Nice & Cannes, France

Cote d'Azur in a day

Last year I was blessed with the chance to explore the south of France and let me tell you this, it was beautiful. I went on this trip during the month of March '13, and the sunshine and warmth was simply amazing. I remember I almost cried when I went back to London, because I was basically sunbathing in Nice and 2 hours later, I was in the snow. Again. 

Amazingly I only had one and a half days to explore Nice and Cannes and it was such a quick whirlwind, I think I have to come back one day to explore these cities thoroughly. However, I did get to see an exquisite glimpse of France's beauty beyond Paris' Eiffel Tower.

The view in Nice was basically, very nice (I just had to). We drove up the hill to see a beautiful panoramic view of mountains and peninsulas that projected out into the still, blue sea underneath a hovering blanket of blue skies. From what I remember, we found this photo stop randomly while waiting for our driver to return from his bathroom break. This gorgeous palette of blue and green hues quickly impressed me. I did not get to snap pictures of the city, but I remember a lot of beach villas and people in roller blades- so hopefully you understand that Nice is the perfect vacay town. 

We continued our drive up the Moyenne Corniche and reached a nearby small town called Eze, entering the Fragonard Perfumerie. This museum showcases the process of creating perfumes, starting from collecting the scent of unique flowers up until final packaging. It was quite interesting to see the process of capturing the fragrance of things you would find in nature.

 

We then explored Promenade des Anglais, otherwise known as The Walkway of the English. This street is probably Nice's most busy area, and the most tourist-packed too. It offers spectacular views of the Mediterranean sea, and I was not the only one captivated by this beauty- I learned that this place inspired great painters like Henri Matisse amongst others. I love how the sea is completely calm, like it's the perfect spot to just sit with a good book with plenty of space to breathe and reflect. However, if you look back to the other side of the promenade, you'll find a busy street full of hotels, cute cafes and shops and you're back to the lively part of the city. It's just the best of both worlds.

Cannes was less 'glitz and glamour'y than expected, but it was still stunning! The beach was walking distance from our hotel, but we had to pass many streets of high end and high street shops before reaching the waters. I think the palm trees are a great addition to Cannes' charm, and the vibe is basically what you would get if you mix LA's laid back attitude with a dash of French elegance. What I love about this city is that at night it's still so lively, there are so many nice restaurants and bars at the beachfront to choose from. (Can I just add though the foie gras tastes much better in Jakarta restaurants...) We also visited the main building used for glamorous galas like the Cannes Film Festival.

I personally like exploring the French Riviera more than Paris (more on that later!) because everywhere you look, there's a reminder to not stress about anything in life. The second day I had to take an hour-long bus from Cannes to Nice, where I then waited for 6 hours by myself for my plane back to gloomy London. I remember it was quite awkward because I didn't have anyone to talk to during the whole day. But I also remember how rejuvenating it was to unwind at a bench facing the sea.

I had a discussion with a good friend of mine a couple of nights ago amidst a traffic jam on the way home. We debated on what an 'ideal' trip would be, whether it's supposed to be relaxing and refreshing, or you should be so tired from non-stop exploring all the city has to offer. In the end, we agreed to disagree- because I realized there is a very clear difference between a holiday/vacation and traveling to explore. I guess Nice and Cannes falls better in the first category, although these cities are very small and I would almost say there's not much to see and do (compared to cities like Paris and Rome, for example), nevertheless this short trip was a very memorable one because it taught me to take a step back and be refreshed through reflecting on the great blessings God has given me thus far.