Stop two on my six week summer trip

Ana and I traveled to sunny, beautiful Nice after Les Calanques. As the capital of the French Riviera, it’s the perfect base to explore the region. Our five-day itinerary was chill but comprehensive, and I would recommend it to anyone who comes to this Mediterranean city.

Days 1 and 2: Nice

I adored Nice. Being there felt so easy, as if the palm trees and sunshine and salty air give the place a natural effortlessness. A swim in the sea is just as far away as it takes to walk across the beach separating the city from the water. Everyone is so friendly (for France!) and the atmosphere is warm and relaxed.

Our first day we arrived around noon by a bus from Marseille. Tired from traveling, we checked into our hostel and then had a relaxing afternoon at the beach. Though, unfortunately, most beaches in and around Nice are composed of pebbles that are not comfortable at all to lay on or climb over with bare feet.

We saw a lot of locals wearing water shoes, so if you happen to own these bring them with you! If not and you have money to spare, going to a private beach where you get a lounge chair and parasol would certainly make the experience more luxurious.

That night we went ou in the lively old part of town. Wayne’s Bar was particularly fun because it had retro decor, live music, and dancing; Movida had a nice ambiance for sipping cocktails and was situated along the Promenade des Anglais that runs along the shore.

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The charming market in Old Nice! In the center is socca.

We started off our second day by exploring the morning market in the center of Old Nice. It is on Cours Saleya, and runs from Tuesday through Sunday. We bought fruit and admired flowers and got little lavender pouches so that our clothes would smell like the Riviera. We also tried the delicious Niçoise specialty socca! It is a chickpea pancake best served steaming hot and eaten out of wax paper.

Afterwards we spent a few hours exploring the Colline du Chateau, which has parks, beautiful viewpoints, an impressive waterfall and magnificent old cemetery. When dark clouds gathered in the late afternoon we spent a little while in the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

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Two things that come from Brazil: Ana + Acaï!

That evening we treated ourselves to a fancy seafood appetizer, thinking we should try a classic platter of fruits de mer. We were traumatized!

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The ill-fated seafood dinner!

The oysters and clams and mussels were still alive— we had no idea! They pulsed, and squirmed a little when dribbled with lemon juice and speared. Ana and I laughed hysterically (out of fear and nerves!) for much longer than socially acceptable from two twenty-somethings, drawing bemused looks from the people around us.

Day 3: Eze

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Éze is a town just a 20-minute bus ride outside of Nice that is split into two parts. One is a medieval village perched high on a hill, and far down below is the beach-side other half. It’s known for perfume so we visited the Fragonard “museum” (actually just a store with lots of samples) and spent a while testing all the delicate scents.

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The main attraction, of course, is the medieval village with all its tiny twisting streets and stairs. It’s an incredibly picturesque place because the walkways are cut from worn sand-colored stone and plants wind up the walls.

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One of the coolest Madonna paintings I’ve seen— it has an Egyptian influence— hangs in this buttery yellow church.

After the village we hiked down Nietzche’s footpath to the sea. Nietzche loved the Mediterranean climate and he used to walk this very hill, letting the light and beauty lend him clarity. Along the way we heard rushing water, and on a whim decided to investigate. Luckily we did so because we stumbled across a gorgeous hidden waterfall (well, perhaps not too hidden as there were a few other people there, but still!).

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It was enchanting. Water cascaded down a humongous column of moss-covered rocks and pooled crystal clear into a creek that ran down a slope and out of sight. We stripped to our swimsuits and let the icy water drench us like a woodland baptism.

Afterwards we picked our way unsteadily in our flip flops (sorry Dad!) over the gravelly terrain and eventually made it down to the beach. We relaxed for a few hours on the shore, gazing out at the water and hilly coastline. Our evening in Nice that night was laidback.

Day 4: Menton

My favorite part about Menton was actually the bus ride there! Not only is it just 1.5 euros, but it winds along one of the corniches. The corniches are these three roads that trace the cliffs between Nice and Monaco, each one higher than the last. The views from that bus window were absolutely gorgeous: dazzling bays, dramatic coastlines, water so blue you understand why it’s called La Côte d’Azur (the blue coast).

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A view from the bus window along the middle corniche, and a sweet house in Menton.

Of course we stopped in Monaco for a bit on our way to Menton, but Monte Carlo is boring and not worth talking about other than to say that it is outrageously fancy.

The hilltop cemetery seems to float over the sea from certain vantage points.

Menton on the other hand is decidedly cuter. It is the last stop in France before hitting Italy, so we heard a lot of Italian. Every February it holds a giant lemon festival because the city is famous for lemons.

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I will say that while it is nice, there isn’t much to do after wandering the main streets and going up to the scenic cemetery. I was glad we went in the summer so that we could kill time lounging on the beach. If nothing else, it’s a great place to shoot limoncello and admire the Italianesque streets with walls painted in rich warm hues.

Day 5: Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is a stunning peninsula right next to Nice. There are several hiking trails on this peninsula, including one that hugs the ocean and leads to multiple swimming spots.

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In St Jean, even the reminders to wear masks are stylish.

So we set off on this coastal path, the Sentier du Littoral, admiring the sea and lounging on a couple of the pretty beaches with their transparent water. One beach, the Plage Cros Deï Pin, even had something close to sand! We had lunch at a moules et frites place, and this seafood-based meal was much tastier than our last one.

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I can’t tell you what exactly it is about Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat (maybe the long name?), but Ana and I were both rather taken with the place. It is just so peaceful and natural and pretty and relaxing. I can picture myself retiring there quite happily. It was the perfect ending to our five-day exploration of the Cote d’Azur.

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