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Nice: Day 3

For my last day in Nice, there wasn't much left to do - we just had 2 things left: see the local market and eat the local specialty, socca.

Of course, we couldn't begin the day without coffee, so we headed back to the Tunisians, where they now anticipated our order. Hooray, we had achieved temporary "regular" status!

After our caffeine, we explored the markets north of the train station - booth after booth of fresh produce for sale, offering local varieties as well as imported (from Spain and Italy). It reminded me a bit of farmer's markets at home, except these markets were a daily occurrence and it seemed this was how everyone bought their groceries. I couldn't resist loading up on whatever was convenient to consume - cherries, apricots, peaches, tomatoes. They all looked so fresh and tasty! Loaded up with fruits and veggies, we headed back to the apartment to have lunch. It was a marathon of eating - we demolished half a kilogram of cherries!

With full stomachs, we browsed the shops with leisure until we reached the old town, where we were told we could find socca - a crêpe made out of chickpeas. After searching as far west as the famous Le Negresco hotel, we headed back east. Finally, we saw signs advertising the local snack and bought one to share. It was crispy on the outside, having been fried on a special flat appliance (similar to a crêpe), and was slightly savory instead of sweet. Not bad, but not as special as I had expected.

Around the corner from the socca, there was lots of activity, generated by the ice cream shop, Fenocchio. Tons of people were clamoring to get a cone, and with the sun out in full force, why not? We did the same! We tried a scoop of lavender and a scoop of ginger and both were amazing - packed with flavor and not too soft to prevent the sun from liquefying it too quickly.

So much food... And dinner was just an hour away. What to do? Mint tea to help with digestion! Back to the Tunisian place!

A strong mint tea and brisk walk did help clear some room for dinner, which was necessary. We had reservations at Oliviera in the old town and it was a treat to have such an enthusiast as our waiter. The man who produces olive oil on the farm actually runs the restaurant and is passionate about his food. It's a small operation, so the food is as close to home-cooking as you can get, and the olive oil is sublime. Everything was super fresh - the salads were a creative mixture of flowers and greens, paired with just olive oil and salt, with taste seemingly popping from the simple ingredients. It was a tiny menu, but the choice of main course was so tough because everything sounded amazing - in the end, I chose "mom's" stuffed baby eggplant with a side of roasted vegetables (stoemp). When vegetables outshine meat, it is a beautiful thing. I had no room left for dessert, but that meant another satisfying meal - the best way to end a trip.

Tomorrow it'll be time to go home!

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