I’ve been really enjoying digging up old travel photos and sharing them here on the blog! Last week I posted a few snapshots from a winter 2011 trip to Yunnan Province in China. This week I’ll be starting to share about my summer 2011 trip to France!
Oh, Nice (pronounced like “niece” in English). No throng of tacky tourists can stop me from raving about the beauty of this southern-French getaway. Nice is on the Mediterranean, which lends the city a gorgeous blue hue, excellent seafood, and plenty of beach bums.
If you’re going to spend considerable time in France, then there’s no excuse to skip Nice. It has everything from Impressionist museums to proverbial cafes to warm summer sand. As is the rest of Southern France, Nice’s vibe is more laid-back and casual than Paris’. The only thing taken too seriously is sunshine; everyone is chasing it.
The best thing about Nice is that it is so easy to explore. Wander through its alleyways, check out its menus du jour, and be sure to spend plenty of time on a balcony, drinking wine and enjoying the ocean’s stunning azure.
Take a bus (don’t forget to composter your ticket or you’ll get arrested, like we almost did) to the Musée Marc Chagall to enjoy a quiet gallery, just you and this strangely captivating artist. The Musée Matisse is not far away, and nor are the tranquil neighborhood churches for contemplation.
This is the city where you can actually sit at a cafe and read a book or people-watch (through sunglasses, of course) for hours, and no one will bother you. There appears to be no way to do this destination but slowly– and not without wine.
We stayed at the lovely Hotel La Perouse, a gorgeous spot with occasional good deals. The balconies overlook the ocean, as pictured in this post. Enough said.
Something about traveling through Europe, like a European, has always captured me. The ability to go slow. To sip wine at lunch. To wander its backstreets. To contemplate society’s quandaries. To write and create.
If you’re in France and want to slow down a bit, then you might as well slow down in Nice. That’s what they do here.
Have you ever been to a city by the sea that’s just all about slowing down? Where was it? What did you do (or not do) there? I’d love to know!
Thanks Lexi! I think you’d really like it there! It’s quaint and just urban enough!
Now I have a serious case of wanderlust! These pictures are gorgeous.
xx Lexi @glitterinclexi | Glitter, Inc.
Really!!! That’s amazing! It’s so gorgeous isn’t it?! Also, I thought there was sand but to be honest I enjoyed taking photos of the beach more than lying on it, hah. The town is so fun too though, and the museums are a real perk. I love places by the sea that have great culture and good food too.
Thank you so much Kirsten! I’m so glad you enjoyed Nice too and can share in the fun memories. I wish I was there right now too!
Thank you so much Jennifer! And I love seaside destinations that have a bit of culture and places to explore as well. Good luck planning!! 🙂
Thank you so much Laura, so glad to have a fellow Nice-lover, haha! And no, we didn’t go to Villefranche, but I just looked up some images and it looks amazing!
Oh my goodness! That is so exciting!! I can’t wait to hear where you guys go and see all your lovely photos. Paris is my favorite city too– so much to see and do and eat and explore. You and your sister are going to have SUCH a good time, I already know it!
That’s awesome!!! You guys are gonna love it there. Even one day is worthwhile! 🙂
We spent a week in Nice last summer for our one year anniversary! We really loved exploring and sitting out on the beach. We were surprised by the rocky beach. We didn’t bring sturdy enough beach shoes (the rocks hurt!), so we didn’t spend as much time at the beach as we would have liked. It was so much fun exploring the town, though. Now I reallllly want to go back!
We stayed in Nice a couple of a year’s ago and you are right, it is a great place to relax and take a drink in the cafe. We loved the pedestrian friendly area and the beach. Wish we were there now! Loved your pictures.
Your Pictures are lovely! So nice to hear about this city! We are looking for honeymoon places and this is a must look into kinda place!
Beautiful pictures! I love Nice, and you are right, sometimes travelling is all about experiences and slowing down is one of them. I love just sitting in a cafe like a local when I go away and taking in the atmosphere. Did you go to Villefranche when you were there? It’s like a smaller version of nice, so pretty!
Eeeek!!! This makes me SO excited for what my twin sister and I have planned in the coming weeks!! We are flying from Brisbane, Australia to Paris, France and after spending a good little while in our favourite city, we’ll be heading into the South of France for the first time! One of our stops will most certainly be Nice and I’m even MORE excited (if that’s even possible!) after reading this post! Your photos are gorgeous! X
This is why I love beachy cities and islands! Life is just slower by the water. We are planning on visiting Nice when we’re in France this summer, though I’m not sure how long we can stay (maybe just a night). It looks beautiful from your photos and I can’t wait!
Thank you Jackie! I think you would love Nice!
Thank you!!
