Nice is so nice :)

Where are we now? Paradise. Nice, France is like nowhere we've been yet. Brilliant sunshine, gorgeous aqua beaches, picturesque night time cafes, old Italian and French structures, bohemians, and an incredible busking music scene.

We began the week at a youth hostel, rooming with six fun Australians! First things first: Monte Carlo Casino. All dressed up and hoping for a glimpse of James Bond and some flashy wheels, we took a train to Monaco. We felt like the night was something from a movie. We had a lovely dinner with our new friends, and then in true Bond spirit enjoyed a martini at the casino (shaken, not stirred).

The next day it was time for the beach! After two months of becoming successfully pasty skinned in Northern Europe, we definitely laid on the sunscreen ;-) We've been dreaming of sunshine all summer and here there is an over abundance of it!!

In just our first few days here we've discovered that being a street musician in Nice is the absolute life. Our performing begins late in the evening after a full day of sun bathing and hanging with friends. There are countless quaint cafe lined streets and squares to perform for into the late night. Our first night out we had the privilege of meeting two fantastic established international buskers. For the last twenty years, they have made a life out of a combination of busking and private gigs. They "showed us the ropes" of street performing in Nice and by the next night we were doubling our profit and enjoying ourselves a thousand times more. The jazz bar "Shapko" has become our hang out in the old city of Nice, where amazing musicians from all over the world congregate in the late evening. The owners are wonderful people who invited us last evening to perform especially for their guests.

We sadly had to say goodbye to our Aussie friends, but are now enjoying the company of our couchsurfing host. He is a kind man from Nice who is heavily involved in the art and music scene of the area. His home is both a perfect location for Annelise to practice for the Nice Academy and for us to have a short distance to the best performing locations.

Our excitement for street performance is incredibly high right now because the music community here has made us feel so loved and welcomed. There is endless opportunity to make a life performing music here so we are looking forward to what the next three weeks will bring!