Last January, when I came back from my winter holidays, a friend of mine called me one night and proposed to go to Nice in France out of the season. Nice in France in January? Why not? She found really cheap tickets and accommodation and said she has never been to France, so that was the perfect occasion. I had a few hours to think about it, and thought, actually why not? So the next Saturday morning we embarked on a girly trip to Nice and Monaco out of the season. Why not?
We arrived in Nice in the morning and headed to our accommodation which was close to the city centre and the seaside. Nice is not a big city and we could see all the main attractions in one day.
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Flower Market (Marche aux Fleurs) in the Old City (Vieux Nice)
We started our city tour with the traditional Flower Market (Marche aux Fleurs) that takes place on Saturday morning in the Old City (Vieux Nice). The Market is located at Cours de Saleya, a place full of little cafes and traditional shops. The wheater was sunny and warm and we decided to have a coffee with croissant and jus d’orange at one of the terraces at the Marketplace. After that, we did the market and bought Calissons de Provence and flower petals in sugar (rose and lavender). These little petals were really close to heaven!
Colline du Chateau and Mark Chagall’s museum
Now it was time for a walk on the beach. The sun, the sea and the good company are a real blessing, especially in the winter! As the Colline du Chateau was on our way, we climbed the hill and arrived at the top. This is the perfect spot to see the city and the sea from above and to make awesome pictures. We walked around, enjoyed the sun and came back to the city passing by the port. The afternoon, we paid our respect to Mark Chagall’s museum. The museum is not big and is easily done in one hour. There is a little garden around the building to have a rest before continuing to explore further.
French delicacies
Next stop – the city centre. The first thing to do – brunch at La Brioche Doree, a French cafe chain. They offer a myriad of French delicacies for a quick lunch, brunch or just coffee and croissant.
The main shopping street was just around the corner and we hang out there and returned back to the Old City to check the little souvenir shops and feel the great atmosphere of the little streets. I always buy a souvenir that reminds me of each place I visit. In the Old City, I found a handmade bags shop – and here it was, my souvenir from Nice – a lime colour little leather bag. The minute I saw it, I bought it. Every time I wear it, it reminds me of my Nice-weekend with the girls…
Monaco out of the season – why not?
The next day we decided to visit Monaco by bus. As the road is between the sea and the gorgeous rocks, the view is just breathtaking. Really beautiful. It was raining and we were not lucky with the wheater. The first thing we checked was the famous Monte-Carlo casino. You can enter inside to take pictures if you want. Then we headed to the Vieux-Monaco and saw on our way, Fort Antoine. The Old City is located on a hill and is full of charming little streets and restaurants. As lunchtime has come, we went to a Creperie and enjoyed delicious crepes salees. After lunch and on our way back to the bus stop, we stopped by Saint Nicolas Cathedral and took pictures there as the panorama is unique. We were very very lucky to see the cars of Grand Prix du Monaco as well.
Our French escape to Nice and Monaco out of the season has come to its end, with a lot of nice memories and promises to absolutely repeat it. And you, what is your next weekend escape?
Thanks for reading!