Halfway through my month-long traveling extravaganza already! Nice is a beautiful coastal town in the South of France in an area known as the Cote D’Azure (Azure Coast) and I am definitely ready for a little beach time! Despite the breathtaking coastline and beautiful traditional European architecture, the most striking aspect of Nice for me was the active Flower Market. This is an open-air market of sorts that is open every day from 7 am until 1 pm and sells not only a wide array of stunning and exotic flowers, but also all kinds of fresh produce and homemade goods from the local area. I simply stood awestruck for a few minutes, snapping away on my camera, taking in the vibrancy and liveliness of the scene; locals haggling over prices, shopkeepers hawking their wares (in French and English for the sake of the wealthy tourists), and numerous self-proclaimed foodie types meticulously squeezing, smelling, weighing, and inspecting vegetables to ensure top quality.
Barring the effervescence of the people, the actual market itself was bursting with vivid colors from deep reds to bold purples as a result of the never-ending variety of flowers and fresh produce sheltered under bright red and yellow tents. I definitely have never experienced anything like this before, and I would definitely recommend it not only for food connoisseurs, but any amateur photographer looking to get some really great shots of people in a fun and dynamic environment.
After a whirlwind morning in the market, we ventured down to the beach armed with fresh bread, veggies and cheese for an impromptu picnic in the afternoon sun. The beach was mildly disappointing as it was comprised mostly of very large pebbles which were covered in a chalky substance that got all over one’s clothes, but the weather was beautiful and the food was amazing so I am hardly in a position to complain. We spent the afternoon exploring an old ruined chateau and the surrounding estate on a cliff overlooking Nice and the coast. The view was gorgeous and there were a ton of walking paths and hiking trails weaving up the cliff. Then we went to see a stunning Russian church, hidden away amongst the traditional French buildings.
Since we were in the area, we decided to take a short bus ride over to Monte Carlo in Monaco! The city itself is really staggering. You drive through a short tunnel and, upon emerging, Monte Carlo rises up before you, built into the side of a cliff and extending out into the harbor. Stepping off at the harbor, you are nearly overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of wealth that sits before you, rocking gently in the breeze and carrying carefree hoi polloi’s sipping champagne and laughing heartily. The yachts came from all over the world, though a significant portion of them were from Georgetown on the Cayman Islands. The area itself is beautiful, deep blue water (it’s not called “The Azure Coast” for nothing!) and green cliff faces. Walking along the coast, the sun smiles down upon this little haven for the rich as Rolls Royces, Bentleys, and Lambourginis whizz by en masse and a woman jogs past us decked out in head to toe juicy couture. (I didn’t think anyone ACTUALLY JOGGED in their juicy couture jogging suits). We meander down to the beach, past a car exhibition filled with tanned businessmen in floral shirts and do what all of the underage common folk who visit Monte Carlo do, stretch out on the beach for a few hours of sunning and people-watching. After tanning properly for the first time in ages (belly exposed and no shoes to create odd tan lines!) we ventured up a rather tall hill to explore the Monte Carlo Casino. The building was beautiful and all of the windows tinted black or mirrored so that prying eyes couldn’t see inside. After a long day, we went on an unexpected adventure trying to find the 100 bus back to Nice and ended up basically walking the circumference of the city. However, often on adventures, you discover cool things and this was no exception. While retracing our steps along the coast, we saw someone traversing the harbor via hydro-powered jet-pack! Not satisfied with merely mystifying tourists and ostentatiously displaying his wealth, the man proceeded to get into a race with a speedboat and a jet ski, and won! Someday, I’ll be back here with my very own yacht parked out in the harbor!
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