Nice Etoile

My least favourite thing about Christmas is shopping but it has to be done so I gritted my teeth and headed for Nice Etoile, an indoor shopping centre on Nice's prime shopping street. It's home to chains like C&A and Habitat and French names such as Genevieve Lethu and Longchamp though there are enough independent shops to make it interesting. How long this situation will last is debatable, though, as recent rent increases are driving out the smaller businesses..

I tend to be a fairly early riser and am ready to hit the shops at 10am when they open which is lucky for me as they're fairly empty with most people arriving at lunchtime. The strange thing is that in Cardiff where my family lives it's the same; from 9am till midday the shops are empty and then everyone arrives together. Do people actually enjoy shopping in crowds? This is mystifying...