The Blue Chairs of Nice, France

We finally got our chance to experience the blue chairs of Nice. We've had several family members visit Nice and rave about it so now we finally got our chance, too.  It was our next stop after we left Venice on the road to Nick's house in Spain. And what a lovely Mediterranean spot. This is part of the French Riviera on the Mediterranean and while we were there we also visited Monaco, the home of the Grimaldi dynasty who have run Monaco since the 1200's and most notably known for when Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier.  We got a slight taste of the French Riviera last summer when our cruise stopped at Marseille and we met up with my brother who was also there at the same time that I wrote about here.  Of course, we always wanted to go back, just like Venice, so we decided to plan a stop here on this trip and we're so glad we did.  We loved it here.  Our favorite part was the long four mile Promenade you could walk everyday. 

We loved walking it.  The beach is not sandy but more like little rocks but still easy enough to sunbath; a very popular thing to do in Nice.  We mostly did sightseeing while we were here so we didn't go down on the beach but it was fun to just sit in the blue chairs and "people-watch".   

I want to be this couple when I'm old...

You really can't get enough of Nice.  It's such a beautiful part of the world.  

We liked the marina area that is pretty small but there are lots of cafe's and beautiful, cute wooden boats, sort of like in Malta that we visited last summer.  

They still drink the refreshing Spritz drinks here, too.
                                                                         

                    

However, we could tell we were not in Italy anymore. It was now French food and tasted so good after the all the pasta we'd been eating.  My first dinner was roasted chicken, so moist and succulent and Bruce got steak with frites - the French french fries, so good!  Even salad is amazing here. The French really know how to do it and once again, we began our eating frenzy in France.

There aren't a lot of food photos here (wait until Paris!) but this Ceasar salad from another day was also a stand out, the way they added avocado, tomatoes and egg.  The French love their soft cooked eggs and I do, too!  Every meal here was just exquisite and tasted so good after a day of sightseeing.  



We took a Hop On, Hop Off bus around the town the first day which was a good way to get oriented to the town. It took us up to the top of the hill past the The Castle of Nice or Colline du Château that was a military citadel protecting the bay of Nice from the 11th century to the 18th century. Today, it's a park and public garden.

We really enjoyed the sightseeing bus tour especially since Nice is pretty hilly so it was a good way to get around. 

The old town of Nice was also a fun place to hang around with lots of cafes and shopping and where we usually ate dinner but most the time we spent out on the Prom.  It was especially nice walking it in the evening during sunset. 

We spent one day in Monaco, an easy 20 minute train ride from Nice. 

I was surprised how big it was, honesty.  Plus, they were busy setting up the course of the Grand Prix race that was to take place in a couple of weeks so that made it a little hectic. You can see the grand stands in the background of these photos. 

Not the quaint little wooden boats here, more like gigantic mega yachts! This is the land of the rich and famous.

Monaco is ruled by the Grimaldi family who live in a castle on top of one of the hills. 

We saw the guards marching around, sort of like in England.  They do a "changing of the guards" ceremony here, too, that is a big production but we just saw a simple display of the guards that they do at the top of the hour. 

This is also where Princess Grace lived after she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956 who was the famous Hollywood movie star, Grace Kelly.  I think she is why Monaco really became a famous tourists destination for Americans.

They got married in this church on top of the hill right down from the palace.  

Monaco is also known for car racing where the Grand Prix has been racing every year since 1929 so it's a big deal.  Gambling is also big business.  The casino is on another hill in town that we saved for another day...but we did eat dinner before we caught the train back to Nice.  I had the fish dish with the most delicious sauce.  I can't get enough of French sauces. 

It was good to get back to quaint little Nice and sit in the blue chairs and relax again. I would highly recommend a visit here if you want to de-stress, enjoy beautiful scenery, have perfect weather and eat the best food in the world because, after all, it is France.