Nice is famous for its Promenade de Anglais with 7 kms of beach alongside.  The “sand” is actually small pebbles.  We watched some people walking or trying to walk on the beach.  A few were smart and had slip ons to protect their feet.  It was August and the beaches were packed.  Beach umbrellas, chairs lined the beaches.  To sit on the chairs and have an umbrella was at a cost.  So many sat on their towels.

The French Riviera – Nice

There were private beaches and even a non smoking beach.

As we approached the Promenade the color of the water  hit us with its electric blue.  Azure blue – picture a postcard and that’s what we saw.  No enhancement or filter what you see on the postcard we saw in real life.  We stood and watched all the activities on the beach. Parasailing was very popular.  People were lining up to be swept above the blue waters of the Bay of Angels.  I think it is safe to say that both Muriel and I were very happy to watch them but not join them 🙂 It sure looked like fun from the safety of the Promenade.

After an hour or two of watching the never-ending line up of people get ready, be taken up in the air and then coming back in, we decided to walk further along the promenade.  We saw quite a few soldiers walking with guns held across their bodies.  The French are very aware of the possibility of terrorism.  Back in July 2016 on Bastille Day a truck was deliberately driven into the crowd along the same promenade we were walking on.  86 people were killed and many more injured.  Some of our tour group that we were on last year had gone through Nice the day after the attacks.  I think they might be counting their lucky stars on missing the attack by 1 day.

We saw a lovely park opposite the promenade and decided we would walk through the park to the main part of town for a drink.  As we crossed the road I looked further down the road and saw a little white train.  I said to Muriel lets go and see where it takes us.

To be continued: