Leaving Nice

We left the Ibis hotel at about 3:15am. It's about a 7 minute walk to terminal 1 at the airport. We then walked to terminal 2, which was about a 20 minute walk.

We took off on KLM to Amsterdam. We are currently in Amsterdam waiting for our KLM flight to Chicago.

The Amsterdam airport is really nice with a lot of shops and is easy to navigate. There is also free wifi

Being Naive

Earlier today when we left the Nice Airport Ibis Hotel, we saw a few people wander around the hotels here dressed like they were ready to go out clubbing. When we returned we saw some more. Then this evening when we went out for a beer, there were more wandering around. Turns out, they were selling a service.

Turns out there's a lot of them around the hotels on the Promenade across from the airport.

I can't believe how long it took us to figure it out. I guess we're a bit naïve to it.

Starting The Trek Home

Vacations always go by way to fast. We started the trek home today. We left the condo at 10am and checked into the Airport Ibis at noon. Although there are several signs for the Ibis, the entrance is extremely hard to find. After we checked into the hotel, we walked along the Promenade and went to a private beach area to have lunch. Then we laid out in the sun until 4pm and headed back to hotel.

Bamboo growing along the Promenade.

Public beach along the Promenade

Public beach along the Promenade

Public beach along the Promenade

Private beach along the Promenade where we had lunch

Private beach along the Promenade where we had lunch

 

Ibis Airport Hotel Room

Ibis Airport Hotel Room

 

Juan Les Pins

When to Juan Les Pins today, which is a little city nestled between Antibes and Cannes. I've read mixed things about it, but I found it to be a very clean and quiet city with lots of shopping. There were public and private beaches. I know I've read on the net that people have said there are no public beaches, but that is not correct.

One of the public beaches

France Says No To Toddlers & Tiaras

Another current topic in France involves the banning of child beauty pageants. Anyone who has watched the TLC series called Toddlers & Tiaras, may cringe a little as parents dress up their daughters (and sons) to look years beyond their age for beauty pageants. These type of child beauty pageants will now be banned in France. I think the ban on child beauty pageants is a good idea.

http://www.france24.com/en/20130918-french-senate-votes-ban-sexualised-child-beauty-pageants


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Self Defense And A Shooting In Nice, France

A self defense case is dominating the news in Nice, France, along with protest in support of the shooter.

A Nice Jewelry store owner named Stephan Turk was apparently beaten and robbed at gun point by two youths carrying shotguns. As the youths fled the jewelry store on scooters, Turk shot one of the youths in back, killing him. The youth was identified as 19 year old Anthony Asli

Stephan Turk has been charged with murder.

A lot of the finite details of the shooting are not clear. Anthony Asli sister said the gun Anthony was using to commit the robbery was fake. How would she know that?

Here's few news articles about it:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2013/09/the-jeweller-and-his-gun-a-shooting-divides-france.html

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/18/france-tony-martin-self-defence

http://www.france24.com/en/20130917-french-jeweler-who-shot-thief-becomes-online-hero-nice-france

Cannes, France

Went to Cannes, France today. Did some shopping and then relaxed on the beach for a while. There was a big Poker tournament at the Casino, with live TV cameras.

While on the beach, I was talking to the woman next to me, and she was there with her son (about 4 years old) and a Nanny. She had just ordered lunch for all three when her son ran towards the beach. They both took off for him, and as soon as they did that, about 12 seagulls dived for their food. It looked like a scene from the movie The Birds.

 

Could I be any more relaxed on the beach?

Giant Beer Tubes

We saw these kids, I suppose they are in there early 20's, order these two giant beer tubes. I've never seen beer tubes like this before. I doubt they'll be able to walk real well if they empty the beer tubes :-)

Night Shots Around Nice With A Nokia 808

A few night shots I took around Nice with a Nokia 808

9/18/2013 San Remo, Italy

For the second part of our Italian journey we took the train from Ventimiglia Italy to San Remo, Italy. The odd thing about San Remo was all the beaches we found were private beaches. We couldn't find any public beaches. Another odd thing about San Remo is the train station. It's underground and it's like a quarter mile walk to get out of the train station.