Menton, France

Menton, France

Another small village of note along the Riviera is Menton. Situated  along the Franco-Italian border, it is nicknamed la perle de la France ("The Pearl of France"). We took bus #100 from Nice and traveled through several other coastal towns, including Monaco, on the one hour ride. The bus is a cheap way to travel along the coast, but is often crowded, and we had to stand most of the way.

Empty streets in Menton's centro storico

Menton is a quaint, unpretentious, and attractive village, just 5 miles from the Franco-Italian border at Ventimiglia. It was a pleasant change from Nice, with few tourists, lower prices, and a sandy beach.

The Jean Cocteau Art Museum

The Jean Cocteau Museum houses the collection of American businessman and Cocteau enthusiast Séverin Wunderman, and is situated along the beach. Unfortunately, it was closed the day we were there, a Tuesday. (I've become accustomed to museums being closed on Mondays in Italy, but in France they're closed on Tuesdays, which caused us to miss out on seeing several of the great art museums in Nice.)

Mosaic in front of the Baroque basilica Saint-Michel-Archange

I learned later that Menton is also famous for its gardens, another aspect that we missed seeing. I should have done more research on the area before the trip: having a traveling companion made me lazy, it seems.

Empty beach!

It was an overcast day, and the beach was completely devoid of people. Unlike the rocky composition of the beach in Nice, Menton's beach is sandy, and I was able to walk along the shore in my bare feet.

Looking out to the Riviera

We wandered around Menton for a few hours, did some shopping, and stopped to eat galettes at a creperie. Galettes are crepes made of buckwheat flour, and are usually savory, instead of sweet.

Le Milady Creperie

A savory galette, with eggs and chorizo

I first became acquainted with galettes when I visited my friend Monica in Paris in 2012. She took me to a creperie where I had a galette with a salad on top. It was incredibly delicious! You can read about it here: Arrival in Paris.

I tried several galettes while in France this time, but none of them matched the one I had in Paris. Instead, I found them to be heavy and wanting in flavor.

View of Menton from the beach

After a peaceful visit in Menton, we boarded the bus, and headed back to Nice. As we traveled through Monte Carlo, I was only able to get a few shots of the town, famous for its casinos and status as a country separate from France.

That way to the casinos!

Monaco's license plate, denoting it's status as a unique country.

Nice, France: Vieux Nice

Strolling in Vieux Nice.

One of the most charming parts of Nice is the historical center, known as Vieux Nice, an area of the city that has scarcely changed since the 1700s. Its tiny lanes are crowded with delis, food shops, boutiques and bars.

A spice shop.

Though I walked through this area several times a day, I didn't do much shopping there. But I enjoyed seeing the variety of shops and cafes vying for attention.

A unique bar/cafe

Vieux Nice has become a trendy area, with an abundance of color and panache: its a veritable feast for the eye.

Welcome to our vintage clothing store!

Luscious pastries!

 And of course, lots of tempting food is available!

A restaurant specializing in local foods.

Since we were there in October, the tourist traffic was lighter than usual, and the shops started closing after 7 or 8 pm, leaving many streets with an eerie, empty feeling.

By 8 pm, some streets of Vieux Nice were empty.

Overall, our stay in Nice was a unique adventure, but much too short to take advantage of all that the area has to offer. There's so much to do and see! I hope to return in the future for a longer stay. 

Nice, France: The Beach and Castle Hill

Sailboats on the Mediterranean, from the beach at Nice

We've all seen images of the French Riviera, and it's touted as one of the most beautiful spots in the world. But seeing it up close and personal was not what I expected. Yes, it's long, and attractive: the weather is lovely and the setting is exquisite.

Hanging out on the beach

But the beach itself? It's rocky! And it's no fun walking along a rocky beach like the one in Nice. What's more, walking barefoot is out of the question. But if you can get past that, it's a great place to spend an afternoon watching and listening to the waves.

The only sand you'll find on this beach!

