recap

All right, it's been two days since I got back, and the possibility of me finding time to write up a detailed account of my trip is diminishing with every minute. Let's just hit the highlights:

• Nice is not a bad place to stay; there is a train that can take you to Monaco and Italy in a matter of minutes, and, if you go west, Antibes and Cannes. If you take the bus, make sure you get your bus ticket validated - you don't want to have to run away from the police, as we had to.


• Cannes is for pretentious people. Bathing suit tops are optional. Pebble beaches are mandatory.


• Antibes is beautiful. Very well preserved old town, where you can get lost in the little stone streets and love every second of it. The port is home to the most out-of-control yachts that you can imagine. When you have a helicopter sitting on the stern of your boat, that's when you know you made it.


• Eze - what a great cliff-bound fortress! The scenery around is gorgeous. We took the Nietzsche trail down to Eze-sur-Mer... what a walk. Down sheer cliffs, with a view of the sea... aaaahh.


• Paris. I though I discovered most of it before. I was wrong. The Catacombs were impressive, to say the least. I expected a few bones in an underground vault. What I found is an endless bone warehouse. Chilling, and very thought-provoking. Out of the thousands of people that lived and died, only a few are remembered. Bones of the rest are stacked like firewood. Crazy.


• A million thanks to Abdel, my host. It would be impossible for him to be more hospitable, and I really appreciate him showing me "his" Paris. As a bonus, he totally kicked my ass when we went for a run one morning.