(Note: the first week of the tour is a transcription from the journal.  Parenthetical comments in italics are supplemental notes from the present.)

We caught the MAX (Portland's light rail) to the airport at about 1 PM, after an evening meal at Tuscany Grill (a favorite Italian resetaurant that closed some years back) with our friend Lynn.  Rachael went to the gym in the morning for a workout while I read the paper, and then we had breakfast at the Second Story Bistro (and another place we liked that went under long ago), packed, and set out.   Checking in at the airport went easily and fast, after picking up a pair of bike boxes from the United counter.  Everything about the flight was straight forward, and our bikes and bags arrived safely and on time (in striking contrast to our previous summer's ride across Switzerland, when the airlines lost our bikes for three days and we were stranded in Innsbruck at the start of the tour).

After checking in to our hotel in Nice and taking a nap for an hour or so, we walked south to the old chateau (the hill/park/ruins at the eastern end of the promenade) - a short switchback through the woods to a great lookout over old Nice, the bay, and attractive ruins.  After that we walked back down to the old town and had dinner at a modest creperie.  Just OK, not great.