Today was spent wandering through shops to see if there was anything worth buying, and also relaxing at the beach.
The only store worth mentioning was found in Galerie Lafayette - a department store filled with sections of brand-named clothes, similar to Japanese department stores. On the first floor, we found a Pierre Hermé macaron store! I'd heard of the great debate: which macarons reign supreme - Pierre Hermé or Ladurée? I was only able to track down the Ladurée macarons in Paris, but now I could try the challenger! Immediately, I could tell from the display that these macarons were more adventurous - compared to Ladurées classic macarons (e.g. chocolate, vanilla, rose), Pierre Hermé's creations were wild: olive oil with mandarin orange; vanilla, violet and blackcurrant; jasmine, mango and candied grapefruit. I bought 4 to try and, with great anticipation, bit into the macarons after finding an open seat at Place Masséna. The flavors were interesting, but I thought the texture was not as good as Ladurée - these macarons melted in my mouth, without the crispness in the outer layer that I was expecting. Also, in one of the macarons, I felt a solid piece of dried fruit! Definitely unique, but I prefer the classic macaron.
Beach time! We headed in the direction of the Mediterranean and found umbrellas, people in swimsuits, and... rocks. It turns out Nice has beaches, but they're all rocky - or at least, the part we saw was. Ah well, rocks didn't stop anyone - we picked a spot on the beach and asked about the price to rent a lounge chair. €18 for each chair! Ok - that's enough to stop us! We opted instead for a table, which was good for ordering drinks, and enjoyed a couple of beverages under the sun.
The next highlight of the day was dinner at Le Bistrot Gourmand. This was a recommendation from our host and it was a fancy, dress-up affair. The service was attentive and welcoming, approachable and patient with all of our questions about the menu. We had kir apértifs, followed by a complimentary appetizer of soup and fish salad and fresh olive bread, before our ordered appetizers arrived. I ordered gambas ravioli, and the ravioli was filled with flavor, covered with shrimp sauce. By the time our main course came out, I was already full! I ordered the bouillabaisse to see how good it could be and was impressed with the strong, richness of the thick soup. It was a challenge to finish the bowl of soup because I was so full, but I managed to eat every piece of tender fish in the bowl. I was a bit surprised there were no other types of seafood in the bowl especially since they brought out a discard plate, but I suppose this made it easier to eat. I couldn't order a dessert, but watched as a raspberry soufflé was brought to our table for someone who did have room. It was cooked to perfection, and I wished I had enough room, but was afraid for my dress. Darn. Why must we have dress codes?!
Anyway, tomorrow is our last day in Nice! What to do? What to do??
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