"All year sunshine, the compelling beaches with stunning view on Baia des Angel (Bay of Angels), a vibrant urban city filled with young energy, Nice is a place to reckon to give you another view other than the romance factors in France"
Nice was registered to our mind not from the World Atlas nor our Geography teacher but from the a comedy film - Mr. Bean's Holiday. Impression of the city given in the film was similar to the physical experiences we had in Nice, a vibrant, happy beach city. The moment when we get out from the train station, we felt a different feeling compared to rest of France. Nice was humid and hot relatively compared to France, and the city is chanting a more relaxing & "vacation brimming" atmosphere. Unfortunately, our time in Nice was a relatively short one, as about half of the time in Nice was spent to venture into Monaco and the Ventimiglia, the neighbouring Italy city. How we wished we could spend more time explore this vibrant beach city.
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| Promenade des Anglais |
What We Did in Nice
1. Overseeing Angel's Bay, Promenade des Anglais
An overview of Bay of Angels and Promenade des Anglais is one of the most surreal view you will get in Nice. To get such panoramic view, we hiked to the top of Castle Hill, and that certainly considered a test to our real weak stamina! We were lucky by managing to reach the spot in early evening (probably before 6 or 7pm), as the guard in charge closed the entrance when we were descending from the hill and prevented any more entries!Â
Of course, all hard works are paid off for us as we get to take some nice and Instagrammable pictures on the way to Castle Hill.Â
Want to take similar shots as well? Tie your shoelaces and get your foot moving!Â
2. A Stroll / Sunbathing at Bay of Angels
Nice is a heaven for you if you enjoy sunbathing. The warm Mediterranean weather and the warm sea breeze makes this an excellent spot for an escapade during winter in France. Having said that, the number of tourists or locals at the beach are aplenty, and it could really get crowded.
Nevertheless, we still enjoyed by taking a slow stroll across the bay, all the way till I love Nice sign.
On top of that, please Google French beach etiquette for the dos and don'ts. Do not become a prick at the beach and sabotage everyone's holidays, would you?
3. Monuments aux MortsÂ
The giant monument located at the cliff of Castle Hill are French war memorials established to commemorate the losses of 4000 people in Nice during World War I. It is one of the many Monument aux Morts established across the country.
4. Shopping at Avenue Jean Medecin
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| Basilique Notre-Dame de l’Assomption |
Located in the center of Nice, Avenue Jean Medecin is the most happening place in the city. It is the main shopping street with plenty of brands here. At the meantime, the symmetrical facade of the architecture also offers dozens of photogenic spots here.
Running down to the southern part of the avenue and we come across Massene Square, the historic square of Nice. It is a place with influx of tourists, which explains the establishment of restaurants here.
We do notice the restaurants around Massene Square tend to have a higher price. Obviously the restaurant are catering for tourists, with their crew holding the menu and trying their best to persuade us to dine in.Â
We do notice the restaurants around Massene Square tend to have a higher price. Obviously the restaurant are catering for tourists, with their crew holding the menu and trying their best to persuade us to dine in.Â
5. Quay Sided (Vieux Nice Port)
The port is located at the other side of Nice, also known as the old town. As Nice is facing the Mediterranean sea, naturally there will be an exodus of boats decking at the port. Therefore, you may come here to sit back and relax, while enjoying a drink or a meal and absorbing some Mediterranean vibes. You will be treated to the views of boats trickling in and out of the dock too.Â
6. The Old Town
Despite the "new town" of Nice is highly popular among tourists and visitors, the other side - old town also has plenty to offer. It allows you to travel into the 1700s, surrounded by architectural gems. There are restaurants, bars, boutiques, shops around here, just linger around and discover what can be done here.
Nice is just 30 minutes train ride to Monaco and an hour train ride to Ventimiglia. Check our subsequent blog post when we venture into these 2 different countries, making visiting 3 countries in a single day - France, Monaco, Italy!
Our time in Nice was short and we were not able to embark on a great culinary journey like those time in Belgium. Nevertheless, we discovered 1 or 2 nice food which you all should be visiting!
7. Visiting Monaco and VentimigliaÂ
Nice is just 30 minutes train ride to Monaco and an hour train ride to Ventimiglia. Check our subsequent blog post when we venture into these 2 different countries, making visiting 3 countries in a single day - France, Monaco, Italy!
What We Eaten in Nice
Our time in Nice was short and we were not able to embark on a great culinary journey like those time in Belgium. Nevertheless, we discovered 1 or 2 nice food which you all should be visiting!
1. Socca @ Chez Pipo
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| Parmigiana (€5.90) |
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| Pissaladiere (€2.60) |
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| Simpler (€2.90) |
Chez Pipo serves Socca, a food synonym to Nice; and a taste that I cannot find elsewhere. Apparently, Chez Pipo has been operating since 1923 and is a must go restaurant whenever you are in Nice.Â
The business was so brisk at Chez Pipo that we have to wait for some time to get an empty table. Basically, socca is an oven baked pizza made with chickpea flour. Its taste is unique with crispy edge but the texture is akin like beans or potatoes.Â
After having Simpler and Parmigiana, we ordered another hot item on the menu - Pissaladiere. It was like a toasted bread topped with onions.Â
We miss Chez Pipo so much and how we wish have an opportunity to come back to Nice again to sample this delicacy!
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| Chez Pipo restaurant |
2. Gelato
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| Ginger & Grenade (pomegranate) Gelato |
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| Nutella Crepe |
We get a Gelato as some sweet end again. This times, we were impressed with the variety of flavour offered in this shop, which includes Ginger! Personally, we thought the ginger flavour is unique and offered some heat components, totally differentiated it from the conventional gelato we had.
At the same time, we also ordered a Nutella Crepe. Though not the best crepe we had but the filling was insanely sinful and rich. It was dressed with abundance of chocolate!
3. Self Prepared Breakfast
For a budget breakfast, we bought some fruits at really affordable prices - 2 pieces of kiwi (€0.50) and 4 pieces of peaches (€1.22), along with muesli (€2.19), milk (€0.95) and an almond croissant. It is healthy too at the same time!Â
Accommodation
We stayed at a small and cozy apartment block along Avenue Jean Medecin and we somehow enjoy the view there. It is clean, simple and the host is friendly too.Â
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| Some snacks we bought |
Well, that marks our short stay in Nice. Next, we ventured into a different country - Switzerland before heading back to the romance capital Paris.
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Check out Shirleen & Ee Pin's Instagram for more beautiful photos we have taken.
Check out Shirleen & Ee Pin's Instagram for more beautiful photos we have taken.
~End~
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