Priority Pass Nice is part of the Still The Best Trip Report.
Not only was the champagne bad but the food was inedible and I am not applying French cuisine standards.
2. Don’t Stay in Cannes
What’s dumber than spending 1k+ a night for a hotel room? Spending hundreds of thousands of points on a hotel room.
The question is, do I want to invest more time in a points rich scheme or a get rich quick scheme so that these rates are acceptable? I have promised not to philosophize further in this post so I won’t answer that query.
3. Bring your earplugs.
Do you like fireworks? Growing up going to Disney every spring break, I have seen enough fireworks for this life and the next. To be sure, I confirmed my apathy for fireworks by witnessing them in Hong Kong for New Years (see Hong Kong New Year’s Eve Fireworks: What a Dud!). Incidentally, I was in Cannes for the Cannes Pyrotechnic Festival. Here is how it is described on the website: This international competition, held in the Bay of Cannes, featured six shows presented by masters of fireworks and the art of synchronization, with international fireworkers competing for the Silver Vestal prize.
All I witnessed was loud noise and people videoing it. 
TPOL’s Tip: Don’t video fireworks. You’re not going to watch it again!
4. Have Gelato.
If you’ve soured on the French Riviera, try something sweet. I was told that Le Quirly had the best gelato this side of the Seine.
6. Bolt Home?
To keep the riff-raff out, the public transport stops running early in the evening. To get back to Nice, I paid 80 euros for an overpriced Bolt where the driver talked on the phone the whole time and did not put on the AC (see Scam Alert!: You Didn’t Request AC for Your Rideshare). 
7. Holiday Inn Express Nice
Unexpected transport charge aside, staying at the Holiday Inn Express Nice using a stay certificate was much better than burning points in Cannes. I arrived at 1 AM and was out the door headed for Monaco early the following morning.
8. Monaco
If you liked feeling poor in Cannes, you might also like Monaco. I was unimpressed (see See What? Crapping Out in Monaco) and will not return whether it is by train or helicopter (Nice to Monaco by Train: Next Time by Choppa*).
9. Nice Plage
Rocky beaches are not my thing.
Though the beach bars looked like fun, my time on the Riviera was up. 
10. Get Out
Having suffered limited financial loss, it was time to leave. This time the Bolt had AC.
What do you think of this scam? 
With a full bottle to consume, I needed an adequate amount of food. I started with the shrimp ceviche and, despite my complaints about PR cuisine, ordered the fried pig cutlets.
With half a bottle to go, I needed more food and ordered the mixed chorizo plate. I received the check, a modest $82, paid, and walked down the hill to my friend’s house.
Delivery
On day two, we were supposed to go out for dinner. Since I had given up on moderation, that did not go as planned. After a stop at the golf club (for wine not golf), we went back to the house of views for more vino. Three bottles later, it was clear we were in no condition to leave the house. Unlike Rio Mar, Medellin has delivery options like all real cities do. I took a calculated risk and ordered Arabic fast food. The shwarma, though not top 10 worthy (see The Best Kebab in the World), was good. The falafel sandwich was excellent, and the hummus was passable.
Dandre
Since I was here for ‘work’ (see IQKhameleon in Medellin for the Final Stretch), I needed to get my life together and not arrive at the meeting completely disheveled. I walked to Parque Lleras and came across Dandre. I started off with an espresso which, compared to the bean water most coffee shops in PR serve, was perfect. I ordered a mimosa as an appetizer. That brought back memories of first-class travel (see Get Ready to Takeoff: The World’s Best Champagne). Though it was not made with Krug, the freshly squeezed OJ made it worth ordering a second. Like San Carbon, I needed food to accompany my libations. The salmon with rice sounded pleasant. I did not know that I would also receive tomato soup and a fruit salad. All of this was only $20.
Terraza
Following the meeting and in need of a celebration, we did make it out to dinner. This time the cuisine was Italian. A few appetizers, a pizza, rigatoni bolognese, and two bottles of wine made for a great way to end my trip. Pricepoint: $115.
The following are new additions:
Clemente Coffee Shop
Minus the influx of gringos (see Manila, Medellin: Too Many Gringos), this is where to come for espresso.
TPOL’s TIP: Clemente is located at Cl 11B #36B-13, Edificio C36 Local 2, El Poblado, Medellin Colombia
Malevo
If you’re looking for an Argentinian parilla, look no further.
TPOL’s Tip: The address is Cra. 43E #11A – 20, El Poblado, Medellín, El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Criminal Taqueria
The tacos are so good that they are illegal.
TPOL’s Tip: The address is Cra. 43E #11A – 46, El Poblado, Medellín, El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Cuzco
If you’re looking for too much steak, look no further.
TPOL’s Tip: The address is Edificio Platinum, Cra. 25 #1 a Sur 155 local 9901, El Poblado, Medellín, El Poblado, Medellín,
Overall
For food, Medellin may not be Melbourne (see Guns & Butter: Melbourne Travel Guide). However, there are still so many restaurants with excellent and diverse food, friendly staff, and great wine for the right price. Puerto Rico needs to catch up on all fronts. 
The first glass was a carmenere. It was good but had too much sediment, a result of being grown high up in the mountains.
I went inside and started noticing familiar labels, including the Framingham from New Zealand (see Wine Tours by Bike NZ: A Must for Wine Enthusiasts).
The Lagarde from Mendoza. (see “It’s Like Riding a Bike.” Those words have haunted me for years).
I probably should have left, but I stuck around for wine and cheese and a glass of Italian. Then, like chips and salsa, I had too much cheese and not enough wine. They brought an emergency screw cap bottle.
TPOL’s Tip: The address is Cra 43D #13 – 17, El Poblado, Medellín, El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia 
After diving in, I was surprised why the tourist was so traumatized. To be fair, the ice had melted so maybe it wasn’t as cold as when he went in.
The next day after my yoga session (see Yoga Medellin: Another Side of This City), I scheduled another ice bath. This time the ice was freshly packed and ready to go.
I went in and, once again, could not understand why the tourist made it seem like an ice bath is a dare-devil activity.
On the contrary, it is a refreshing rehab after intense sport (see Muay Thai Medellin: Chapter 3 of My Combat Journey). In fact, I prefer it was more comfortable when it was packed with ice versus when it was only freezing cold water. The ice cubes felt like I was wearing a full-body compression suit. Between this and my fat-freezing session (see Medical Tourism in Colombia), I was iced out.
TPOL’s Tip: Ice Bath and Yoga are available at Flow Wellbeing: Cl. 12 #43D-105, El Poblado, Medellín, El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia. Here is the IG page. 
