With my stay in Paris quickly coming to a close, I felt I needed to get away from the Ville de Lumière one more time and see a part of France that was completely different from any French region I had seen so far. What’s more, I needed a vacation. Last week’s escapade in London was eye-opening but admittedly exhausting. So, the choice was simple: I wanted to see the glittering blue waters of the Mediterranean on the shores of Nice and Monaco!
After a short flight from Paris (about 90 minutes), I walked out of the airport and was greeted with a blast of hot, humid air. My spirits were high; I was definitely far, far away from Paris.
We took a bus to the SNCF station in Nice, where the Hotel Pastoral was only a 5 minute walk away. The friendly Algerian working at the hostel’s reception desk informed me that my friend had already arrived, and sure enough, I found Hamza, my good friend from Montreal, in my room. It’s really quite something, seeing a familiar face in a foreign country after being away from home for so long!
The weather was hot and cloudless, so we headed out to a café for lunch. Along with my chicken panini, I tried my first taste of typical Niçois cuisine: socca, tasty pieces of crepe-like cornbread. It was a tasty, cheap snack that I now wish I can eat more of! Afterward, we followed the tram tracks to the center of the city, a large square with a fountain. Walking east, we cut our way through narrow streets of Vieux Nice to get our first glimpse of the Mediterranean. While the beach doesn’t have sand (instead, the coast is covered with flat round stones), it was packed with people (some topless, I might add) lazing in the afternoon sun. The shimmering blue sea reminded me of the beautiful colour of the ocean in Australia went I snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef.
Continuing on our trek, we found steps that led up a tall hill that overlooks the city of Nice. Along the way we passed by a beautiful water cascade and were treated to a stunning view of the red clay rooftops of the city and the neighboring azure of the sea. We also found the ruins of a medieval castle scattered about the hill.
We ended our walk by taking another scenic route down the hill back into Vieux Nice, where we explored the pedestrian streets lined with bars, cafes, shops, and glaciers. I’ve never been to Italy, but the old city looks similar to some photos I’ve seen. The old buildings are brightly colored in orange, red, and yellow. Locals hang their laundry across windows and leisurely stare down at the streets below. It was a very charming place to explore.
We found one of the most famous gelato glaciers in all of France, Fenocchio. This place is incredible. They had a whopping 100 flavors, which included licorice, rose, tomatoes and basil, avocado, lavender, and even beer! I had such a hard time debating which flavors I should try, and I wish I could have stayed longer just to try them all! In the end I enjoyed rhubarb, mojito, cactus (SO GOOD!), and Baileys flavors. Definitely a highlight of the weekend!
The rest of the evening was spent at the Hotel Baccarat, where we enjoyed free champagne and wine and met other backpackers travelling through France. It was a great way to end the evening, until an “unfortunate” altercation with a bouncer in front of a bar. Not a big deal though.
The next day we somehow woke up surprisingly early (around 8:30AM!) to catch a bus to the second smallest country in the world: Monaco. The bus ride along the Cote d’Azur was a 35 minute joyride with splendid views of the seafront. We arrived at the base of the Old City and leisurely explored the sights, palace, and views of the city from up high. Monaco has been built along rising cliffs and steep hills, which is pretty impressive to see. The city itself is really nice and you can definitely feel a sense of wealth everywhere. Hamza and I stopped to relax in one of the thin alleys for an espresso.
We then trekked down to the port, where we could see ridiculously lavish and huge yachts, with massive cruise ships in the distance. From here we entered the Gare de Monaco and took a series of escalators to the top of the city, where we eventually found the famous and exclusive Monte Carlo Casino. There’s no doubt that the rich hung out here; there were Ferraris and Aston Martins everywhere! Unfortunately we couldn’t enter because we were too early, and besides, “appropriate formal attire” was required to get in. I don’t think shorts and a t-shirt would have been allowed... :P
After a lunch of pan bagnat (pretty much a big tuna sandwich) we jumped on the train to go to Villefranche-sur-mer, where we found a quaint ocean-front town and a pebbly beach where we could enjoy the warm waters of the Mediterranean for the last time. The weather was sweltering and very humid, so a dip in the sea was appreciated!
We pretty much enjoyed relaxing and baking on the beach for the rest of the afternoon, which felt amazing and was the closest I had come to a vacation for a long time. When we eventually left, we headed back to Nice to wash up and head out exploring Vieux Nice as the sun set. I tried more typical Niçois cuisine for dinner, which included pissaladière (a deep-dish pizza-like meal topped with loads of onions, anchovies, and olives and without cheese) and beignets d’aubergine (eggplant fried in a corn dough batter). We walked the narrow streets crowded with hundreds of tourists and locals alike, until we eventually found our way to the rocky beach. Scattered groups of teens and twenty-somethings sat with bonfires, wine bottles, and even Chinese lanterns along the water. We skipped stones (my high score was 6 skips!) and sat and contemplated the beauty of the dark black sea, as distant lights of boats drifted by.
Nice was without a doubt my favourite weekend in France, if only to get the chance to relax, forget sight-seeing for a while, and enjoy the seaside. Fantastic.
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