It was July 13th, which for those who are unfamiliar with their French history, is the day before the national Bastille Day celebrations. The 14th is a major national holiday, during which many shops and most offices are closed, allowing French workers to take the…Read More

It was July 13th, which for those who are unfamiliar with their French history, is the day before the national Bastille Day celebrations. The 14th is a major national holiday, during which many shops and most offices are closed, allowing French workers to take the day off. Because of this the evening of the 13th is often reserved for celebrations, parties and the like. In the Cote D'Azur in 2011, the celebrations were to take place in two separate stages. On the day itself, there would be a huge fireworks display on the Promenade Des Anglais, and, on the 13th, there would be something similar – albeit on a smaller scale – in the town of Cagnes Sur Mer just a few kilometres along the coats.

As we were both off work the next day, and as it was my first Bastille Day in France, my girlfriend and I decided to sample both celebrations. This mean that on the evening of the 13th, after I finished work, we needed to make our way to Cagnes. I had already passed through Cagnes several times on my way to Grasse (a town in the foothills of the Alps). So, I knew that we could reach Cagnes on the 500/200 buses. Both operated between Nice, Cagnes and beyond – the 200 goes to Cannes and the 500 to Grasse. They are both very reasonably priced with the journey costing just one Euro. However, the downside to the bus is the time it takes. The journey to Cagnes should take around 40 minutes, but often takes longer because of traffic. An extremely prescient concern on the 13th as there would be a huge amount of holiday traffic. Therefore, my girlfriend suggested that we take the train.

There are three stations in Nice. St Agustine in the west is close to the airport and the western districts of the city, such as Fabron. Riquier is in the east of the city and is closer to the port area. However, by far the biggest and most accessible is Nice Ville, which is situated in the centre of town close to Avenue Jean Medecin.

Trains run in the direction of Cagnes Sur Mer – continuing on towards Grasse and Cannes – every twenty minutes or so during the day and every 30 minutes during the evening. The last one departs at just after nine o'clock. Curiously, trains coming in the other direction operate much longer into the night, with the last one arriving in Nice after 1a.m. The fare is a very reasonable 2.70 in one direction. There are also several types of reductions such as those for elderly people and for students – these tickets usually cost 2.10 Euros. Buying tickets is a relatively simple process. However, it can at first be a little intimidating. There are very few actual ticket desks. Instead, there are scores of machines that accept coins or credit cards (they are safe and secure). The screen is clear and easy to use – there is also an English option – so you become familiar with it, it really is very simple.

We took the 9 o'clock train. As it was the eve of a national holiday it was very busy. Although, I am told that the line is very popular and trains are often crowded at peak times with commuters heading into and out of Nice. Thankfully, though, we were able to find seats and the journey was very comfortable. The trains are modern double-decker affairs with plenty of seating and separate 'quiet' sections for those who do not wish to be disturbed my the noise from mobile phones. The journey to Cagnes took just over 20minutes.

After enjoying a nice meal and watching a rather underwhelming firework display on the Cagnes Promenade, we headed back to the station to catch the 11.36 train. The station was completely closed. So, we again opted for ticket machines to buy tickets. The whole place was deserted, which made me feel rather nervous as I began to ponder if the timetable was 100% accurate – perhaps the trains stopped around 9 o'clock in both directions? However, to my relief the train arrived bang on time at 11.36 and was almost deserted.Close

Between 2006 and 2010, I lived in Tianjin in northern China (I have written several journals about my time there on this very sight). For the most part, I absolutely loved my time there. However, during my final six months, work concerns began to make…Read More

Between 2006 and 2010, I lived in Tianjin in northern China (I have written several journals about my time there on this very sight). For the most part, I absolutely loved my time there. However, during my final six months, work concerns began to make things a little more stressful than I would have liked. So, I often found myself in search of an escape, somewhere to help me relax and to allow the stresses of the world to dissipate. The closest I came was the gym and spa at the Nikko hotel in the centre of the city.

