It's nicer in Nice

Here's a quick post- with more things to do in Nice. You never know when you'll pass through. Perhaps en route Corsica, or Monaco for the Grand Prix, or Cannes for the film festival.

I knew about the Matisse Museum, and the Notre Dame Monastery up the hill in Cimiez- but didn't know of the Fashion Gallery on Rue du St Suaire at the far end of the Cours Saleya with it's flower market. There's also the Musee Massena (musee-massena-nice.org, 0033 493 911910).

Have heard of- but not yet been to "Vinivore" 32 Av de la Republique- next tram stop to Place Garibaldi- for wine, cheese and charcuterie at wafer thin prices.

Dine at Chez Palmyre at 5,  Rue Droite 0033 3 857 232- they've got fig ice cream. Also on Rue Droite (No 38) is "Acchiardo"-  00 33 493 855 116. Ask for their "merda" a local version of Gnocchi. At 35 Rue Droite is "Le Fois a Bois Espruno" for freshly baked speciality bread- 0033 493 805067. You could almost get all your needs met on Rue Droite. I also really like the sound of "La Cave d'Origine at 3, Rue Dalpozzo 0033 483 500960. They've got bone marrow and blackboards rather than menus. My style.

For a quick snack- "La Gratta" is a kiosk at the end of the port- 56 boulevard Stalingrad- and eat your "Pan Bagnat" overlooking the harbour. Or maybe bistro Voyageur Nissart- 1 Rue d'Alsace Lorraine (0033 43 821 960) for lunch up to 2.30pm (not Mondays).

If you need a cheap hotel then Hotel Gounod (gounod-nice.com) has a rooftop pool. Better still stay at Nice Gardens- with exquisite views overlooking Nice. Or book a bargain at Villa La Tour- www.villa-la-tour.com -0033 493 800815. Bon Jour for sure. The latest news of course is that the 4-star Hotel Riviera now has a brand new classy spa.

Not strictly in Nice but nearby- theres the very rustic but pleasant- Le Clos St-Pierre in Le Rouret near St Paul de Vence. Of course La Colombe d'Or in St Paul is too grand- but one day maybe. Meanwhile why not have one of the lovely cupcakes at Cafe de la Poste in Biot- the home of glassblowing of course.

Or en route Monaco- spend a while at Menton. Exceptional views and a lovely medieval "old" town.
Eat at Le Petit Port (4 Rue du Jonquier, +33 4 93 35 82 62), or in the old town- "A Braijade Meridounale" 04 93 35 65 65 abraijade.fr. And in case you're Michelin star inclined- then there's Mirazur (04 92 41 86 86, www.mirazur.fr). Enjoy!

In case you end up in London

It's so big and confusing London. Hard to know where to go, what to do and see, where to eat.

Spent many hours walking round and round in Soho and Covent Garden trying to find "somewhere suitable".

So- if by chance you get to Bermondsey-by the river- close to Tower Bridge:

Try Zucca- http://www.zuccalondon.com/, 02073786809 one of the World's finest Italians apparently.

There's Jose- http://www.josepizarro.com/ a tapas bar with a to-queue-for range of impressive sherries.

M Manze- http://www.manze.co.uk/ 02074072985 is a pie and mash shop par excellence.

Then there's the Bermondsey Square Hotel- http://www.bermondseysquarehotel.co.uk/ 02073782450 -where Greg Wallace- he of the Masterchef fame, has opened a new restaurant. Expectations, expectations.

Like the idea of the Garrison ("Catey Awards" pub of the year 2011)-with a 20 seat cinema in the basement.

There's the White Cube Art Gallery http://www.whitecube.com/ , the Fashion and Textile museum http://www.ftmlondon.org/ and the London Glass Blowing Studio http://www.londonglassblowing.co.uk/

Of course Bermondsey is easy access to the South Bank, the Tate, the Tower of London and

A wander through Borough Market- particularly on a Saturday is a must.


Oooh- I wish I were a tourist already.

Psychobabble

How long have we got

50 minutes- long or not



And why not rather this chair

Than the sofabed there

The room’s sanitised clean

White tiles make up blank screen



What’s the use to explore

My deep private folklore

If I sit here in the buff-

My shame showing- that’s tough



Is the meaning we uncover

Worth the free-floating bother

Can’t find my secondary gain

Nor catharsis- just pain



And why sit on the fence

It’s a shared transference

So I’m anal am I?

Well then interprete! Please try.



No wonder people resist

Trust the internal analyst.

Next session’s to think

Now wash your hands in the sink-

Flush!

Local Restaurants

Haven't been blogging for ages- too busy tweeting.

Here's a few local restaurants for my list- lest I forget them.


http://www.lalocanda.co.uk/  Italian place- Pizza free here- It's all about authentic Italian fare. La Locanda in Gisburn near Clitheroe. 01200 445303.

