Nice is the capital of the French Reviera, a beautiful and wonderful city on the Mediterranean Ocean. The area was first inhabited by early man about 400,000 years ago. They dwelt in the caves in the hills and nountains surrounding the area where the city was to develop. This city has a long history, first being mentioned in Greek texts in 350 BC. The Romans conquered in the 2nd century. Nice was part of the province of Provence and in 1388 the Kingdom of Savoy. During the 16th century Italian architecture became established. During World War 2 Nice was occupied by the Germans and then the Italians. Since the end of WW2 Nice has flourished and millions of tourists visit every year.
We recently were blessed to take an almost once in a lifetime trip. Flying La Compagnie airline required us to travel to Newark first and then on to Nice and Italy. The flight was wonderful, and I would certainly use this airline again. We were initially in NIce for only one day, then on to Rome. But we made sure to spend 4 days there at the end of our trip. Nice is warm, and even hot during the summer months. We felt that a better time would be in the later fall when tourist are fewer and the temperature is cooler. Regardless it was great fun.
We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Méditerranée, a beautiful hotel with rooms that viewed the Ocean front. The hotel is on the busiest street in Nice, so the traffic can be daunting, especially if you want a room with a view of the ocean. However, the rooms were very nice, service was wonderful and the restaurant and food were great!
Being right on the Mediterranean ocean, from our hotel, you just ralked across the street and were on the beach. There are “private” beaches, by this they mean you have a lounge chair, umbrella, table and service as you bask in the ambiance of the Mediterranean.
For many years Nice was either part of France or Italy. This continuous coutry and cultural change ended after the fall of Napoleon. Then in 1860 the Treaty of Turin gave Nice to France, sealing it’s allegiance. One can see that the constant change between countries and cultures would affect the local cusine, and it has. Further the cuisine of Nice is obviously affected by the unique foods of the area. Since the geography around the city did not lend itself to dairy cattle, goats were used instead. Therefore, the cheeses of the region were and are very goat focused. Olives and olive oil are an integral part of Nice Cuisine. During our stay they were running an “iron man” competition, and this is the apparent finish line outside our hotel, see the last photo above.
The restaurants in Nice are wonderful and varied. We especially enjoyed Calade on the top of the Radisson Blue. I have been there before and find it one of the best places to go in Nice. Beautiful view, wonderful food, great wine list, excellent service and just a great place to spend an evening. The first photo is of the manager who seated us at our first visit.
For a great dinner or meal experience, at what I would consider a typical and excellent, Nice restaurant, try the Bistro Gourmand. I couldn’t help myself and had to order the classic French dessert Crepe Suzette. It was delicious, being made in the second photo.
The streets of Nice are just wonderful to walk. The heat was a bit much I must admit however. Again, coming in a cooler month would be a good idea.
Alice and I were very impressed with NIce and would return, again in a cooler month with less tourists.
