Ten days on the French Riviera
This past May, we decided to split our trip to France into two portions, half in the French Riviera and half in Paris. This turned out to be a wonderful way to see a ton and really get a feel for how diversified the country really is. We started our trip on the 13th of May, flying from Denver straight to Frankfurt, Germany. After a super short layover we made the short flight from Frankfurt to Nice, France. The uber ride from the airport to our hotel was less than 15 minutes. I’d done a lot of research on which city we should stay in and at what hotel. Nice seemed like the logical choice as it is somewhat in the middle of the riviera, is very beautiful and was big enough to offer a lot of variety but still small enough that we could get around easily on foot.
Our hotel
Le Negresco is a landmark in Nice, located right on the Promenade des Anglais (English Walk), or as we might say in the states, right on the boardwalk. It is a hundred years old and filled with unusual art, and has interesting nooks and crannies around every corner. It’s eccentric owner, a woman in her nineties, still lives there on the top floor. If I were to ever go back to Nice, I would for sure stay at Le Negresco again.
As you walk through the hotel you can’t help but feel like you’re in a palace with a sort of Alice In Wonderland vibe. Check out the strange yet interesting bathtub that was in our room. The staff were incredibly helpful and kind, especially the concierge. I’d say the only drawback was how pricey all the restaurants inside the hotel were. The breakfast buffet at La Rotonde was 30 euro per person. Even if you don’t eat there, you should definitely check it out, very whimsical and fun. It was a fantastic spread but not quite worth the price. We quickly learned to walk to the many other restaurants that surrounded our hotel.
La Rotonde
Some of the interesting art
Why Nice is the perfect home base for exploring the French Riviera
Like I said before, we chose Nice based on its central location on the riviera. This made for easy travel to all the other places we wanted to visit while we were there. It was a quick twenty minute walk to the train station. We took trains to Cannes and Monaco with no problems what so ever. Thankfully someone gave us a heads up that there were strikes going on, so we made sure to check times and cancelled schedules. We quickly realized how heavily Nice is influenced by Italy. Italian restaurants dominate for sure, which my husband was very happy about. He didn’t know if he’d love French cuisine or not. A couple days into our trip we learned that Nice didn’t officially become part of France until 1860, prior to that it was part of Savoy and Sardinia.
Nice itself has so much to see and do. You must make the climb up Castle Hill to take in the panoramic views of the city. From there you can explore old town with its open market and plethora of restaurants. We walked up and down the promenade on a daily basis, it is beautiful no matter what time of day you go. A surprising spot was the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral. This is hands down one of my favorite cathedrals I’ve ever visited. It is just visually stunning. I could have sat there for hours looking at it. We followed that visit with a quick break to enjoy some delicious pastries. I could write an entire article on French pastries alone. I was in heaven just walking into one pâtisserie (French bakery) after another. These were my favorite places in Nice but there is so much more to explore with all their museums, chateaus and vineyards.
Must see locations outside Nice ♥♥♥
Saint Paul de Vence
The best way to describe Saint-Paul de Vence would be to call it an open air art gallery. There are literally dozens of tiny art galleries and studios scattered throughout this tiny village. Every corner is home to some sort of art. If art is your thing, a visit here is a must. This itty bitty wonder dates back to 1506 and I fell in love with its winding alleyways and discovering little treasures around every corner. Sadly we only spent a few hours here, it is definitely a spot where you could spend a full day admiring the art, architecture, food and just the cool ambiance. It is just a short 30 minute drive to get here from Nice.
All the quaint villages around the riviera are really what gives it such charm, and sets it apart.
Hmmm….weird, just weird
Antibes
Okay, to be completely honest, if Antibes hadn’t been included in a tour we went on, I probably wouldn’t have chosen to go there. The big draw in this tiny village is the Picasso Museum. If you’re into art and like Picasso’s work, this is definitely a place for you. I am by no means an art aficionado, but I can’t say I’m a huge fan of Picasso. My little brother used to draw a lot and his work looked very similar to the photo on your left. I just don’t get it. I would have enjoyed the open market much more than the museum, but I love food in all its many forms, so I think I’m biased. The museum was interesting but just not my cup of tea. The photos give you a good idea of what to expect if you go there.
Cannes
The Cannes Film Festival just happened to be going on while we were there. We had the chance to check out the red carpet and see what the festivities are all about. It is pretty impossible to actually get in to see one of the films but we did get to wander around and see what was going on. We saw one celebrity while we were there, Latoya Jackson, weird I know. I said hi to her and she was kind enough to say hi back. I reached out and touched her on the arm as we were walking past her, probably not the smartest thing to do since she was surrounded by bodyguards. Oh well, I guess I looked harmless as they didn’t tackle me to the ground.
Cannes is definitely the biggest and most city like out of all the places we visited on the riviera. This is probably one of the reasons it was my least favorite. It just lacked the charm of the quaint little villages. It may be more inviting when it isn’t so congested and overtaken by all the film festival hoopla. It was very easy to get there, we just jumped on a train in Nice and arrived 40 minutes later. It was cool to check out, especially being able to see what goes on with the film festival. It was very different from all the other places we visited, felt almost like a small American city.
The screen set up on the beach was for an open screening of Grease. How cool, except the line started forming three hours before they even opened the gates. The next day we learned that John Travolta dropped by to say hi to the fans which was awesome, just not worth waiting for hours in line. Taking pictures with all the movie cutouts was fun and gave us the opportunity to get into a touristy mood.
