Nice
– Genoa – Rome – Naples – Rome
Given I was in Nice at the time of the
Bastille Day attack I feel like I should say something about it, but I know
not what. Unspeakable sadness for the victims and anger at the attacker. But
we’ve been here before and so many words have been said about terrorism that
there’s not much more that I can add. My silence will have to do.
Nice reminds me of a French version of the
Gold Coast, which is to say fun and touristy, but still infinitely more elegant
than the actual Gold Coast because it’s, well, French. The Mediterranean is
indeed beautiful.
Of the nearby coastal towns I liked Antibes the best. Proper
sand beaches, a beautiful quaint old town and a relaxed coastal vibe. Cannes
was a bit more tacky and ostentatiously wealthy. And Monaco was A LOT more
ostentatiously wealthy. Seriously, it must have the highest density of
millionaires of anywhere on the planet. But fun to visit for a day. No, I
didn’t don a tux and play baccarat with James Bond at the Casino du Monte
Carlo ...
Crossing the border, Genoa was my first
experience of Italy. Italy is a bit grittier and more chaotic than France. The
food is great, the customer service no so great: the standard level of service
for a café in Italy seems to be the level of sullen resentment you get from a
7/11 cashier at 4 am in Australia. But amazing pizza, chianti and espresso make up for
a lot of surly waiters.
Rome was interesting. It’s actually a bit
calmer than what I was expecting. The obvious monuments are obviously
beautiful: the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon. Staying a bit
further out in the suburbs, away from the Centro Storico (historic centre) it’s
a lot more like any other big city, and not like the romantic image of Rome
that I had in my head. But around the historic centre and Trastevere is
beautiful.
Naples was amazing, one of the highlights
of my trip so far: ridiculous pizza and baba (both of which were invented in
Naples); a crazy chaotic vibe; a beautiful centro storico and monuments.
Pompeii was cool and well worth a day
(though to my mind, not a patch on Angkor Wat if we’re comparing ancient
ruins). The Amalfi Coast is simply stunning. The bus ride from Sorrento to
Positano along the winding road on the side of the cliffs is scarily beautiful.
I’m now back in Rome for a couple of days,
before heading off to Budapest where I meet up with Dannie. Life is good.
