Driving into Nice, we didn’t really know what to expect. Whether to expect chaos like Cannes, serenity like Antibes or something new altogether. The sun was scorching, beating down on us in the car as we trundled along Quai des États-Unis. People wandered the beach front, although under construction calmly and with that holiday attitude. Although the beach was out of sight, it was safe to say that on a day like today it was going to be packed and it was the last thing on our wish list.
Much similar to all our other days out in the Côté d’Azur we had no plans, no itinerary. We had done little, to none, research and very little preparation in general. This had never caused us any trouble before, so we continued with the same trend and saw some beautiful parts of Nice although wandering round in circles for a little while.
Eating
Upon parking up in Nice, parking in Saleya Marche aux Fleurs, we were starving as usual so went in search of food. Nice as expected like the rest of the Côté d’Azur is
expensive to eat, but like usual common sense prevailed and we went in search of side streets that were quieter and off the tourist track. We wandered down Rue Saint-François de Paule and most restaurants were busy, packed and nothing really appealed to us so after searching for a short while we found Le Bistrot de la Mairie, Rue de l’Hôtel de Ville, open 8am-7pm. This restaurant was tranquil and pleasant, quaint and honest. The woman who was waitressing was amazing, she was kind and so helpful, after having translated the whole menu for us to English she was there for anything we needed and any queries we had. The food was simple, rustic and perfectly cooked. I had the pesto gnocchi, which most definitely isn’t French but it was great and Napo, my boyfriend, had steak and chips which was cooked to perfection and although being full half way through he finished it all. After we both sat contented and full, chilled and watching the steady flow of people in and out of The City Hall. If it’s a quiet, value for money lunch with great service and delicious food you’re looking for head here without a doubt!
Walking
Our original plan was to head to the National Marc Chagall Museum, but it was a 25-minute walk and with only three hours to spend in Nice we decided against it as it was quite time-consuming. Instead, we walked to Jardin Albert 1er, wandering along Quai des États-Unis. It’s a small park but busy, everyone was relaxed and lounging around; because it was smaller than expected we decided to lay down in the sun, the grass was like a mattress and the trees created a nice canopy for shade. There were cute dogs and kids running around and playing while we pretty much burnt through our clothes.
After baking ourselves like little biscuits we walked along the Promenade des Anglais. This was such a pleasant surprise, the fountains along the promenade were so great. They were sprawling with crazy kids and babies running around in the water, playing, laughing, giggling whilst their parents snapped pictures. We spent 20 minutes walking half the promenade, a very slow walk nonetheless and decided to sit on a bench in the shade, to eat some sweets we’d bought in Antibes that morning, and watch a group of French teenagers practising callisthenics. The whole atmosphere of the promenade was chilled, the vibe was good, everyone was pleasant and perhaps this was to do with the fact it was Ascension Day, but in the back of my mind, I hope this is the attitude in Nice 365 days a year.
Turning right off of the promenade brings you into the characteristic narrow streets of Old Town (Vielle Ville), buildings are tall coated in weathered plaster with countless shutters over the windows. The streets are lined with quaint boutiques and souvenir shops, that although aimed at tourists didn't seem like a ‘tourist trap’ as such. They offer a cooling respite from the hot midday sun as they are constantly shaded and with countless gelateria, upon gelateria you have no qualms in finding the perfect icy treat. After wandering for a while, and resisting the allure of countless boutiques to shop in as not to bore my boyfriend we stumbled across Place Rossetti.
Place Rossetti is a lively square that encases countless cafes and restaurants. The square is always crowded and is dominated by the looming shadow of Cathédrale Sainte-Réparte. Here you must be careful of tourists on Segways navigating their way through crowds of people, so mind your toes. Also be mindful of the rickshaws and the crazy Frenchman who drive them, both the Segways and rickshaws are a hazard and for me, this was one of two downsides to Nice.
One of the busy narrow streets off of the square is host to Gelateria Azzurro, which has a massive variety of ice-cream choices and you can watch your cone be made in front of your eyes, like much of the South of France it is chaotic, no-one queues and no-one particularly understands what’s going on but once you get your ice-cream it's delicious! Head for some quieter residential steeped streets and chill on the steps in the shade of the lofty apartment blocks and get ready for the climb to Point de Vue de la Colline du Château.
Le point de Vue de la Colline du Château is the highest point in Nice and gives unrivalled views, standing atop this ‘monument’ the sea of orange terracotta roofs of old town strikes you, much like Florence’s Piazzale Michelangelo views. The narrow slither of sand is almost invisible among hoards of sunbathers and swimmers and the breaking waves are sprinkled with little bobbing heads. The light here is beautiful and makes for great photo opportunities. The walk up is shaded by vines and trees and although on a road, it is a road rarely driven as it is a dead end. On the way up you can visit Cimetière Israélite, which although small is well kept and I don’t know, sometimes it’s intriguing to wander around cemeteries, right?
My only disappointments were the inconsiderate rickshaw and Segway riders, although this is only an issue that can be changed by better management of tourist foot traffic by the municipality and the high rate of beggars, mostly Italian, which was saddening and difficult to see. It makes me question how a city with such a successful in season tourism industry struggles to deal with social issues within the population itself, or whether it is pure ignorance.
Not to end on a low note, the viewpoint was our last point of interest we visited in Nice. After spending the day wandering around, with slightly blistered feet, very very burnt arms, shoulders, feet and legs and my blonde hair sun bleached two shades lighter we headed back to the car for our short drive to Nice Airport to return home to London. Overall Nice pleasantly surprised me for its slow pace of life, well-kept city surroundings, beauty, quirks and kindness definitely has an allure that makes me want to revisit this city again. Next time for longer!
