Thoughts on Nice

The bus transfer from the modern and functional Nice Airport to Nice's city centre is short and easy. The waiting time between buses is only 15 minutes or so, the drive is comfortable and offers a pleasant view over the stunning Promenade de Anglais. All the stops are well marked and the price of 4 Euros is good value for money. What I am unhappy about is Nice's decrepit bus terminal.

Built back in the sixties it boasted a refreshing terraced garden and shops around its perimeter. Over the years the roof gardens were partially closed and the upstairs shops were covered in graffiti, all closed down and boarded up. The bus terminal suffers from neglect, very poor lighting, and is particularly dangerous for travellers once they step out of the bus.

High passenger platforms at the same height of the bus stop are fine, but crossing even a single bus lane to reach another platform of the main terminal building is rather challenging, especially if you have to lift your luggage onto the next platform. This is very inconvenient for disabled and elderly people due to the lengthy detours before it's possible to reach a more accessible platform. Busses also drive rather fast between lanes and one has to be very careful before crossing.

At last you manage to reach the arrival/departure lounge, which doubles up as a ticket office and information centre. "Lovely," you think, "here comes help!" Wrong. All the staff I talked to (in French) were unhelpful, abrupt and uninterested. If you ask them for a map of Nice, forget it, they will send you to the nearest official information centre, which is about one mile away.

At last you rejoice from escaping the retched building and you can't wait to cross Boulevard Jean Jaures to venture towards the buzzing old city. Pity though, your path is yet again barred by road works paving the way for the new tramway! No problem though, work will end in 2007.

Dog droppings ... a bit of a problem in France. The problem is in fact the dog owners, and their lack of respect for others. I wrote to the Mayor of Nice about it a few years back and Mr. Peyrat's response was the usual non committal response of a politician...

"We do our best, we have a lot of lonely elderly people who need the company of their dog."

This poster was placed inside a restaurant in Grasse where we tried to have a meal! Not very appetizing although the Mayor of Grasse was encouraging their citizens to use a free poop-scoop.

Nice has set up dog-poop guards I was told, but once they find the culprit, will they fine the owner? I suppose it will all depend on how wealthy the dog's owner is. The richer they are, the less liable to cough up they will be.

How do we make sure we don't end up treading in the stuff? Well as a couple, one person looks out for poop and the other admires the panorama. Of course, the Promenade des Anglais is practically poop free, but less glamorous streets are more plagued. Be warned!