My wife and I were looking to celebrate our wedding anniversary and wanted something beachy, beautiful, and romantic. Located in the French Riviera on the southeast coast of France, we found what we were looking for. Nice is a vacation paradise and an experience you'll not soon forget. Northern Europeans (and everyone else, for that matter) flock to the pebbled beaches looking out over turquoise water, with a pastel backdrop of winding Old Town alleys packed with boutiques, gelaterias, and restaurants serving mouth-watering French and Italian cuisine. This is truly a place to go to relax and catch your breath.
Coming from somewhere where beaches were sort of an exotic thing, this was both a lovely time as well as an alien one. Not having much experience with sitting on a towel at the waterfront, I did feel a sense of "am I doing this right?" Not to worry! Nice is such a laid back place that figuring "it" out is quite easy. We spent one afternoon in the adorable, posh harbor of Villefranche on paddle boards because we thought, "hey, why not squeeze in an abdominal workout while on vacay while enjoying a beautiful view?" Another day, we made our way onto a vintage French yacht, indulging in Rosé, charcuterie, sunshine, and open water as far as the eye could see, without a care in the world. I didn't hate it. And speaking of boats, if you want to see more expensive yachts in one place than you've ever seen before, hop the train for a short ride along the coast to Antibes.
In addition to the water attractions, we also found ourselves wandering through town, carefree and mapless, checking out vast parks filled with palm trees, flowers, mist zones, and splash pads, weaving through narrow pastel alleyways, and enjoying the many markets selling the most succulent and colorful fruits and vegetables you've ever seen. Do yourself a favor: grab yourself a carton of fresh strawberries to pop while you stroll through the farmer's markets, which transition into craft markets in the evenings.
On the last full day of our trip, we spontaneously decided we needed to see the French Alps. So we rented a motorcycle for the day, headed north, and took a breathtaking, exhilarating, unforgettable ride into the mountains. I've taken a few rides in my life, but nothing quite like this. We cruised through tunnels and curved along cliff edges, following the riverbed to the medieval walled city of Entreveaux. After stopping to take a few pictures (obviously), we continued onward to the dramatic red-rock canyon of Gorges de Daluis. If you ride a motorcycle, this route is an absolute must.
Nice is a dream getaway that oozes laid-back vibes that anyone can appreciate. If you're looking for good food, plenty of beach to go around, beautiful French/Italian architecture, amazing views, and a place where time seems to slow down, then head over to Nice and see what I'm talking about. But before you dash over to your favorite booking website to set some price alerts, check out the photos below. Cheers!
NWx