There were many reasons that I loved spending a lazy afternoon at the Nikko. The gym was excellent, the pool was very nice and the sauna and steam room were invigorating. However, no trip to the Nikko would be complete without a stroll in their massage pool. This was a small circular pool that was lined with soft round stones. These stones were there to provide a type of foot massage - without the need to actually have your feet rubbed. I loved them. And, sadly, no matter how much I tried, after I left Tianjin I was unable to find anything similar.

After living in both Turkey and Oman for six months and finding nothing to compare to the Nikko, I was resigned to the fact that the only way I could make my feet better was to go for an actual foot massage. I was not keen on this idea for a couple of reasons: (1) I always get very self-conscious when other people touch me, which makes massages bizarrely stressful, and (2) On the French Riviera, foot massages are expensive treats. All looked lost until the arrival of summer and my first trip to the beach.

The majority of beaches on the Cote d’Azur are not covered by beautiful golden sands. Rather, they are made up of small grey rocks. For example, both Nice and Cagnes sur Mer are totally made up of rocks. Most people see this as something of a disadvantage as they are less comfortable for sun bathing. In fact, many beach clubs have sprung up in Nice that offer elevated sun loungers and wooden decking to minimise the effect of the rocks. In truth, the rocks are a little uncomfortable. However, they have one major advantage, they offer great foot massages.

This realisation struck me for the first time as I made my way out of the water and back to my towel after swimming in the Mediterranean for the first time. For my first few tentative steps, I tried to pick my way through the rocks. However, I soon began to realise that those very rocks were kneading the stress out of my feet like no masseuse ever could.
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If you have read some of the other entries in this journal, you will have seen that I very much enjoy a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais – the road that runs along the sea-front in Nice. You may will have also noticed that…Read More

If you have read some of the other entries in this journal, you will have seen that I very much enjoy a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais – the road that runs along the sea-front in Nice. You may will have also noticed that I enjoy donning my sneakers and enjoying running parallel to the waters of the Mediterranean. It did not take me long to establish this as one of my weekly rituals of life in the south of France. There are, in fact, few better ways to spend a warm Sunday afternoon.

However, as wonderful as the scenery on the Promenade des Anglais can be, there are a few drawbacks to running there. The largest of these is the sheer volume of people. On a balmy Sunday afternoon, not only a large proportion of locals, but also scores and scores of tourists descend on the Promenade to enjoy the sunshine. On occasion, there are so many people that the whole area becomes decidedly claustrophobic. Not only are there pedestrians strolling along the sea-front, but there are also bikers and roller-bladers all battling for territory.

This situation makes having an enjoyable run almost impossible. There have been occasions in which I have spent more time swerving from side to side to avoid tourists who had stopped suddenly to take a picture than I did actually running in anything like a straight line. There have been others where I have had to take large detours to avoid large families of British tourists walking four abreast and monopolizing the space available on the Promenade.

To escape the tourist hordes and to get some breathing space, I have hatched all sorts of schemes. The first of these was to try and run away from the port and centre of Nice and head towards the airport. This helps a little as the traffic on the Promenade dwindles in certain spots. However, there are several beach volleyball and boules courts at the far end of the beach that get very crowded on a hot day. I have also tried running at night. This certainly helped with the congestion. Unfortunately, it had the major drawback of rendering the beautiful scenery null and void. I also faced the problem of encountering rowdy drunks or the army of prostitutes that ply their trade on the promenade after dark.

As the weather improved, it seemed like I would be doomed to dealing with the crowds on the Promenade. And, sadly, this is something I have become resigned to. However, there was one Sunday in early April, that gave me a brief taste of liberty. It was a Sunday when the heavens opened and it rained all day, giving me the opportunity to enjoy the sea-front in blissful solitude. Being a native of the north of England, I am no stranger to cool and windy weather. So, when I awoke to grey clouds, pounding rain and blustery winds, I was not fazed. I simply donned my running gear and stepped onto the Promenade. I was alone. So very alone. I was able to run all the way to the airport (about 1km from my apartment) without encountering another soul. I then pounded – and splashed – my way back all the way to the Massena Museum and then home.