There is only one sandy spot, a sort of large sandbox, where kids can play and build sandcastles. There is also an absence of changing cabins, which are readily available (usually for a price) on the beaches in Italy. Instead, in Nice I noticed several people, men and women, changing their clothes right on the beach. They managed to take off all their clothes and put on bathing suits (usually bikinis) with little fuss or notice...quite modestly, in fact, without any sort of cover up.

You can see how large the rocks are on Nice's beach. Ouch!

Even though the rocks kept me from walking along the beach, I found a spot to sit and enjoy the sights and sounds of the waves crashing on the shore. It's a lovely sound...like a rain stick....a swoosh as the wave comes in, and then a clatter of the rocks hitting against each other as the wave recedes.

Benches like this are placed along the Promenade des Anglais: a great place to watch the sea!

After walking along the beach, we decided to explore Castle Hill, the highest point of the city, where there are spectacular views of the Riviera. We went in the afternoon, and were already tired, so took advantage of the elevator that swiftly transports you from beach level to the top of the hill.
 

A view of the Riviera from Castle Hill

At the top, there is a large park with a terrace, and a variety of paths to meander along. The 90-meter terrace overlooks the sea, but the castle itself is no longer there.

A view of Nice from the other side of the terrace on Castle Hill.

Castle Hill” was the site chosen by the Greeks in 350 B.C. to set up a trading-post, thus founding the city of Nice. The post became a permanent settlement, and they named it Nikaia, after Nike, the goddess of victory.

Cascade Dijon: A man made waterfall on Castle Hill

A castle was built on the site during the Middle Ages, but had been completely destroyed by 1706, as the city underwent the tumult  caused by various rulers. 

Castle Hill with the beach in the foreground and the full moon above.

We made our way back down to the beach from the castle, avoiding the elevator in favor of walking. We were lucky to be in Nice during a full moon, and I was able to get some lovely shots of the beach and the city under its glow.

Nice, France: Place Garibaldi, Place Massena

Place Gardibaldi

In France, the large squares where people congregate are called les places, and in Nice there are several places of note (the singular, place, is pronounced like plas). Luckily, our hotel was just around the corner from Place Garibaldi, a popular hangout, where one could easily catch the tram to get to other parts of Nice. The tram service is efficient and streamlined, and the voices announcing the stops are sultry!

Place Garibaldi under the full moon, Oct. 2014.

Place Garibaldi is named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, hero of the Italian unification, who was born in Nice in 1807. In fact, Nice was part of Italy for most of its history, until  1860, when it was ceded to France as a territorial reward for French assistance in the Second Italian War of Independence. There's a large statue standing in tribute to Garibaldi in Place Garibaldi, but it seems ironic that he is so honored, since he opposed the cession.

Place Massena showing a few of the resin statues.

In Place Massena – Nice’s geographic center – there are seven resin statues that were created by Jaume Plensa, a Spanish artist. They are depicted as male figures, sitting or kneeling, as if in meditation. At first glance, they seem a bit odd, but also intriguing.The nearby buildings are attractively painted in lovely shades of red or orange ochre, all with light blue shutters.

At night, the statues light up, radiating the colors of the rainbow.

These seven figures represent the seven continents and the communication between the different communities of today’s society. The name of this creation is “conversation à Nice”. In addition, the statues are illuminated every night, smoothly changing shades, going through the different colors of the rainbow, as if to emulate a dialog among them.

Tram moving through Place Massena

Place Massena is one of the largest public "squares" I've seen in Italy or France, and is the main square in Nice. Since the place was rebuilt in 2007 to accommodate the tramline, everything looks fresh and new. Place Massena is often used for special events and festivals, but serves as a park and meeting place for both locals and tourists on a daily basis. 

Blowing bubbles in Place Massena

Statue of Apollo in the La Fontaine du Soleil in Place Massena.

At one end of the square stands the La Fontaine du Soleil, or Fountain of the Sun, with a majestic statue of Apollo at its center. From here, it's only a two-minute walk to the Promenade des Anglais and the beach.