We never would have known this view even existed if it weren’t for our amazing tour guide Mago. He told us about his favorite place, saying how sad he was that most people never got to experience it, simply because they just didn’t know about it. He was kind enough to drive us up there on his day off. From Le tete du Chien you can see the entire French Riviera. To the east you see Monte Carlo, Monaco and the Italian border then to the west you see all the way to Saint-Tropez. What an incredible sight, totally worth the twenty minute drive up the mountain.
Le tete du Chien
The best view in all of the riviera
Ahhhh…Èze
It’s hard to pick a favorite place on the French Riviera, it really is. There are so many spectacular places to visit. But if I had to pick just one, Èze would be it for me. There is something just so magical about this place. Seeing this tiny village perched on the very top of a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean is truly something to behold. Besides the amazing views, winding cobblestone paths, and adorable shops, my husband and I enjoyed one of the best meals we’ve ever had. I know, I know…food and I have an unbreakable bond.
So our first visit to Èze was part of a multi-stop tour. We were there for a very short time and quickly realized we’d have to come back. Thankfully one of the amazing concierge at our hotel knew just what to suggest. There is an incredible hotel in Èze called the Château de la Chèvre d’Or and inside that hotel is a wonderful restaurant called Les Ramparts. In general, European’s definitely enjoy longer and more leisurely meals than we do as Americans. They make an event of it, which was the perfect way to enjoy Les Ramparts. The food was delicious on its own but you add in the breathtaking view and I could have happily stayed there all day. Besides meandering around the village, this three hour meal truly made Èze a complete standout on our trip.
On our way to Èze we stopped and took a tour of Fragonard Parfum Laboratory. It was really fascinating. Learning about the amount of work and time that goes into making parfum (perfume to us), really gave me a true appreciation for it. I scored some amazing scents while I was there, which I’ll be wearing for the next 8 years (yep, they stay fresh that long). I would recommend a stop and the tour if you’re at all interested in perfume and how they make it.
Monaco & Monte Carlo
Monaco, the second smallest country in the world, is definitely a place I would recommend spending a full day. We took the short 30 minute train ride from Nice. We ended up taking a strange route down from the train station into the city where we took stairs that were carved into the rock. Needless to say when we finally got to the bottom we saw that we could have taken escalators down inside the actual train station.
Monaco sits at the very top of a cliff and is a little bit of a hike but totally worth it. Monte Carlo is actually bigger and sits down at the base of Monaco. This is where you’ll find the world famous Monte Carlo Casino. It’s a cool looking building, but the inside didn’t look much different from any other palace we’ve been inside, plus they want you to pay 20 euro just to walk inside the casino. Unfortunately we found that stop quite disappointing.
We happened to be there just a couple days before the Grande Prix. They already had the course completely set up so we got to drive the course and then actually walk on it which was pretty cool. To see up close just how narrow and winding it is, really made me wonder how there aren’t more crashes. It was crazy.
Monaco itself is absolutely beautiful and spotless. I dare you to try and find one piece of trash. The views are gorgeous and it just has a very tranquil feel to it. We enjoyed watching the changing of the guard at the palace, a fascinating walk through the Musee Institut Oceanographique and a leisurely dinner down one of the narrow, picturesque walkways. Definitely a spot I would recommend giving yourself plenty of time to enjoy.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
This quaint village lies on a small peninsula just 20 minutes east of Nice. This spot is home to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. The villa and grounds were commissioned by the Baroness Charlotte Béatrice de Rothschild from 1905-1912. She called this beautiful place home. When she died childless, it was her wish that it become a place that would could be enjoyed by all. This is a perfect place to spend a morning or afternoon. The gardens are so immaculate and beautiful. I saw types of plants and flowers there that I’d never seen before. The roses were gorgeous. After enjoying the gardens we took a lunch break out on the terrace. I highly recommend their Quiche Lorraine and the fruit tart, they were both delicious. Their entire dessert selection looked delectable. After lunch we took a look around the inside of the villa. It gave us good insight to what life would have been like for the extremely wealthy back in the early nineteen hundreds. All in all, a wonderful and relaxing way to spend an afternoon.
All the Glorious Food
I couldn’t accurately chronicle our time on the riviera without talking about the food. We ate a lot of delicious pizza and pasta which made sense with the heavy Italian influence throughout this region. I love all food but if you know me at all, you know that sweets hold a very special place in my heart. The pastries in France are both spectacular to look at and to eat. The artistry that goes into making each and every baked good is astounding. Pâtisserie’s are like little art studios filled with the most beautifully crafted gems. Had we not walked 8-10 miles every day, I certainly would have gained a ton of weight on this trip.
My favorite meal during this portion of the trip was the croque-monsieur I enjoyed while sitting at a little cafe on the Promenade des Anglais. If you like grilled cheese, you’d love this. They have not one, but two layers of ooey gooey cheese and they throw in thinly sliced ham to boot. So, so good. I didn’t have a single disappoint with any of the pastries. My husbands favorite is the Napoleon or as the French call it, mille-feuille. We could both eat our weight in chocolate filled croissaints (pain au chocolat),they were a daily staple at breakfast. We also made a daily trip to Amorino for gelato, hallelujah once again for the Italian influence. We truly were in food heaven.Hope you love these treats as much as I did.Bon Appétit!!!
We were sad to see our time on the French Riviera come to an end, but luckily we had ten days in Paris to look forward to.