At this point, I can guess what you are thinking. Surely, the weather would make the view on offer far less impressive. In a way, you would be right. The bright blue sky and the Azur waves of the sea had been replaced by a combination of greys. However, rather than damaging the view, the weather simply changed it. The sea, instead of looking like some inviting photograph from a holiday brochure, took on a deep and ominous shade that seemed to give it a whole new personality. There was also a wonderfully delicate mist drifting in and dancing over the palm trees to create a wonderfully paradoxical feel.

The Promenade in the rain was fantastic. It gave me the chance to enjoy my run in peace and also allowed me to view the scene in a completely different light.
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It was a lazy Friday afternoon in the office. My colleagues and I were winding down in preparation for the weekend. As we began to tidy our desks and shut down our computers, one of the receptionists informed us that it was the first night…Read More

It was a lazy Friday afternoon in the office. My colleagues and I were winding down in preparation for the weekend. As we began to tidy our desks and shut down our computers, one of the receptionists informed us that it was the first night of the carnival and that we ought to go Place Massena – one of the main squares in central Nice – to enjoy the festivities as the first night was free. For the rest of the festival entrance to the main area would be over 20EU. As I am a massive fan of getting something for nothing, I decided that it was a fine idea. So, a small bunch of us marched down Rue de France to enjoy the sights.

It proved to be a bizarre evening. The Place was immensely crowded and was a scene of pure chaos. There were scores of small stalls selling confetti, silly string – foam string that can be squirted from a can – and snow spray. Hundreds of children (and a few adults too) were taking advantage of this to ensure everyone was soon covered in foam or hundreds of tiny pieces of paper. Amidst this chaos we had to wait for the show to begin.

When things finally got under-way, there was an overwhelmingly nautical theme about events. In Place de Massena stood a giant inflatable version of Neptune, which was to be finishing post of the parade. It was a bizarre sight as the God of the Sea was red and was bathed in deep orange light, which seemed odd to me - surely, blue would have been a far better colour. I guess there was something artistic that I had overlooked in the whole situation. Neptune was soon joined by scores of balloons depicting various ocean creatures. There some that looked like fish, others that seemed to be jellyfish and one that looked like a giant lobster. These were eerily beautiful. They floated rather gracefully above the crowds and really did give the impression that they were swimming through the waters of the Mediterranean. The jellyfish was particularly captivating as it seemed to genuinely be floating and drifting above our heads.

We stayed for the main part of the performance, which was pretty impressive, and then headed our separate ways – all covered in confetti and silly string. I guessed that my brief flirtation would be all I would see of the carnival. I presumed it would last over the weekend and maybe into the following week. However, over the next three weeks, I found that I just could not escape the carnival and that it began to grate on me a little.

The first thing that began to get to me was the predictability. There were shows and parades around the old town, along the sea-front and into Place De Massena almost everyday. Even though admission to Place de Massena was quite expensive, there were plenty of side shows and parades that were still free. I must have seen the sea-creatures that had been the star attraction on the first evening around seven or eight times more during the remainder of the carnival. Apparently, they made an appearance everyday. This seemed to me to be overkill. However, it was the same for the whole event. Sadly, many of the other parts of it were far less awe-inspiring.

The sea-creatures had been elegantly crafted and looked genuinely beautiful. However, there were also a series of floats that sported cartoon style characters that were amusing on their first outing, but which soon began to get very annoying very quickly. For example, there were three or four giant figures with frighteningly pink skin that were depicting sun burned tourists. This make me chuckle the first time I saw it as even in early March my pale English complexion was struggling with the Riviera sun. The joke was far less funny the third and fourth time I spotted them ambling down the sea-front. The same was true of the confetti. Getting sprayed on the first evening was rather fun. It created a very carefree environment and a sense of allowing caution to fly to the wind. But, when three weeks later I was still finding kids wanting to throw the stuff at me as I tried to get through the celebrations to my office, I felt far less carefree.
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If I were to ask you to picture the Cote D'Azur and the city of Nice, what images would spring to mind? I would imagine that the first thing to float across your brain would be palm trees, perhaps closely followed by bright blue seas.…Read More

If I were to ask you to picture the Cote D'Azur and the city of Nice, what images would spring to mind? I would imagine that the first thing to float across your brain would be palm trees, perhaps closely followed by bright blue seas. Then, in quick succession, we might conjure the idea of expensive cars – convertibles with their tops down – or well-dressed locals sporting over-sized sunglasses and Prada handbags. In fairness, you do not need to spend too long in Nice to see all of these. In fact, a brief stroll along the Promenade Des Anglais provides a plentiful supply of them all. However, since moving to Nice, I have noticed that it is not all tres chic. There are a few other things that you might encounter that really do not fit with the image of the French Riviera.

