🇫🇷 Nice

On our last day in EZE we headed for Nice the 5th biggest city in France. We headed up the craggy cliffside roads which took us to the medieval village of Eze which sits 1,400 feet above sea level. Driving these narrow cliff top roads was definitely an experience we don’t need to repeat!! But !!! Driving down into Nice we had spectacular views of the ocean and town. We were shocked at how closely jammed pack the housing looked!!! Not the sort of cityscape we are used to.

After getting a great park well researched by Rob we headed to wander through the antique market which is held in the town on Mondays. It was full of fine silver wares, lots of old paints and many antique treasures. I got an old French coin with a hole in it to add to my necklace for a whole euro. Rob thought this was a bargain. He was impressed with my spending budget and quirky taste!!! During the rest of the week this market area is full of fresh produce and flowers.

Then we went for a walk along the Promenade des Anglais which seems to go for kilometres along the ocean front. The beach is a pebbled beach awash with a beautiful jade coloured ocean. Even on a hot summer’s day few people were actually swimming, most just enjoying baking their bodies in the summer sun. The beach is a mixture of public free sun baking on the pebbled stone and use pay private chairs and umbrellas.

One thing that we find so hard to get used to is the lack of public toilets along the beach front and then when there is one you need to pay to use it. We are so used to drinking lots of water to stay hydrated back at home in Queensland but here this comes at a cost. We now try to only go when we buy a coffee and use their restrooms.

We also watched heavily armed soldiers on patrol along the promenade. Again something we are not used to seeing on our beaches back home but after what happened here it is important for public safety.

Aligning the promenade are magnificent hotels as before WW2 it was the winter playground for the rich and famous. Our favourite hotel was the Negresco Hotel which opened in 1913 it stand out with it beautiful pink dome roof.

We strolled through the crowded street as it was the first day of the European school holidays. If the children were not at the beach they were in the fountain square cooling off. We thought this was really cool in more ways than one.

Nice is full of nice architectural buildings and fountains.

We wandered through the old town’s maze of narrow lanes in the heat of the day. Young French soldiers walked passed us fully armed. They looked so young to be carrying guns.

We were unable to view the cathedral and church in the old town as both of them were closed for lunch.

We have enjoyed our time in the Côte d’Azur and have been thankful for beautiful accommodation that was central located but quiet and best of all it had great air conditioning. As during the middle of the day temperatures here in summer are extremely warm for two Australians from Queensland.

Tip freeze your water the night before heading out to explore!!!!! You will need it as there are many steep alleyways and stairs to climb in these lovely towns.