First Night in Nice

Even after the long travelling day there was no staying in and resting for me. From what I had seen on the train and tram rides, there is far too much beauty in the city to sit in the hostel and rest. I gather my stuff and am sure to grab my camera and get on the tram to the center of “old city” . The doors to the tram open and I enter the center of a plaza surrounded by surreal neon glowing budhas sitting in Namaste like positions above the plaza skyline, overlooking Nice. In the very center of the plaza lie a huge fountain and to the side a set of six smaller playful fountains. The water seems to frolic in and out of the glistening lights of the city’s center. The movie scene unravels before my eyes, the further I walk the smaller the streets get. People hug the crumbling stone coated in ivory to avoid the whizzing of mopeds on what now appears to me a sidewalk but is in fact a street. The small angles of building corners and windy roads laugh at the American grid system. Restaurants find it unnecessary to seat guests inside when there is obviously plenty of room in the streets. Walking past the luxery of fine French cuisine my stomach pleads. I keep my stingy self in line, seeing as I lack a real job. I remind myself luxury will come in my 40’s, for now I will settle with the adventure of living on a dime. Instead I choose from the missions of cafes selling ham and cheese baguettes. A French favorite.


Crawling into bed amongst 14 strangers could be awkward but there is an understanding between all of us travelers, a likeness of personality that can’t resist the adventure of travel. I fall soundly asleep within a few seconds of my head hitting my pillow. Suddenly I am awoken by the slamming of the door. The lights flick on for her convenience. She proceeds to unpack her entire pack full of cheap nylon that makes that oh so wonderful sound when it is rubbed together. A suite case full of rain jackets? What else could make that much noise. After a half hour of that, she catapults into the bunk above me almost knocking the entire bed over…a running start? How could she have not seen ladder? Then she settles down, with the lights on, to read her lonely planet apparently oblivious of the 14 others that attempt to sleep. I eventually fall back asleep. And shockingly am awoken again..rather than unpacking, she is packing. It is still dark out and I am completely unaware of what time it could possibly be. Needless to say I fall back asleep.