We’ve had a home in Nice for about nine years now, and it just seems to get nicer all the time. There are plenty of things to see and do here: we have the sea, sun, history, art, music… It’s also a great base with easy access to other areas along the Riviera, including Monaco and Italy.
So if you are thinking of coming to Nice, here are a few resources:
In my book, Curious Histories of Nice, France, you’ll find the stories behind the buildings, monuments, food, and traditions of the city. It’s a light read that will help you enjoy your time in Nice.
For specific “what to do” advice, see Best of Nice Blog’s guides for eating, drinking, shopping, nightlife, etc.
For places to stay check out:
Luxury Apartments – Parler Nice Apartments has luxury vacation apartment rentals in Nice that will make your stay on the French Riviera as enjoyable and memorable as possible.
Airbnb Room – Rent an airbnb room in Fiona’s well-located apartment in the center of Nice.
Self-Catering Gite – If you would like to stay outside the city in a self-catering gite, Lou Messugo might be what you are looking for. Located in a quiet village, 25 minutes from the Nice airport, it has a pool, and it’s ideally placed to explore the south of France.
Even more choices – See the “Best of Nice Blog” for Gail’s suggestions on where to sleep in Nice.
What have I been up to?
We have lots of travel plans for the summer, and we are looking forward to doing some really interesting things: a story-telling festival in Wales and the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh should be a lot of fun.
As far as writing goes, I think I need a break from the French Revolution as it can be a bit heavy going. So to lighten things up a bit, I have started researching legends of Provence.
As a little taster for you, here is the legend of how lavender came to be cultivated in Provence.
The Legend of Lavender
Once there was a small, blue-eyed fairy called Lavendula. She was born high on a mountain in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence where the wild lavender grew, and she had lived there her whole life.
One day, Lavendula decided she wanted to see more of the world, so she came down from her high perch to visit the plains of Provence. When she saw the dry barren fields burned by the unrelenting sun, her heart was so sad that she began to cry.
As the tears from her blue eyes rolled down her cheeks and landed on the soil, they made puddles of violet-blue colored water. The sadness of this empty land made her cry so much that she ended up standing in a small pond.
When she finally pulled herself together and saw what she had done, she tried to wipe up the blue water, but the more she wiped, the more the color spread. Soon the entire land was a blue-violet color, and out of this grew the lavender that has become one of the best known symbols of Provence.
*There are several versions of this tale and the above is mine.
Where to see lavender
There is nothing like seeing the purple fields in full bloom. You won’t see lavender in Nice, but you don’t have to venture very far to see it. It can bloom from the end of June to the beginning of August, depending on the weather conditions. You can create your own lavender route on this site:
Hope you are gearing up for a great summer.
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