Freemasons Gastropub in Wiswell. Love their web-site- very inviting. Also near Clitheroe. http://www.freemasonsatwiswell.co.uk/  01254822218.

Then there's the recommended http://www.oysterandotter.co.uk/ quite nearby in Feniscowles. 01254 203200. They're good with seafood apparently.

Finally, there's Calypso Carribean Restaurant 01254261020 although there's no web-site- they've a facebook page.

Also Feilden's Arms - 01254814655- ranked #1 in the Blackburn Area- actually in Mellor Brook- near "Cassis" and "The Millstone" at Mellor.


Then there's the Duke of York pub with an accomplished chef in Gridleton- not too far away hopefully.

And love the Walled Garden- a branch would you've guessed of the Barton Grange Garden range along the Garstang Road.

So many others too- to be found on the Ribblevalleyfoodtrail.

Live life like the locals. Enjoy.

Lakes

The Lake district seems to feature a lot in magazines these days.

Just discovered http://www.lovethelakes.com/ they have an excellent range of not expensive, but classy gifts. All one's Xmas shopping can be done in this one- stop shop.

Also read about 43 Arnside in Cumbria- http://www.no43.org.uk/ - lovely modern B&B with minimalist decor & lovely views-which feels more like a boutique hotel.

My best-even though I've never been has to be Willowford Farm - http://www.willowford.co.uk/ - with underfloor heating- a new experience for me- and waterfall showers. It's on a working farm quite close to Hadrian's wall- so can't wait to visit- credit crunch and weather permitting.

Also heard about Hotel Historic reasonably priced nice hotel in Girona, and Casa Marieta- reasonably priced eatery in Girona for those of us who can't afford La Cellar... the new Michelin starred "El Bulli" reincarnation in Girona.

Ah- and there's a new gem- the Wilson Arms. B&B, self-catering cottages for the week-end, & electric bikes for hire. Worth checking out- www.thewilsonarms.co.uk , 01539 441 237.

Musn't forget Egana Oriza (+34 954 227 211 Calle San Fernando)- restaurant in Seville which sounds awesome, or Casa Robles + 34 954213150, or the Corral del Rey +34 954500708 (http://www.corraldelrey.com/ ) which is also a boutique hotel.

Anyway, it's all about adventure. Discover new places. Savour new experiences. Bye

Parisiene Fancies

I'm always cutting out scraps of newspaper with scraps of travel info- so I thought I'd be less scrappy and more organised and file stuff ee-leck- trow- ni-cally. That's good n'est-ce-pas?

In Paris - for restaurants try-

Restaurant Chartier- inexpensive bistro cuisine- 7 Rue du Fauborg- 0033147708629- http://www.restaurant-chartier.com/

or when you're at the Eiffel Tower- there's

Jules Verne- Avenue Gustave Eiffel- 0033145556144- http://www.lejulesverne-paris.com/

or Chateaubriand- 29 Avenue Parmentier- 0033143574595. (I have heard there's a tres posh new place opened just beside it).

And you can amost smell the loaves at- Poillane's bakery- 8 Rue du cherche-midi. 0033145484259.


Of course these are just a few places- you can hardly go wrong en France. Bonne Chance.

Oops I nearly forgot my favourite place in Paris- Bigarrade- http://www.bigarrade.fr/ . I love it because there's no menu here- "you get what you're given". If I had my way all restaurants would be like it.

And now they've gone and opened - "Wanderlust"- 32 Quai d'Austerlitz, www.wanderlustparis.com. It's an all-in-one- club, restaurant, openair cinema & exhibition space- with different events laid on at different times. Ace.

   Cheerio.

Directories direct

Lots of useful tit-bits. Bits of info about places to go- thought it would be nice to have them all in one place for easy reference. Here we go.

Furniture. Well there's http://www.retrosofas.co.uk/  and http://www.theoakandropecompany.co.uk/ who do lovely benches for inside and out.

If thinking of new windows, or a conservatory. Think German engineering. Think www.weru.co.uk . Available from Amy Johnson way, Blackpool. 01253 341 444.

For that tricky bay window- it's not a problem for www.trackandpoles.com .Old Windmill, Mill Lane, Parbold (near Wigan). 01257 462 787.

Kids holiday camps- there's always http://www.pgl.co.uk/ and http://www.adventuremakers.co.uk/ .



Also just found out about the Barcelo Hotel, Bobadilla, in Andalucia in Spain. 5- star luxury with a "five-fork" restaurant (whatever that is). Sounds like one for the 50th D.V.

Then there's all things french.

In Troyes (on the way to Nice) there's an outlet shopping village http://www.mcarthurglen.fr/ equivalent to our dear "Cheshire Oaks" over here.

In Paris itself I'd want to visit http://www.bigarride.fr/ a lovely menu-less restaurant. Don't you just love restaurants without menus.

More to come soon with a cheap hotels directory.

Dee.