Take me back to Nice: Musings of my escapade on the Côte d'Azur

It's always just a matter of time until my restlessness makes me crave a suitcase, an airplane and a different timezone.

Sometimes, the travel bug is quite satiable by exploring new places close to home, like I did this summer. 

But sometimes, you feel like stretching your legs a little more. 

My favorite way of traveling is - like everything else I tend to do in life - based on feeling. What scenery am I daydreaming of? What would make my mind and body feel refreshed? Which culture is calling me? What kinds of photos do I want to share with you? (Don't underestimate the importance of the last question!)

This October, Nice had all the advantages for an easy, spontaneous getaway. 

For one, I felt an aching longing for Europe, especially Europe in the fall, which was my favorite season when I lived there. Nice was also inviting because it felt so accessible -- a direct flight, one tram-ride away from the airport, lots of accommodation options. It also has my favorite type of "city formula", namely: seafront + port + old town + new town, and it makes a great hub for exploring nearby coastal towns and villages. 

And, something that was particularly tempting: I had never been there. You know I love to return to places, but this time, I was in the mood for something new. 

So I scurried to put my work aside and to block off a week to rest my head, fill up my senses and press pause on "summer palette" for a little while longer, before immersing myself into falling leaves. 
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​Essentially, Nice called and I went running. 

I immediately noticed how comfortable I was in Nice. It felt as though I had resumed my life in Italy. The architecture, Ligurian rhythm and Italian spoken all around me made me forget that I was in France for long moments at a time. Luckily, there were many fresh baguettes to remind me...

Nice owes its Italian similarities not only to her proximity to the Italian border but also to the fact that Nice went back and forth between belonging to "Italy" (or Savoy which became the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, which later became part of Italy) and belonging to France. In its complicated history, Nice was besieged and occupied several times by the French in the 17th and 18th centuries, and its ramparts and citadel were destroyed. In 1793, the French wanted to show that they were not annexing Nice against her will; a referendum was held and the people voted in favor of Nice belonging officially to France. 

Back in Italian possession in the 19th century, Nice was ceded to France as a thank you for France's assistance in Italy's war against Austria. A second referendum then confirmed the decision. Soldier and politician Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was born in Nice, opposed the result and argued that the vote had been rigged by the French. At the time, many Italians left Nice and moved down the Ligurian coast, giving rise to the movement of Italian irredentists who campaigned for the reacquisition of their beloved Nissa la Bella. 

The Niçard dialect has strong Italian influences and can still be seen on the street signs in Old Nice. 

So, Nice belonged to both France and Italy. But what do the English have to do with all this, then?!

In the 18th century, the English aristocracy began spending their winters in Nice, lured by the gentler weather. Before the seafront promenade was built, the waterfront areas were home to dockworkers and fishermen, rather than to fancy hotels and residences as we know it today. 

The "Camin dei Inglès" (Promenade des Anglais) walkway is said to have been proposed by the English as a useful urban project for beggars who came looking for shelter from the north during a particularly harsh winter. The wide waterfront promenade dotted with palm trees, beach umbrellas and blue chairs has now become the icon of Nice and its Baie des Anges.

Another symbol of Nice is the luxurious Hotel Negresco, opened in 1913 by Henri Negresco who wanted a sumptuous hotel to attract the wealthiest visitors to the French Riviera. The lavish rococo hotel with its iconic pink dome still maintains an elite bourgeois feel to it today. On the night of the Bastille Day attack on the Promenade in 2016, its famous main hall was used to triage wounded civilians, reminiscent of when the hotel was converted into a hospital during World War I. 

My sea-loving heart was so happy in Nice. I began and ended each day with the Sea. 
In the mornings, I would step out onto my AirBnB's balcony one block up from the Promenade, and try to peak between buildings to see what the Sea looked like, knowing full well that her color would change with every hour of the day. I would walk the pebbly beach after breakfast, taking long pauses between pictures to make sure I would remember the way the light and maritime air felt on my skin. I'd stop to notice the heavy scent of sea salt hanging in the air, and the deafening sound the tide made when it pulled out of the shore with millions of pebbles tumbling like coins in its grasp.

In the afternoon, I would plop myself down in front of the vast horizon, either on the shore or in one of the "chaises bleues", just watching, and being. A couple of times, I ventured into the water at high tide, amazed at how warm it still was in October. 

In the evenings, the Sea would summon me again and accompany me on my stroll back to the apartment. 

​Just for the sea (but for many other reasons), I could have stayed in Nice. 