Thanks Nelle! It’s lovely, I hope you make it there!
Thanks Nancy!!
Thank you so much!
Your photos are stunning! I spent a couple of days in Paris, but I didn’t get to travel to Nice on that trip….but I should really make a point to visit someday <3
Jackie
Something About That
You’ve just inspired me to add Nice to my travel bucket list — gorgeous photos!
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so beautiful! hope to travel there someday! the photos are amazing and the culture looks ideal for traveling
what a wonderful place to travel to! I can’t wait to do this one day. =)
xo,
nancy
http://www.adoretoadorn.com
Beautiful pictures!! The South of France is so beautiful… thanks for sharing!
http://goldendreamland.blogspot.com/
Oh, Betsy- you would love the rest of France! Similar to Paris but more laid back (and less snooty I might add!). Thank you so much for stopping by!
Thanks Mar!! Oh yes, that’s exactly where I want to be right now. And I’m so excited to be sponsoring you! 🙂
Thank you Shaguna!!
I’ve always wanted to go to Nice! I hit Paris during a Europe trip but otherwise I haven’t seen much of France… It sounds lovely right now when the stress of everyday is so annoying, just to shut it out and slow down in a slow city on the French seashore!
These pictures are beautiful. I can just picture myself sitting on that little terrace overlooking the city with a glass of wine in my hand.
So happy to have you hanging out at T.O. & fro this month!
Well, the good news is that throughout Europe you really can get by with English and just a few simple phrases in the local language. What we found was that the French really do speak good English, especially in the major cities, and my meager French was totally forgivable!
LOL I definitely did not check out the nude beaches…
Ah thanks Shireen, that is so kind of you!! I really am not a photographer at all; my husband just helps me raise the standards because he’s so good and focused! And you should go somewhere fun soon– and post the photos please!
It’s really great!! And yes you HAVE to go to France– it’s so much closer to you! And honestly, a lot of what we loved about France was free or inexpensive: people watching, wandering through parks and gardens, going to the ocean. Totally doable.
It’s been really amazing, my family has always really enjoyed travel, and I’m glad I eventually picked up a camera to capture it. And yes!! The best thing about the “slow vacation” is that you can do it practically anywhere that’s scenic. It’s the best!!
Wow! It looks amazing! A few of my friends were there the other weekend and said it was great!
Shaguna
http://www.goldandhearts.com
It looks like such a lovely place, there are many places in the world I would like to visit, although I am a little worried that I only speak one language and that’s English
I LOVED Nice. The nude beaches freaked me out though hahah I remember a really cool Marilyn mural I saw there!
Gosh, your photography never cease to amaze me, Daisy! What a stunning place and your vacation posts are making me crave for one myself. It’s been way too long since our last vacation.
Shireen | Reflection of Sanity
Wow Nice looks like paradise, I am so jealous, but also glad that you got to explore it 🙂 Your description of sitting at a cafe with a book, and watching people walk past sounds so nice, especially with the beautiful warm rays of the sun on me (which is rare in Ireland!). I’ve never been to France, but I WILL go, I have no excuse really, it’s so close by!
You have had the opportunity to visit such beautiful places! What a complete blessing. Slow and steady sounds like my kind of vacation. I’ve never been on a vacation where we’ve actually rested. After all, isn’t that was vacation is supposed to be about? The fact that I will know how to correctly pronounce this if it’s ever brought up in conversation makes me really excited. I hate pronouncing things wrong.
Loving these vacation posts and I bet you are loving a trip down memory lane. (:
http://www.accordingtokiki.net
Oooh I miss Italy too…
Ooh my friend went to Strasbourg and I saw her photos– incredible! And I really enjoyed Capri too! It was beautiful, but I’m glad we didn’t have to pay the premium to stay there. We were just there for the day!
Yes!!
It’s really amazing! France is a great destination for a little bit of everything!
Oh you would love this place, Brittany!!
It’s so great!! So many destinations, totally worth the plane ticket.
France is amazing, Renee- you would love it!!
I’ve not been to Nice but you make me miss Italy (and make me want to visit Nice along the way!)
I haven’t made my way there yet, but I’d love to go. I think my favorite place in France has got to be Strasbourg, have you ever been? As far as my “city” by the sea had to be Capri, I loved it!
Such a beautiful place!
Wow, what a dream destination! I would LOVE to go to France at some point. Your gorgeous pictures have me longing for some travel 🙂
This place looks gorgeous! I’m so with you on wanting to wander, go slow, and sip wine/coffee/tea without hurrying myself along to get to the next thing. Nice seems like a perfectly dreamy place to do just that!
Ahhh France looks amazing! I so want to go there!
Such a gorgeous place! I would absolutely LOVE to visit France one day!
Renee | Lose The Road