General observations

After a glorious few days of internet, we lost our phone line again. It did come back after a week, but can no longer connect to the net. Therefore, borrowed internet, therefore quick post and no photos.

The destruction continues apace. The authentic-tourist-experience of the fish market, which our two sets of visitors have thoroughly enjoyed, has been or is about to be demolished. This was the place where you could point at the fish you wanted and then point at the restaurant you wanted it cooked in (or of course take it home and cook it yourself if you really want to). The fish are being sold from the roundabout near the Blue Sun office (does wonders for traffic, I can tell you), but the restaurants can't relocate so easily.

Buildings along the coast road are also being demolished, and billboards of the startlingly futuristic complexes and towers meant to replace them have been erected. Near the airport - still standing - is a billboard announcing the grand new airport project, so part of that rumour is true, anyway. Walls are coming down everywhere, often replacing large expanses of empty wasteland, making you wonder what the wall was protecting.

I have now seen what at least a few Libyan women do when they want to swim - they go in fully clothed, right down to the robes and hijab. I say 'to swim' but they really just stand in the water up to their neck, I think if they tried to actually swim in soaked thick and clinging cloth they'd drown.

We got our scuba diving license during the week, from this company. Libya is about to become the next big diving spot, supposedly (note the article refers to billions of investment money to develop the beachfront, that explains the billboards I guess). Can't say I've seen much evidence of abundant underwater attractions so far (did see an octupus, Moray eel and stingray, however), but that was just the training site. We plan to have ourselves taken off to a 'real' dive site along the coast next weekend (mostly archaelogical or wreck sites rather than natural attractions). Also, you can go diving in a lake in the Sahara.

I have finally come round to liking dates, if only in cooking - date loaf and banana and date milkshakes are working well for me.

I intend to eventually get some proper photos of the medina up; it continues to change rapidly as with the rest of tourist-attracting areas. The giant rubbish tip that made the walk from the Blue Sun office to the Arch such a thick-air experience in summer has been cleared out, and the alleyways are being repaired and repainted. Prices remain decent, though given the abrupt demands of the tourists off the cruise ships (How much? -- Seven dinah, madam -- Three!), I do not expect that to last too much longer - why wouldn't you double your prices once you work out tourists will automatically offer half the asking price? It worked for swapmeet.

Nice

I didn't really think I'd like Nice based on its reputation but in fact despite the huge numbers of tourists focused on the beach, it was still a lovely place, particularly the old town. That's the triangle of red roofs in the picture, which was taken from the hill overlooking Nice, which is like a King's Park in terms of relaxed public space.

Beyond the triangle is 'modern' Nice ie loads of the older terrace-style flats you see in every European city plus a recently remodelled strip where they've been installing a tram line for at least 3 years.

Here's the famous Riviera beach, pebbly and crowded. Plus when I went swimming (I couldn't go all that way and not take a swim), I got stung by a red jellyfish, which reminded me why I prefer pools.

Nice has a long history of attracting tourists, and at one time many Russians came to the area, which explains this early-20th century Russian cathedral. Though it looks big from the outside, the public space is just a tiny room inside, with an icon of St Nicolas which worshippers kiss and bow to - some more enthusiatically than others. I watched an old lady lay her forehead on the glass for minutes at the time and bow right down to touch the ground before it, then watched a younger man give it a peck and a little nod - well, whose prayers are going to get answered between those two? The glass was covered with smudges from people kissing it, it was really quite unhygienic.

The hills and mountains rise up only a short distance back from the coast, and there's lots of little French towns to go see, like St Paul's de Vence, just Vence, La Turbie (overlooking Monaco), Tourrette's, and Gordon, all of which have their little old towns still preserved and are pleasant places to wander around in. Pictured is Eze on the hill (as opposed to Eze by the sea at its feet). I was impressed that in between the over-developed sprawl, green open space has survived.

Along the coast, I skipped Monte Carlo and Cannes and visited Antibes, Villefranche and Menton. Menton in particular I enjoyed as the old town is still entirely residential, the shops being confined to the bottom of the hill. This means it's a quiet and shady place to take a stroll in. The Menton cemetary, where the English and Russian TB patients were buried (Nice and surrounds once being a supposed cure for consumption), is also worth visiting...and for those who are following the new Dr Who...

DON'T BLINK.