doorway with cool darkness behind it. Bravely, I stepped inside and asked for a place for the evening, and chose to have dinner at neuve heures (9 pm).

After the waiter managed to stop me from walking all over his freshly cleaned floor, he put us down for dinner, and I walked home feeling victorious.










That night we returned and were seated at a tiny table. The room could accommodate 25 people, and it was packed.

At the back of the room is an open, tiny kitchen where you can see the chef at work. He left a top notch restaurant at Nice's famous Hotel Negresco to cook Nicoise fare for the knowing few.

















A blackboard menu with the night's specials is brought to your table. The waiter gives you a few minutes, and then returns to take your order. He then takes the blackboard and places it on the next table.


When we sat down in the restaurant, the smell of delicious beef reminded Simon and me of arriving at my grandma's ranch in Montana and being served the most local of roast beef dinners. The homey smells were welcoming and delicious, and it made me proud to think of all the delicious meals my grandma had prepared for her guests. Had our chef made his way to her table, he would have been blessed as we were by his wonderful cooking.


As starters, we ordered an onion tart and the sardines. The sardines were stuffed with garlic and bread crumbs and were the best either of us had ever had. The tart was a local specialty, done beautifully.

For our entree, we both wanted an entire order of Daube de Boeuf a la provencale (Beef Stew with Provencal flavors), but decided to get the Andoillette (sausage with lentils) so we could try 2 things. Both were amazing, but there was not enough daube de boeuf to please us both. It melted in our mouths, the tomato and olive flavors a revelation.

Simon went with the fromage for dessert and received a lovely piece of cheese covered in spicy honey. I could not pass up the beautiful gateau aux cerises (cherry cake) I'd seen at other tables, and it was spectacular!


If you are ever in Nice, do not pass up the chance to dine at La Merenda. Our meal with coffee and wine was $40 pp. The actual address is 4 rue Raoul Bosio.

Finding La Merenda

The New York Times and various other travel websites raved about a chef-driven local cuisine hole in the wall called La Merenda in Nice. The restaurant doesn't have a phone, so the only way to go is to stop by in the morning and get your name on the list. Luckily for Simon, I don't value sleep over morning errands, but I thought I'd scope out the place before heading out the next morning to get us on the list.

Simon settled in for another full day of soccer, and I put on pretty sandals and a dress and headed to where google said La Merenda was located. I'd read that it was in an obscure place, and the address did seem far flung, but it was doable by tram, I thought. It looked to be about 10 blocks from the tram stop.


Turned out, it was 10 blocks UP from the train stop. My map did not lead me astray, but I had to climb ramps and steps and hills, on and on and on.


Every time I turned around, the vistas were breathtaking, so I carried on. I could hear forks on plates and saw families gathered around tables in their yards.













I got to the point I'd marked on the map, and there was no restaurant, only forest high above the city and a gorgeous sunset.






My feet were killing me by the time I made it back to the tram station 3 hours later, but the sunset vistas were worth it.





















































The next day, after a more thorough google search, I walked to straight to the actual address of La Merenda, about 8 minutes from our hotel, and got on the list.

Moon Rising in Nice

Panorama from our Balcony in Nice

Our balcony in Nice faced east, so we got half of the city view and half of the sea view. Also, when they set off fireworks to celebrate the end of the Ironman Triathlon, our view included fireworks!

Paragliding near our balcony in Nice

Paragliding was a popular recreation in the Cote d'azur. We did not indulge, but we observed with binoculars and took this short video.