Make Time: Last Day in Nice

As you saw yesterday from my poem, I had a fantastic ride from Nice to Arles, but before I left I had a chance to get up and walk around the old town portion of Nice. I walked on the rocky beach, up castle hill, and then onto a cafe where I grabbed a croque monsieur before walking a bit more and then heading to the train station. Was a perfectly relaxing (and sunny) day in Nice. I have to say, even though I was only there for a day, I had a good feel for Nice. It's a beautiful place and has a nice artistic vibe to it as well (great museums). I'm sad I didn't make it to the Matisse museum, but oh well. Included some pics below for you to enjoy.

I jumped on a 2pm train and saw some of the most beautiful stretches of the Mediterranean, including Cannes, which I'v'e heard about for years. Made a quick layover in Marseilles, and then jumped an hour train to Arles. If you don't know about this city, it's been around since 800 B.C., which is insane to even imagine coming from the US. I get off the train and was using my phone's GPS to get to the place where I'm staying. Just like in Saorge, I'm using www.airbnb.com for my accommodations here. It's a very cool site where you can stay in a room in someones apartment. This way I still get my privacy but I also get the insights of a local. Here's the listing for the apartment I'm staying in here in Arles. Now I know it says "gay friendly" but that does't mean that my host, August, is gay. It just means that he wanted people to know that he's cool with all types and people. Anyway, I chose this place because of the great reviews that August had received. We communicated on email about my arrival and he said it's an easy walk from the train. So as I'm walking out of the train station a guy on a bike rides right up next to me and asks if my name is Roman. He's got crazy curly black hair with a bandana on, wearing a retro sweater that I might have skied in when I was 10, Chuck Taylors, carrying a small rack of some sort (that you might put your toiletries on), and riding an old timey bike. This is how I was introduced to August, my host here in Arles. To say this was a pleasant surprise is an understatement. What a kind way to greet your new guest. He didn't have to meet me, but it made me feel so much more at home when he was there to walk me through the city and show me to his apartment. I learned that he's from Honduras and he came to Arles four years ago for vacation and never left. He's been in India, Sri Lanka, and many other parts of the world. We walk through the city and talk, and he says hi to at least 5 people as we're heading home. Obviously he knows a lot of people here, and everyone greets him warmly with affection. We walk through tiny little streets and end up at his home, a four floor 17th century house in the old district. And I thought the 200 year old farm house in Saorge was old! Now I'm in a house that's about 400 years old…so cool. The first floor is the living room and kitchen, and the second floor is August's room and bathroom. Third floor is my room and the fourth floor is my bathroom, as well as the terrace. I took pictures and included them below, and I hope you really get a sense of how lovely this place really is. August has great style - minimal yet clean and artistic. I tell him about my painting and he says he'd love for me to do a painting here. YES. I had planned to stay one night but I change my reservation and now I'm staying here until Friday, when I'll head to Barcelona. My gut told me to stay and I'm staying. Also, and something I doubt anyone reading this knows (outside of my mom) is that my parents had two names in mind for me before I was born: Roman and August. Crazy that I'm now staying with a guy that has the name I would have had, in a city that used to be part of the Roman Empire. Love all the connections. So I hang in the home for a bit and then walk out to dinner. August told me about a place he loves called La Mamma, but it's closed when I get there so I get pizza around the corner. WOW - very good pizza, and they included this red pepper sauce that I had when I was in Seville with my family. So great. I head home after dinner - get lost in the city a bit - and then fall asleep happily and at peace with my new home.

It's 11am now and I'm ready to get out into Arles for some site seeing. There is so much history here so I want to check it all out. I hope everyone has a fantastic Tuesday!!!

Yes, my friend Michael gave me a shirt with my face on it, and the saying " The Action is the Juice" which is from the movie Heat. I told him I'd wear it in Europe and here you go, buddy. Got some funny looks on the street for sure.

Lunch :)

This fountain had a cool timer so that they would shoot up in synchronized patterns

Arles. On my walk back with August we saw a bird stuck and we rushed home to get a ladder. Unfortunately we got to talking and forgot about the bird, but when we went back someone had freed it :)