NICE, FRANCE

2016

We arrived in Nice on July 15, the day after the tragic attack on the Promenade des Anglais. We heard of the attack while we waited to board our plane in Toronto the afternoon of the 14th. We were late arriving in London and thus missed our connecting flight. While there are several flights going from London to Nice each day, we were told all of the flights were full and we would only fly after a 10 hour wait at Heathrow. Ori's persistence got us on a flight just two hours later. We arrived in Nice, but our luggage did not. We quickly learned that the reason the flights were full and our luggage was not on board was due to the many, many reporters trying to catch flights to cover the attack. It was their camera equipment that bumped our luggage off the plane. Upon arrival, it seemed as though nothing had happened. And that, I suppose, is how it goes. The city must keep operating and so the people too. But there are signs - heightened security, posters and headlines. We respected the three days of national mourning and kept away from the beaches and playgrounds and we attended the moment of silence at the sight of the attack. It has been emotional and our hearts go out to the victims and their families. But we feel safe. Nice and the people here are lovely and we are settling in and finding a rhythm. We look forward to living here and learning Nice's secrets.