For the first of these factors, we need to look at a passion that is rooted deeply in French culture. Dogs. Around Nice, you see hundreds. These range from large animals straining their owners leash, to tiny pampered little creatures that sit in handbags. In short, the French love their chiens. Sadly, they are not so keen on cleaning up after them. As a result of this, the streets are covered in a frightening amount of excrement. On most streets, the average pedestrian really has to keep their eyes open and their wits about them to avoid stepping in something sticky. During my first couple of weeks on the Cote D'Azur, I had to move between hotels a couple of times. This involved me wheeling my suitcase around town, a process which left its wheels in less than pleasant condition. No-one enjoys cleaning the wheels of their case with a toothbrush and a peg on their nose!

It is not just, though, some unpleasant canine surprises that haunt the streets of Nice. There are also a couple of other factors that are quite alarming. The first of these is the beggars. In an area of such wealth and beauty, homeless people begging in the street become highly conspicuous. They are also highly frequent. As I walk to work in a morning, I cover 2 or 3km along Avenue Californie and Rue De France (Roads which run parallel to the sea-front). On these roads, I will regularly encounter five or six beggars before I get to my office. Having lived in some countries where poverty is high – China and Mongolia being the strongest examples – sights like this are not new. But, I must admit, they were a major surprise when I first arrived.

Not only was I shocked by the prevalence of beggars, I was also deeply shocked at just how cosmopolitan they were. For example, one occasion I came across a rather intimidating looking chap with tattoos over both arms and a large scar across his face. He approached me asking for money in French. As he looked quite frightening, I was not particularly keen to engage him. So, I simply told him in French that I was English and did not understand. To my surprise, he responded rather eloquently telling me that he had no food, and, asked if I could give him two Euros for breakfast. I must admit, I was not expecting such an intimidating and ragged looking figure to be bi-lingual. So, I dropped a few cents into his palm and moved on. Even though that encounter certainly surprised me, it proved to be far from unique. As the Cote D'Azur is such a cosmopolitan area and attracts people from across the globe, it must surely pay for those living on the streets to make their pleas in different languages. On several occasions, I have been approached and found myself in a similar scenario, with the beggar speaking to me in my own language.

To illustrate the final surprise from the streets of Nice, I need to describe the end of an evening out in Nice Old Town. My colleagues and I had been to a bar in the main area of the Old Town, a couple of blocks from the sea-front. After a few beers and a little dancing, we parted ways and I began to walk home along Promenade des Anglais (The main road along the sea-front). The first thing I noticed that was a little amiss was the amount of people waiting at the bus stops. I found it strange that the buses ran so late as it was well into the early hours. I was also surprised at how many of those waiting seemed to be rather scantily clad young – and youngish – women. Only then did it begin to dawn on me that they were perhaps not waiting for a bus and were, in fact, waiting for customers. They were all prostitutes.

Feeling rather embarrassed and also a little nervous and intimidated, I decided to change my route home. So, I moved onto Avenue de Californie. However, the scene was the same, except the women seemed a little less young and a little less glamorous – although I am sure 'glamorous' is not the correct word. The following day I asked one of my colleagues about what I saw. He confirmed that it was a common sight, particularly on weekend evenings. He also confirmed that the young ladies on the Promenade were considered to be of a far higher standard, "executive prostitutes" he termed it. I decided that I did not want to learn any more and would try to find a slightly more sedate route home.
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When I was a small boy and my family went on vacation by plane, I always felt the need to occupy the seat by the window, to gaze out and see the wondrous sights below. As I have grown older – and my legs have…Read More

When I was a small boy and my family went on vacation by plane, I always felt the need to occupy the seat by the window, to gaze out and see the wondrous sights below. As I have grown older – and my legs have grown longer – I have begun to appreciate the value of the greater leg room offered by sitting on the aisle rather than by the window. After several flights across Europe and Asia, I have also concluded that there is rarely too much that is actually worth seeing. However, I changed my mind just a little as I arrived on the Cote D’Azur and my flight made its final approach to Nice Airport.

