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Reflections on a week foretold.
Sep. 13th, 2013 05:00 pmChanges in Nice. The buses to Cannes (200), Menton (100), Grasse (400), now cost €1.50 instead of €1. The daily bus pass is no longer any good for the 98s and 99s to and from the airport. They clearly got wise to that one. €6 each way (although that does allow a 74-minute connection onto any other bus route). Cheapskates can use their 7-day pass (€15.50 now, I think) on the 23 route.
Trains are remarkably cheap (pricier than the long-distance buses, but faster and less stressful). Return to Monaco is €7.40 at any time.
Early September still a bit hot for me, although by 4pm it's pleasant enough to go out for a stroll. So, about 11am to 3.30pm is a no-go zone for me if the sun is out.
Of course, working for every one of the days that I have been here has made it less than ideal. Could I live here while working? If I had the right apartment, definitely. That would be two bedrooms, in a quieter area than Lamartine, and either nearer the coast or further away, if you see what I mean.
The one thing that has struck me is that the quality of cuisine is, to be blunt, not that great and definitely not that imaginative -- unless you push the boat out. All fairly samey in the tourist areas, and all fairly boringly ethnic in the cheaper areas. But the food from Monoprix is excellent value, and the many butchers and fish/farmer's market on Sunday would make it a happy time for cooking at home, given a decent kitchen.
Property prices are still softening. Three years ago it was "on a par" with my part of London. Now it's looking cheap- ish.
Renting also looks like good value. I could get a far nicer place here in a good location for what I could charge for my own place in London.
The downside of this week has only been that I haven't had the best chair, and my back has started to feel the effects of a lot of typing.
Back to London tomorrow, where apparently it has been raining much of the time. So, good timing there fore me. It will be nice to be back in a month in a much nicer apartment, nearer the sea, and for a genuine holiday.
Trains are remarkably cheap (pricier than the long-distance buses, but faster and less stressful). Return to Monaco is €7.40 at any time.
Early September still a bit hot for me, although by 4pm it's pleasant enough to go out for a stroll. So, about 11am to 3.30pm is a no-go zone for me if the sun is out.
Of course, working for every one of the days that I have been here has made it less than ideal. Could I live here while working? If I had the right apartment, definitely. That would be two bedrooms, in a quieter area than Lamartine, and either nearer the coast or further away, if you see what I mean.
The one thing that has struck me is that the quality of cuisine is, to be blunt, not that great and definitely not that imaginative -- unless you push the boat out. All fairly samey in the tourist areas, and all fairly boringly ethnic in the cheaper areas. But the food from Monoprix is excellent value, and the many butchers and fish/farmer's market on Sunday would make it a happy time for cooking at home, given a decent kitchen.
Property prices are still softening. Three years ago it was "on a par" with my part of London. Now it's looking cheap- ish.
Renting also looks like good value. I could get a far nicer place here in a good location for what I could charge for my own place in London.
The downside of this week has only been that I haven't had the best chair, and my back has started to feel the effects of a lot of typing.
Back to London tomorrow, where apparently it has been raining much of the time. So, good timing there fore me. It will be nice to be back in a month in a much nicer apartment, nearer the sea, and for a genuine holiday.
