In the period of 26-30 September I visited Nice (France) for a contribution to the 4th EMS Annual Meeting. The take- off in Amsterdam was very early, but the flight was nice (to Nice). For 10 minutues we flew just above a big stratocumulus layer above The Netherlands... It is a beautiful structure. When I arrived in Nice, a triathlon was going on ... they started at 8.00 and even at 19.00 some people were struggling. At my arrival, my hotel was overbooked, so I was transfered to a cellar of another hotel, and back the other day. Shit happens :-(. Eventually, when I was on the beach, I met the secretary of the NVBM, the Dutch Association of meteorologists... she recognised me (altough we did never meet before) because meteorologists are " a certain kind of people" . Apparently I am a real one... :S. We had a nice lunch and visited the pittoresque market near Quai Etats-Unis (picture below). Later that afternoon, I visited the remnants of chateau Nikiai and the rest of the inner city.
My presentations during the conference went quite well, with nice feedback.
A: The old chateau-area at the hill:
When the conference was over, I spent the evening with wine with our friends from TU Braunsweig and the ladies of the technical assistence at the conference. Good weather, good atmosphere, nice view on the airplanes from the airport, good wine ... :P. Life is hard... hahaha.
Next morning, Oscar and Hanneke arrived from Toulouse to visit Nice as well... and we changed to the youth hostel ... with the drawback that I had to arrange a part of my breakfast myself :S :P. Photo's can be found also on here.
1 October
We visited the old city of Nice, the mountain with the remnants of the old chateau, the cemetery. We got some lessons in how to park you car in France... :P.
2 October
Monaco was our goal on the second day, a strange country. In the afternoon we visited the old city part at the mountain (where are these promised elevators), the cathedral, the Aquarium (where we left a lot of white chocolate on the floor of their cinema), Gardens. We enjoyed the Ferrari's at the casino and the strange kind of people who are there, especially the mothers who want/try to sell their 35-years old daugthers to the rich Ferrari drivers. I wish to go there with my old Peugeot405 to be parked by the stewards. Oscar found a coin of 2 euro' s near the public toilet (does he feel at home over there? :P :->, so our total profit after one day Monaco... only 2 euro' s... at least our result is POSITIVE
A long train journey from Nice Ville to Toulouse Matabiau. I enjoyed the trip, you pass a nice range of landscapes, from the Alps, Mediterranian Sea, the more flat Provence and the Massif Central. We also had a nice opportunity to write some postcards... in which I am extremely "talented". For the fourth time that week, I had dinner at my friends of McDonalds. Oscar and Hanneke have a very attractive appartment, especially when the planes for Blagnac land from the southern direction.
4 Octobre
This time the old city of Albi was our goal. After a trip along several small railway stations where a employee of SNCF handles all the people who does not arrive and depart from HIS rail way station... the way it goes in France :P, we arrived in Albi. The cathedral is impressive in his magnitude from outside, however inside, it is much more impressive due to it famous paintings and icons. Here we could earn almost 20 euros. Furthermore we explored the gardens, and the beautiful view over the Tarn.
5 Octobre
Been to Cite de l' Espace. Space expo in Toulouse is a great experience... it is too much to visit in a short time... Hanneke and I found out. Outside you can get feeling for logaritmic length scales and how to make a rainbow (or to give other audience a shower,... he Hanneke :P). The cinema is really beautiful and has the same concept as the Dutch Omniversum, with nice movies about astronomical info and research. Furthermore a guy from MeteoFrance is full time there to answers (which?) questions from the public... French ways of creating jobs???
6 Octobre
Explored Toulouse. I made a trip from the Capitole (nice inside), the market (only ladies stuff), to the Eglise St Etienne, the Cathedral, Musee Augustins (where the attendents are not very friendly, they were pushing to leave as soon as possible), along the river, Pont Neuf, nice hidden church near the river. Seen the Guppy (Beluga) two times. In the evening we watched the movie "Amelie" which I enjoyed a lot (NO I DID NOT FELL ASLEEP :P !!), and for some reason the movie's music (Yann Tiersen) let me think of the Tour the France 2004... :P
7 Octobre
Long railway trip from Toulouse to Rotterdam Central Station. I like TGV.... PS: the transfer with the underground is possible within 30 minutes....