As I had booked my flight just a couple of days before departure, I had been unable to reserve and aisle seat – they were all occupied – so I was left with a seat by the window. I knew Nice was a beautiful location, but I was not optimistic of seeing too much of beauty through the window. The precedents I had experienced for arriving in beautiful cities were poor. On the three occasions have landed in New York, the weather was grey and completely obliterated any of the famous skyline. When I flew into Istanbul, all I managed to see was a few tower blocks and some scattered office parks.

In fact, there were only two occasions on which I ever saw anything interesting. The first was when I flew into Ulaan Baatar in Mongolia. And, this example was not really an example of great beauty. As the city is surrounded by miles and miles and miles of frozen nothingness the view was pretty bland. I was, though, able to spot the city from a great distance away the dark shroud of pollution that hovers above grew larger and larger on the horizon. The only time I can recall being dazzled by beauty through the airplane window was when I arrived in Muscat in Oman. I had flown to Muscat from Dubai across the desert, but as the flight neared its destination, it followed the line of the coast into the city. The view was fantastic. It took in bright blue seas, hundreds of palm trees and some stunning beaches.

Arriving in Nice topped all of these, though. The airport is situated, literally, meters from the sea. And to land many flights coming from the north must loop around and approach from the south. This meant that my flight from Heathrow did a grand arc and came in over the Mediterranean. In the course of this arc we looped over the bay and across the beautifully blue sea, past the harbor, which was full of some unbelievably expensive yachts and along the palm-lined sea-front before touching down. For the first time in many years I actually enjoyed being cramped up by the window.

Two weeks later I headed to Paris on business. Sadly, on the return leg for the flight, my awful record re-asserted itself as the flight looped in over the darkened hills behind the city, leaving me with a massive sense of disappointment at missing out on the wonderful view.
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One of the favorite activities in Nice is a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais, which follows the sea from the airport almost to the Port. The sights both seaward and inland are beautiful and often evocative of an earlier time.The Negresco Hotel is…Read More

One of the favorite activities in Nice is a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais, which follows the sea from the airport almost to the Port. The sights both seaward and inland are beautiful and often evocative of an earlier time.

The Negresco Hotel is one of the most famous sights in Nice, with its pink cupola and ornate Belle Epoch facade. It has two restaurants - the starred Chantecler and La Rotonde. If you want to have a sumptuous meal, the Chantecler is wonderful. There's a special deal for lunch: for 60 euros you will get a 3 course meal and lots of wine to accompany it. If you're not ready to spring for that, La Rotonde is more reasonable and very good, with a nice terrace looking out to the sea.

My favorite terrace to sit on and have a "coup de champagne" is The Westminster Hotel, just a block east of the Negresco. The terrace makes me feel that I'm living in the 1890's.

Further east is the fancy and expensive Palais de la Mediterranee with its Art Deco facade. When we first came 10 years ago, there was just the facade: they had knocked down everything behind it and then entered a law suit that went on for many years. Finally a few years ago, the hotel, casino, and condos behind the facade were finally completed. Not an easy operation but worth it to save this beautiful facade.

A bit east of there is the Tourist Office, where you can pick up all sorts of useful information. Further on is Albert I Park; if you walk through there, you will come to Place Massena, the center of Nice. But if you stay on the Prom and go a bit further east, you will come to the beautiful Opera House. The view from the Prom is actually the back of the building - the pink marble front is on the other side.

Just a bit further on, if you go through the archways, you will find the Cours Saleya (see other review). Along the seafront are The Ponchettes, a series of two-story terraced houses and restaurants and galleries that were once fishermen's homes facing the sea and backing up to the Cours Saleya. These are charming buildings. Behind them you will look up to Le Chateau, the hill that divides the center of Nice from the Port. Look carefully and you will see the manmade waterfall high on the hill. The round building just by the hill at the end of the Ponchettes is an elevator that can take you up on Le Chateau for its wonderful views. A great place for a picnic!

