One of my favorite things about visiting Nice was trying all of the delicious cuisine there.  On our last night, Kevin and I indulged our culinary senses at Le Grand Balcon.  This decadent restaurant takes up residence in a quite enviable location: directly next door to the Nice Opera House.  This prime positioning is responsible for the theme of the menu, which is split up into Acts I, II, and III…a clever theater-related alternative to entrées, main plats, et desserts.  That night at dinner I had both the best apéritif (something with champagne and ginger in it- wish I could remember the exact ingredients!) and the best risotto (a black truffle/asparagus flavor) of my entire life.  I also tried Kevin’s foie gras creme brulée appetizer and was so pleasantly surprised.  That duck liver was scrumptious!  There is nothing else that needs to be said about the meal, other than too delicious for further description without drooling all over my keyboard.

The next morning, for our final day in Nice, Kevin and I set our alarms early to hit La Colline du Chateau (which we had admired throughout our entire dinner at Le Grand Balcon since the restaurant’s terrace provides a spectacular view of the mountain’s majestic waterfall).  The old fortified site was formerly inhabited by Celtic Ligurians, then conquered by the Romans and converted into a medieval town, only to be dismantled by Louis XIV during the Spanish Succession when the area was occupied by the French.  The stone-walkway-covered mountainside offers a complete view of Old Nice’s beautiful sunset-colored town and the crystal blue Mediterranean.  Kevin and I found a huge tree tattooed from roots to branches with scratchy looking initials and hearts.  Naturally, we had to add ours to the bunch!

After a long walk around the mountain, it was time to head down to the old village for some ice cream at Fenocchio’s, a famous ice cream shop known for its wide range of unique flavors that Kevin had researched before our trip.  I got a scoop of speculoos flavored glace, and for Kevin, a scoop of Grand Marnier and a scoop of Rum Raisin.  YUM.  Nice was good to my taste buds…less friendly to my figure…

All these festivities left us with just enough time to pack up and hang out on the promenade for a little bit.  Kevin did a watercolor of our hotel and I supervised. ;)  It was a fantastic end to a weekend I will never forget.