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Nice was also impressive for its many gorgeous squares and green spaces. I never felt rushed, squeezed, pushed or overwhelmed. The whole city had a soothing energy.

I can't say whether it feels like that for the locals, or at busier times of the year, but it definitely felt as though careful planning and restoration had paid off. Everything just made sense, from an urban planning perspective. 

Place Masséna is a sort of converging point between Old Nice and the new town. Walking up from the Promenade, you are blessed with this charming view of Apollo and the four horses on his head.

The Sun Fountain and its 5 bronze status representing Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars and Saturn is a magnificent sight, though not without its share of historical controversy (Long story short: Apollo was deemed "too well endowed" when he was revealed to the Niçois and, after being adjusted, chiseled, vandalized, exiled and replaced by a boring mound of dirt with 3 pathetic palm trees for several years, the public eventually begged the Mayor to bring back the giant fountain!)

Place Masséna also leads to the "zone piétonne" (pedestrian street), bustling with restaurants, stores, ice cream shops and inns for every taste. 

You can stroll and sit for a long while in the calming "Promenade du Paillon" green space flanking Old Nice. If you look at a map, you'll notice it looks as sinuous as a river. That's because it was a river (the Paillon), which was covered in the 19th century. The river's terribly low water levels were unimpressive for residents, who mostly used the river to do their laundry. But the danger with the Paillon was that it could flood very quickly if there was a lot of rain in the hills behind Nice, and it did. The Miroir d'eau water jets and the nearby children's playground (featuring giant wood sea animals) were all designed to echo the underlying Paillon river. 

And if you enjoy narrow lanes far more than wide open spaces, then simply venture into the maze of streets of the Vieille Ville and linger there for hours. I promise you there is no shortage of inspiration for your senses. 

One of the aspects I miss most about living in Europe is the delight of market mornings. I would love buying not only produce and local foods from open-air markets, but also art, flowers and clothes. Especially in autumn and spring, I would love to find cozy sweaters and stylish boots, and to bring home art or antiques with a story to tell. 

The daily Marché aux Fleurs in the Cours Saleya square is primarily a flower market, but there are also many produce, food and art vendors. Off the Promenade, the Cours Saleya is behind the Quai des Etats-Unis (where you can see a mini Statue of Liberty). 

If you're a fish-lover like me, the fish market is located in Place St-François, an interesting part of the Old Town closer to Place Garibaldi. My Mom and I always say that I love the scent of fresh fish because she was unknowingly pregnant with me during her trip to southern Spain, where the smell of fish constantly made her nauseous. I like to think of traits that don't change, in a life where almost everything does!

At the heart of the Old Town, you come to the 17th century baroque Cathedral, Sainte-Réparate de Nice. Interestingly, its bell tower almost completely hides its gorgeous tiled cupola, so be sure to step back or climb up the hill to admire it in its entirely. ​

The Cathedral square, Place Rossetti, is also home to Nice's finest gelato shop Fenocchio, which is neither for the faint-hearted nor for the indecisive! Almost 100 flavors await your sampling. I recommend you visit once a day to try as many flavors as humanly possible! (Did I say once a day? I meant twice a day, at least). ​For the curious, my favorites were: meringue, fig, chocolate, nougat, cassis and almond. 

I'm sorry to say that to walk off all of the ice cream and pizza, the Promenade just isn't gonna cut it. Instead, you should climb up the Colline du Château (Castle Hill), take in the sights up top (like the Jewish cemetery, castle ruins and various lookout points) then walk down to visit the Port, and THEN walk all the way back to the new town via the Promenade. 

Then you can have more ice cream. 

The Port of Nice is currently under construction (in 2019) to accommodate a new tram, but the area is still highly enjoyable and picturesque. I love to lose track of time in ports and marinas, watching the comings and goings of boats, and imagining which one I would own. 

If you walk towards the Sea from the Port, you'll reach the Promenade, with the Monuments aux Morts, a tribute to citizens who lost their life in World War I.

Spending time in Nice in mid-October made me curious about how it changes and unwinds in the fall and winter. I am tempted to do as the English aristocrats did and trade my harsh winter for the gentle winter of Côte d'Azur! What do you think?

After all, one gets to know a place not only in its changing lights and tides, but its changing seasons. 

I hope my photos and words have convinced you to visit (or revisit) this precious place!

​Thank you, Nissa bella, for renewing my energy and spirit this fall. Our story's not done, I can tell. 

To read about the coastal towns and medieval villages I visited on the Côte d'Azur during my stay in Nice, check out this blog post: 

Stay tuned for the unveiling of the new Côte d'Azur collection of prints, postcards and wall art!