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Any trip to France must be centered around meals. These are not rushed, fast-food experiences; they are time to sit and relax with friends and loved-ones, talking as much as eating. And there are many things that you should try when you…Read More

Any trip to France must be centered around meals. These are not rushed, fast-food experiences; they are time to sit and relax with friends and loved-ones, talking as much as eating. And there are many things that you should try when you are here that you won't find readily in other places.

For hors d'oeuvres, you must try pissaladiere, made of onion, sauted until falling apart, and olive and anchovies on a pizza-like crust.

Snacks: Socca is the ubiquitous Nicois snack: a chick-pea flour and olive oil paste and baked to a cake-like consistency and eaten quickly. Not my favorite thing, but you should try it.

For entrees (first courses that often are enough for a full lunch), try the Salade Nicoise, lettuce topped with tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and canned tuna. Other ingredients may be added (perhaps green beans?), but these are the basics.

Another entree that is a favorite of David's is Soupe de Poisson: a clear reddish-brown fish broth, served with a side plate of croutons, garlic (to rub on the croutons), shredded cheese, and rouille, sort of a mayonnaise-y sauce made with saffron and peppers. You top the garlic-rubbed croutons with the sauce and sprinkle with the cheese; then lay the crouton in the soup to soften up and enjoy.

Pizzas are really great, with very thin, crisp crust. You'll find all sorts of ingredients - cured ham, artichokes, and often a soft-boiled egg on top. Delicious.

For a main plate, the souris d'agneau is wonderful: lamb shanks cooked slowly until the meat is falling off the bones. Duck (canard)in any form is wonderful. Steaks (faux filet), on the other hand, an American may find to be a bit chewy. The pastas are great and often homemade; don't forget how close we are to Italy! Pizzas, too, are delicious with a very thin skin and a choice of many toppings.

Desserts are wonderful, as expected. At most restaurants you will find mousse au chocolate, tarte tatin (apple tart), ile flottant (floating island, meringue on vanilla sauce), moelleux chocolate or fondant chocolate (flourless chocolate cake that's melty inside - my favorite). Better restaurants will have fancier things, often using figs or lavendar or other less well-known (to Americans) ingredients.

Especially around Christmas time but available year-round are macarons. These sandwich-like cookies have nothing to do with the coconut macaroons available in the US. These are delicately colored (rose, coffee, vanilla, pistachio, chocolate, orange, etc) top and bottom layers of meringue stuffed with cream flavored in accordance with the color. Yum! (The raspberry are the best; no, the pistachio; no, the coffee; no......)

Foie gras: I don't eat liver and don't usually like liver pate. Foie gras is completely different. It's rich and sweet and decadent. Order an entree to share if you are hesitant about it. It should be accompanied by a sweet wine, ideally a sauterne. A real treat.Close

Public transportation in Nice and the whole surrounding area is wonderful. I recommend that visitors NOT rent a car; we lived here two years before we decided to rent one and that was because we like to go over to Italy and up…Read More

Public transportation in Nice and the whole surrounding area is wonderful. I recommend that visitors NOT rent a car; we lived here two years before we decided to rent one and that was because we like to go over to Italy and up into the further villages that are not accessible by PT. But as a visitor, with a couple of weeks to explore, you will not need a car.

You may arrive at the airport or by train. The Nice Cote d'Azur Airport is very easy. There are two terminals with a bus that will take you from one to the other. There is an Airport Bus - I think the fee is around 4 euros - and there are taxis. But for getting into town from the airport, I like to take the #23 bus which you can pick up at Terminal #1 and which costs 1 euro. It will take you to the main train station, passing points near the center of town, towards the west side. If you arrive by train, you can take the same bus to hotels on the west side of town. Or you could just walk to the center of town if that is where your hotel or rental is. There are other buses that can take you to the east side of town and the port area. Your hotel or rental owner can tell you which bus is best for you.

When you board a bus, you will pay one euro for a ticket; you must then "validate" your ticket in the machine behind the driver. There are stiff fines if you are caught without a validated ticket. The ticket is good for a transfer within 74 minutes, and you must validate the ticket on the next bus or tram that you take.

