Vancity Tri Guy

Settled In

I’ve been in Nice for a coupe of days now and am really having a blast! The weather has been nothing short of spectacular. Especially given that it was 12 degrees and pouring rain when I left Vancouver it’s no wonder that almost 30 degrees and sunny is a treat.

Yesterday morning I awoke to the sound of a scooter ripping up the hill beside where I am staying. With the streets being so narrow and the cost of fuel being what it is, it’s no surprise that scooters and small cars rule the streets. Best of all, bicycles are everywhere…even the kamikaze drivers who dart in and out of traffic give lots of room!

I was a little apprehensive about coming to a place where English is not the primary language but fortunately I took french in high school and have been able to make my way. It’s slowly coming back to me and for everything else I have been able to get by with one of those handy phrase books. I started the morning with a stroll into the old part of Nice where I found a little café. Pastries are my vice and the French are famous for their variants of the croissantsso I was more than happy to have my fill with one as well as a couple of almond filled pastries and a caffè au lait.

Fueled up and ready to start my day, I headed back home to get kitted up for my ride. One of the first things that I had done the day before was to assemble my bike. The guys as Speed Theory had just installed some new cables the week before and checked over everything to make sure she’d be ready to roll come race day. Today’s goal was to spin out the legs after a long day of trave yesterdayl. I started with a short climb followed by a blasting descent towards the Promenade d’Anglais. Seriously, I can’t get over how blue the water is. Only have I ever seen such a colour at Garibaldi Lake but the Medeiteranean Sea is much more welcoming to swim in as it’s about 20 degrees compared to the near freezing temps of the the former.

I continued my ride out towards Monaco. Super yatch central in other words and there were plenty to be seen! On my way, I came across a small cafe where stopped in for lunch. This time I had a pizza and more coffee with an amazing view overlooking the sea. I ordered my food almost completely in French and the shop keeper clearly appreciated it although he did respond in English a few times when I made some mistakes. One of the things I am enjoying most is being out of my element. I wasn’t sure how I would feel being that this trip represents my first trip abroad. So far, so good.

Later in the day in went for a run down to the Promenade des Anglais. I waited until the afternoon to get a sense of the temperature. At almost 30 degrees it wasn’t too bad although I was fresh having only ridden 25km earlier and the run itself was only 5 km, not 42! I also brought my goggles and went for a quick swim. The stony beach was hard on my feet and the surf wiped up the water into a cloudy colour but it was still slot of fun!

The rest of my day was pretty low key with some more exploring through the old part of town. The hardest part most of the time is trying to find a place to eat as there are so man to choose from! Moule frîtes was on the menu last night!

No comments yet.

Leave a comment