As is to be expected when visiting the French Riviera, Nice (pronounced like “niece”) was well, really nice. One week into our tour we were thrilled to have a completely guided activity-free day to catch up on sleep, do laundry, and explore on our own.
Sadly Windsor was sick (note to all collegiettes™: pack a mini pharmacy when you travel abroad on a Contiki trip… explaining your symptoms in a foreign language=less than fun) so Brittany and I had a proper girl date on the beach in the morning.
In typical, cough, American, cough, tourist fashion we put on some snazzy sneakers, dusted off our gym clothes, and hit the beach. With wide lines for walking and jogging, cycling and rollerblading, the boardwalk in Nice has something for everyone.
The perfectly clear azure water proved to be the ideal backdrop for our favorite activity–people watching. Pretending to be taking shots of the pristine beach we snapped away, taking pictures of our personal favorites, including dogs, elderly couples, and incredibly well-dressed foreign children. Don’t act like you wouldn’t have done the same thing…
With the stalking session of the century behind us we hit the sea wall, power-jogged from concrete block to block, and then sat to have an existential meditation on the meaning of life. Okay, not actually, but we did climb up from the sea wall and find a local cafe to enjoy some much-needed cappuccinos. Heaven.
Having indulged in the most surreal Saturday morning imaginable, we returned to the hotel for a more typical weekend activity: laundry. Dull, yes. Necessary? Heck yea… packing for two weeks is no easy feat! After a stimulating afternoon of guarding the washers, then the dryers, and folding our wardrobes we went back to the hotel to hang our unmentionables everywhere (including the balcony window!), and a power nap. With 45 minutes of sleep under our designer belts we were ready for dinner and excited to join our Contiki crew.
Dinner that night was one of the included meals Contiki plans and allowed for some serious comfort food for those missing home. Stuffed full of fried turkey and other less-than-traditional French fare, we ambled over to the British pub, Wayne’s.
Wayne’s is a quintessential collegiette™-approved dive bar. The waiter walked across our tables taking Happy Hour orders from our Contiki group as well as another group of over 50 Contiki tourers. After a few rounds, and a live Phoenix-esqe band our ‘mates’ (as our Aussie besties would say) got together to sing and dance on the tables. The band played a slew of their original songs and kept it interesting with covers of Bob Dylan and U2 hits.
Dance on a table, while in France, at an English bar, to an American song. Crossing that off my personal Bucket List ;)
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This is a partner post. All opinions are 100% ours.