Did you know?

That there are only pebble beaches in Nice? When I first came and found out about this more than 10 years ago, I was very surprised and disappointed. After all, Nice is famous as a seaside town! The beaches are packed nevertheless, but personally, I would always prefer to go a few km further east or west to enjoy the sandy beaches nearby.

 

We didn't have time for a swim, but it is of course obligatory for me to at least dip my feet in the sea, when I am at the seaside. Despite more than 30C, the water wasn't particularly warm...

Secondly (and I only found this out during this recent visit), the people of Nice have their own language: Niçard! It has strong Italian as well as Corsican influences. Even though it is only spoken by a small minority nowadays, all street signs are in both languages and announcements on the tram, for example, are also made in both languages:

In the footsteps of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille

For those who don't know: Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is the main character in Patrick Sueskind's book 'Perfume'. And no worries - I didn't kill anyone! But - and this definitely was the highlight of my Nice trip - I created my own scent!

Fragonard, named after the French painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806), and founded in 1926 by Eugène Fuchs, have a factory in Eze Village (between Nice and Monaco) where we attended a perfume workshop. Well, we created an eau de cologne. We were all using with the same fragrances but depending on our preference, the quantities used varied. We worked with:

• Orange from Brasil
• Lemon from Italy
• Bergamot from Italy
• Red Mandarine from Italy
• Neroli from Tunisia
• Petit Grain from Paraguay
• Vervain
• Rosemary
• Lavender

It's quite fascinating how little we really use our sense of smell in every day life. All the fragrances change with time, as described by the top, middle and base note of a perfume. And when overwhelmed by all the different smells, you can smell your own scent by sniffing the crook of your arm, which will 'neutralize' your nose again - much more effective than smelling coffee beans (as often offered in perfume shops).

100 ml of my self-created eau de cologne

(And we got to keep the apron, too! Which will come in very handy in this heat as it means, I can now cook in my underwear without the risk of getting burnt ;-))

Le Negresco - sleeping in style

The 5* Le Negresco hotel is located on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, overlooking the sea. It is now owned by Madame Jeanne Augier and has a museum-like atmosphere with pieces of art everywhere. Even if you are not staying at the place, it's well worth a visit!

The Royal Lounge was originally a ballroom. It is nowadays classified as a Historical Monument. With its large glass dome, it's bright and airy and is often used for wedding receptions and other events. It's at the heart of the hotel.

La Rotonde Brasserie is one of 4 restaurants at the hotel and entirely dedicated to the theme of an 18th century carousel. I love the pastel colours and of course the wooden carousel horses!

outside the restaurant

Just a few examples of the pieces of art to be found in the hotel

Amongst others famous for its pink dome

Wine-tasting for teetotals

Well, I am not actually teetotal. I very occasionally drink, but I don't drink wine. I would love to love wine because it seems like a nice thing to enjoy, but I just don't like the taste.

As part of the trip to Nice, we visited a vineyard though: Domaine de Toasc. Located on the East hillside of the Plaine du Var, they have 7 hectares of vine and 2 hectares of olive trees - and beautiful views of the city. In addition to the wine tasting, they also offer event space for seminars and receptions. Scattered around are also a number of art pieces, most of them wonderfully eccentric!

I did give the wine a try, but to be honest, it went from bad (the rose) to worse (the white) to terrible (the red)... Just for me, I'd like to add. This is in no way an assessment of the quality of the wine and some of my fellow travelers bought a number of bottles, so I'm sure it is very nice for those who like wine.

the rose bushes are like a warning system of fungal diseases, as they are likely to catch them before the grapes do

turning the lovely sweet grapes into wine...

yes, it is a rollerblading chicken!

Beer, rosemary and tomato-basil

This is just a small selection of the rather weird ice cream flavors offered by Fenocchio, a family-owned business, which first opened in Nice in 1966. Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to sample any of their 94 (!) different flavors, which of course also include classics such as chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. But with so many options, picking those would be rather boring, wouldn't it?

In order to taste most of them, I would probably have to stay in Nice for several weeks (and go on a strict diet afterwards...). Nowadays, they have two shops: one on place Rossetti and a second one on 6 rue de la Poissonerie. Both are open from 9am to midnight - go check them out!

I'm sure the rose, lavender and violet icecream are lovely.
Not so keen on avocado or thyme... But then, maybe I should give them a chance!

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

A*M*A*Z*I*N*G!

Such a beautiful villa, gardens, views - and the dessert was great, too! :-)

The villa is located between Nice and Monaco. In addition to visiting the villa, they also offer event space. And in the summer, their numerous gardens will surely make for a great backdrop for weddings and other receptions. 

pretty in pink - exactly to my taste

the view...

the inner courtyard

Woody Allen and the observatory

The Nice observatory sits in the hill around the city. It was founded in 1879 and designed by Gustave Eiffel (yes, the one who did the Eiffel Tower) and the architect was Charles Garnier (who is also responsible for the Opera in Paris). The telescope was the largest in a privately funded observatory at the time and also placed at the highest altitude.

Nowadays, the space can be used for events and Elton John (who has a house nearby) has held a dinner there and we missed Woody Allen and his film crew by just a few days!

the roof opens up and can be moved around