Getting around town:

The bus and tram system is terrific. There are buses that will take you up to the Museum area in Cimiez, to the Port, and anywhere else you will want to go. The new tramway goes all the way down Av. Jean Medecin, our main shopping street, through Place Massena, the center of town, and past Old Town, to beyond the Acropolis, the main theater and convention center of Nice. The bus or the tram is one euro - you will need a ticket for the tram before boarding, available at machines at each stop. Remember to validate after boarding.

To get to the many other beautiful and interesting village that you will want to visit during your stay, there are buses available at the Gare Routiere which is located along the tram line near Place Garibaldi. The #100 bus will take you, for one euro, as far east as Menton on the Italian border; a very popular stop is Monaco/Monte Carlo, about an hour ride from Nice. In the other direction there are various buses for Antibes and Cannes (the same bus), Vence and St. Paul de Vence (the same bus), Grasse, and so forth. Another very popular destination is the perched village of Eze - another bus at the Gare Routiere. Almost all these trips are 1 euro, so you can see that it is better to take the bus rather than renting a car - you will be busy looking at the beautiful scenery along the route.

Besides the city buses, there are two tourist options for Nice itself: a Hop on/Hop off bus and a Tourist Train. The two trips are quite different but, if you want to do only one, I would recommend the less expensive Tourist Train that will take you a bit into Old Town and by the Flower Market and also up to Le Chateau, the hill that separates the main part of Nice from the Port. The views from there are spectacular. However, the Tourist Train runs only in the nicer months while the Hop on/Hop off runs year round.

There are also bus tours of the region through Santa Azur (located on Jean Medecin, west side, just north of Gallerie Lafayette). For instance, this month (April 2009) they offer one day tours to Toulon, Les Arcs Sur Agrens, a medieval fair in St. Maximin, and various other destinations. They don't seem to have a website, but once you are in Nice, just go to their storefront office and pick up a schedule.Close

Following the collapse of Roman influence in Provence, hilltop villages grew out of a need for security. Saint-Paul-de-Vence was one of them. The village dates back to the ninth century and has been remarkably preserved. The modern ramparts protecting the city were…Read More

Following the collapse of Roman influence in Provence, hilltop villages grew out of a need for security. Saint-Paul-de-Vence was one of them. The village dates back to the ninth century and has been remarkably preserved. The modern ramparts protecting the city were constructed during the reign of Francois I (1494-1547), and in 1872 the city purchased them for preservation. Saint-Paul has a remarkable modern history as home and playground for the rich and famous, yet it preserves for today’s visitor the (supposed) charm of medieval life in southern France.

To visit Saint-Paul you enter through the fortress gate that opens off a staging area for tourism. Inside, plunge immediately into a network of deep and narrow streets that wind about on the hillside and front an array of art galleries, upscale boutiques, restaurants and homes. Bring your walking shoes, because it’s up and down over cobbled streets and stone steps all day.

If the interior of the village seems dark and confining, the rear terrace is an opening to the surrounding the countryside. Take in the view of red-roofed houses from the top of the ramparts and dine in one of the open-air restaurants.

The charm of Saint-Paul has attracted artists for over 100 years, and the village still contains works by major talents, who paid their room and board with them. Mark Chagall is buried here.

To get there you may follow the A8 toll way from Nice and take exit 48-Gagnes. Then get onto Avenue des Alpes (D336) and then Boulevard Pierre Sauvaigo (D436), which quickly becomes D536 and D7. By then you will see ample signage pointing to Saint-Paul. As you approach Saint-Paul you may want to park at the free lot adjacent to the road on the right. This lot was mostly full in September, which is not the peak season. The parking garage next to the village is not free. The drive is about 21 kilometers from the center of Nice. Bus No. 400 from Nice leaves at 30 to 45-minute intervals and gets you to Saint-Paul in about an hour after several stops.

Drive past Saint-Paul, if you like, for further adventure. The town of Vence is a few kilometers down the road and offers additional shopping, dining and atmosphere.

The Saint-Paul official Web site is at http://www.saint-pauldevence.com/, providing essential historical and cultural information about the town.Close