Daily prompt: Nice is as nice does

Tags

Nice, nice things, people, postaday2014

Tell us about the nicest thing you’ve ever done.

How does one rate niceness on a scale from one to ten? What one person thinks is nice gesture could be something that is part of the everyday for someone else. I have done nice things for others as everyone has done, and as I think about it, I am not sure what the point is to specify which nice thing was the nicest.

I know that I like doing nice things for others, not only because I like making others happy, but it makes me feel good, not about myself necessarily, but good and happy in general. I suppose that nice acts release those happy chemicals in the brain and so not only does the recipient benefit from niceness but the giver does as well.

Whenever I bake for my friends and family, that would rate as a nice thing, or doing someone a favor without requiring a favor in return, or spontaneously surprising someone with help, all these acts are nice and I have done them at one point or another.

Being nice is nice in and of itself which is why I don’t understand why it doesn’t happen much more often between human beings. The simple act of telling someone who has helped you or interacted with you in some way “have a great day” is the easiest thing to do in the world and it doesn’t cost you anything, but it must not happen that often because I have noticed that when I say it to people, I often see the surprise in their eyes after the words register with them.

Perhaps it is because our lives have gotten faster and busier that asking someone how their day is going has become such a rarity that when I do it, many people perk up and smile and I can tell that I have touched them in a nice way and that makes me happy, I love taking the time to wish people great days, it is important and so very easy. It shows people that you see them.

I think that everyone wants to be seen and heard, not overlooked all of the time in the hustle and bustle of the daily grind. We need to remember that we are all here on the planet together, so why not stop and say hi how are you and then good bye and have a great day. It’s a nice thing.

Scenes of Nice

Tags

architecture, France, Nice, pictures, postaday2012, tourists, travel

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As I sit here in my room listening to the rain falling down, soaking my garden below, which needs it very much I might add, it is almost hard to believe that I was walking through the streets of Nice less than a month ago. It has been feeling a little like autumn these past few days, the nights are definitely cool and so it is hard to inhabit the Laurie who was perspiring all day and all night in the South of France, to correctly describe the feeling I had while I was taking those pictures.

It was glorious, the views from up on the Colline were breathtaking, the Chateau was of the time before France was consolidated into one country as it is known today. Nice had been a bone of contention between the French and the Italians, Nice is so very close to the Italian border, the restaurants are either French or Italian or both. Either way, the bounty from the sea and the produce from the hills makes for a cornucopia of delicious food regardless of the culinary influence.

The baby girl and I preferred walking around old Nice rather than new Nice. Old Nice has the historical feel due to the twists and turns of small narrow streets built long ago. New Nice has wider streets, perfect for pedestrians to flit from side to side browsing the many boutiques.

I didn’t think of taking any pictures of the Tram which flowed its sleek body through the Place Massena, I can’t remember why, but the Tram fit in beautifully despite being a sleek 21st century design, amidst old monuments and buildings. It is reminiscent of how the good civic planners designed the Tram in Bordeaux, making use of modern design to accentuate the beauty of  the past.

All in all I am happy that I made the decision to visit Nice with the baby girl, it served well as the stepping stone to Monaco and to my old friend’s house in Mandelieu. It is also a beautiful city right there on the beach of the Mediterranean, how can a summer visit get better than that? It can be done, but how? A challenge perhaps for the next trip.

Thoughts on Nice

Tags

hotel, Nice, postaday2012, sightseeing, travel

The train ride from Carcassonne was hard. We were already hot from visiting the old city and when the train arrived at the station it was already packed, so lugging our bags through two train cars until we found our seats was a trial. The train car was air conditioned but with the cumulative affect of body heat and 95 degree weather I was sweating profusely and once I get hot, my body is like a furnace, it takes forever for the inner core to cool down. I had kept the tourist map of Carcassonne in my bag and it worked beautifully as a fan. The train ride wasn’t direct, we had to change trains at Marseille and we only had a half hour waiting time between trains which is great if the first one arrives on time. Ours didn’t, so as we watched our connection leave without us, we lugged our bags off the train and through the cavernous terminal of the famous Gare de Marseille. I was going to see about exchanging our tickets at the ticket counter when I spied on the Departure Board, a train heading to Nice-Ville leaving at 20:30 on Track D, I turned and told baby girl to follow me. Without too much added stress, we arrived at Nice around 23:30 exhausted and hot and determined to get a taxi.

We got a taxi but it wasn’t easy, we encountered our first shickster. He told me that taxi’s had a minimum distance they had to travel and my hotel wasn’t far enough. By this time my brain was fried, my body was crying internally for a bed and I said I’ll give you 20 euros to take us to our hotel. We got to the hotel five minutes later and it was 20 euros well spent. Yesterday I walked to the station to get tickets to Arles for Tuesday and there was no way in this universe that we could have lugged our baggages to the hotel.

Our hotel, Hotel des Cigales, is fantastic. I highly recommend it. It is in a great location, three streets away from the Promenade des Anglais and the sea and five minutes walking distance from the open air marche and Vieux Nice, old Nice. The breakfast here at the hotel is really nice, they offer choices of savory things like cured meats, eggs and cheeses or croissants, fresh bread, cereal, fruit and yogurt. The staff is very friendly and helpful as well. The rooms are well air-conditioned and there is free wifi. What more can you ask for?

Nice is interesting, as we walk along all the charming streets, the baby girl and I are hearing every language except French. There are the Scandinavians roaming in full force the streets of Nice, joining them are visitors from Eastern Europe and Russia and don’t forget the Italians, they love Nice. It is strange not to hear French when you are ordering an ice cream cone even though you are surrounded by people. I imagine Nice in September is a vastly different city when everyone goes back home and back to work. The prices here are very expensive, I shouldn’t be surprised, it is a city surviving on the tourist trade, but I was a little shocked paying 42 euros for two salads, granted they were a Cobb salad and a Nicoise salad, a coke, a Perrier and a bottle of Vittel. It is a grand city and the architecture is stunning, very majestic, I especially love the musician’s quarter. They call it that because all the streets are named after the greats; Rossinni, Mozart, Vivaldi and etc. I would call the architecture classic, I’m not versed in the school of architecture, I just know what is pleasing to my eyes and that quarter has caught my eyes.

There is a reason why they say Nice is nice.