#FranceFriday: Never want to leave the French Riviera

Nice, FR is nice. Very nice.

Nice is the second-largest city in France's Provence region, following Marseille.

Let us relish in some gorgeous views of this beautiful city.

Your 'to-do' list in Nice should most definitely include:

• strolling the Promenade des Anglais
• enjoying the view from the local chateau
• soaking up the sun, sitting along the Mediterranean, on a pebbly beach
• tantalizing your taste buds with all the lavender and rose-flavored gelato you can manage
• enjoying the beauty of the city's (and overall region's) multitude of colorfully shuttered windows
• picking up a locally-crafted lavender product to take home with you

We left Nantes one October evening on an overnight couchette train and about 11 hours later, arrived in Nice the following morning. We left the chilly, autumnal northwest corner of France and seemingly traveled back through the season, seeing as we arrived to this...

Bienvenue! Our train has arrived

All who visit Nice simply must hike up to the top of the local chateau, located at the eastern end of the Promenade des Anglais. You will be rewarded with an outstanding view of the entire city similar to this one.

View of the Mediterranean Sea, Promenade and  Old and New town

Strolling, rollerblading and people-watching under the palm trees is made easy on the Promenade.

Promenade des Anglais

Don't forget to bring a sturdy pair of sandals when trapsing along the beach. Pebbly beaches are the norm here. I suppose this is a good way to engage the core and get an extra ab workout.

Pebbly beaches are the norm in Nice, FR

Fun Fact: Michael Jackson once stayed at Nice's Hotel Negresco, located on the Promenade des Anglais

Hallo, Amsterdam Centraal

Amsterdam's Centraal train station isn't just another point of entry or exit to and from the city, it's also a piece of neo-Renaissance art. The reliefs in between the two clock towers attest to hope and prosperity for the city and its citizens.

Hallo, Amsterdam.

• The station serves 25,000 passengers per day.
• This station has been welcoming citizens to Amsterdam since October 1889.
• There are 11 platforms which whisk visitors off to exciting new travel adventures.
• The station is paired with Liverpool Street station in London. This serves as the terminus for the Dutchflyer rail-ferry service.

Happy travels!

Riding the rails: Amsterdam Centraal

The central train station of Amsterdam. October 2006.

I enjoy travelling by train. It's a great way to sit back and enjoy the true views of a foreign countryside sweeping past you.

Would I have been able to capture this lovely shot of real life as someone knows it (somewhere in between Brussels and Amsterdam) as a part of a standard tour group?

Doubt it.

Now grab your backpack and let's ride the rails! I'm look at you, Rick Steves.