Summer in Nice and Monaco

Nice runs along the Baie des Anges, and we walked a lot of it — past the Negresco with its dome and rooflines all lit up, then the beach below the promenade, blue-and-white striped umbrellas in rows down toward the Castel end. The beach is pebbles, not sand, which surprised me. The city claims about 2,668 hours of sunshine a year and July 6 was clearly one of the contributors; the British aristocracy figured this place out in the 1800s and it hasn't slowed down since.

Inland at the Promenade du Paillon, the mirror pool was full of kids running through the mist jets, and the four of us lined up at the fence in front of it, two big black sun hats among us doing real work.

Then east to Monaco. The Oceanographic Museum sits directly on the cliff face above the water, stone walls running straight down to the sea. From up on the Rock you get the whole of Port Hercule at once — yachts packed in tiers, a swimming pool wedged in at the near corner of the harbor, apartment towers climbing the mountain behind until the rock runs out.