After a tight connection from city bus to our Flix Bus, we were on our way to France. The double decker comfortable ride was stiffened by almost standstill traffic for probably the first 30 minutes of the trip. Our bus ended up arriving to Nice over an hour past the E.T.A. Luckily, the sweet couple who were our Airbnb hosts were completely understanding even through a language barrier. We were greeted with them shaking our hands and perfectly enunciated bonjours. With a manual of translated phrases to tell us about the key rules, our hosts showed us around the place: a cozy modern flat in a residential area. Its location is a little further than town but was a perfect fit for our budget and laid-back tendencies when travelling.
To celebrate my friend’s birthday, we ate at Noori’s, an Indian Restaurant near the seaside. The English-speaking staff was incredibly welcoming, and the menu boasted an elaborate section of vegan options. The portions were much smaller than what I’m used to at Indian restaurants and rice does have to be ordered separately (quite common at European Indian restaurants) but the environment and finesse of the plates felt more refined than a typical curry spot. The Chana masala was absolutely delicious, not overwhelmingly spicy but still with a subtle heat. As we were paying, they even brought us out a complementary scoop of passionfruit sorbet, a perfect sweet end to the meal.
We then walked to beach. Nice’s beach is unique because instead of sand it is completely covered in stones – not tiny individual pebbles, but large smooth stones so big they don’t even hurt your feet when you walk on them. The darkness covered the blueness of the water but up close you could see how clear it was as it brushed over the rocks. The moon that night was one of the brightest I’ve ever seen. It pushed and pulled the tides with varying levels of force as it shined over the night sky.
It was a five senses experience. I listened to the sea approach and retreat — crackling over the rocks, I looked at the shining white moon with its craters visible, I felt the smooth rocks along the sides of my boots, I smelled the salt water and I savored the taste of leftover Indian food in my mouth. It was a night that felt almost surreal, but memorably beautiful. Even the almost hour long walk back to the Airbnb was somehow enjoyable.
Close to midnight and with less frequent public transit, waiting and catching a tram would take just as much time as walking. So, we perused down Niçoise avenues, harshly judging styled looks on window mannequins and taking in the sights we hadn’t seen much of yet. Our tired legs and exhausted bodies fell asleep quite easily that night.
About a 3-minute walk from us was a bakery that offered sweet pastries and classic breads. I of course couldn’t leave France without enjoying a baguette so that was my first carb of choice. With some leftover vegan ricotta from Italy and jam, it was a perfect breakfast. You could taste the freshness of the bread with its soft interior and its crispy crusts’ refusal to disintegrate into crumbs.
We explored the Monasterio Cimez and the Matisse Musuem that morning. The monastery is remarkable for its view alone over the city, but my personal favorite part of the complex was its lush garden. Filled with roses and other colorful flora growing over archways and crevices, it felt like a place you could sink into. With a looser itinerary and a book on hand I easily could have spent more time there, but nevertheless it is a beautiful place to stroll around.
The Matisse Museum is just around the corner via a walk through a public park. Featuring some of Matisse’s lesser known works while biographing his life in Nice, it’s easy to appreciate the museum without knowing too much about the artist. Students can get in free and other visitors can pay 10€ for a 24-hour admission pass, which includes access to galleries across Nice including the Museo de Beaux Arts and Museum Massena.
I spent my afternoon catching up on blog posts and relaxing at Le Comptoir Bio. A relaxed Wi-Fi-equipped organic restaurant near the city center. The Vegan bowl was a sustaining option featuring grains, veggies and a vegan ‘meatball’.
Walking around, I found a vegan bakery called amour patisserie vegetale. The minimalist all vegan pastry and tea shop is equipped with wi-fi and easily accessible power outlets. Serving more casual muffins and cookies as well as more fanciful restaurant quality pastries, it answers to diverse budgets. At this point I was coming to accept that Nice is an expensive destination, especially compared to the relatively budget friendly Genoa and Turin, but every where I visited had wonderful hospitality that I’m still not sure is more so due to personal luck or simply a welcoming Niçoise attitude.
When I first arrived in Nice, I found it, quite frankly, to be a little bougie. Restaurant prices were expensive, high-end stores decked out nearly every street and most of the attractions seemed to revolve around its upper-class reputation. But the next day, when we visited Monaco, Nice suddenly seemed far less over the top.
Pro Tip: Take the public bus from Nice to Monaco to take in the stunning coastal views that will dash along the right-side windows
Extravagant and pristine yachts decked the port of Monaco. We sat on the edge for a bit, munching on some socca (essentially the same chickpea flour pancake as farinata) wrapped in paper we had bought to go while in Nice, certainly exuding the opposite of what Monaco tends to represent.
Walking along the pier you can peek into the cabins of the rich populace or check out their balconies. One person on a private yacht was being served by what seemed to be his own personal wait staff, another boat advertised that it was seeking a specifically female server. Despite the almost sickening opulence, the clear blue waters crashing against the dock was stunning, something that a person at any budget can appreciate standing at the edge of the dock.
We then headed Monaco’s most famous attraction, the Monte Carlo casino. With 5€ ready to lose (we didn’t have the highest expectations), we entered into their slot room. The Monte Carlo offers a tour for 17€ which allows you to explore the famous building. Alternatively, you can enter the lobby and admire its ornate golden ceilings and the slot room for free. If you want the novelty of saying you gambled at the Monte Carlo just know that the machines will only accept paper money, so be ready to put on the line at least five euros. You will also have to check any bags you have before entering the room at the tip-based coat check around the corner. We played some classic slots, some questionably themed slots (The lobster fishing boat slot machine seemed to fit a very particular niche) and a lot of digital blackjack and roulette. It was a really fun experience, despite our poor luck, and at the very least, the lobby was very cool.
Another beautiful place to stroll are the Japanese Gardens. With a koi pond, colorful plants and trees and a shelter with many Japanese artifacts, it is a serene tribute to the calming gardens popular in many Japanese temples. Even though surely a lot of money went into the garden’s construction, it somehow feels like a retreat from the Monaco extravagance.
We were hoping to go to a perfume factory in Eze Village afterwards, but with inconvenient public transit options we opted to simply return to Nice. I’m glad I saw Monaco, but I can’t say I liked it. Everything there was so over-the-top and I can’t say I have ever desire to go back.
Our final stop on our Italy-France journey was Aix-en-Provence, which turned out to have far more limited transit options from Nice than we anticipated. While there were buses and trains heading there, we waited a little bit too long to book and most were incredibly expensive for a short trip or completely sold out. But a last-minute option proved to be the best bet, a 6am train. Certainly not ideal, but I had woken up earlier for flights before. So the next morning, we left our apartment at 5:00 a.m., boarded a tram to the train station and hopped on the train bound for Paris and stopping in Aix. With coffee nor food in my system, a sleep mask and a neck pillow, I enjoyed one of the best naps on a moving vehicle I have ever experienced. I fell asleep almost immediately and woke up for the first time an hour later, fell asleep again and woke up with just under an hour left on the 2h40m ride. Exhaustion still creeped in later in the day, but I felt surprisingly refreshed for having to take a red-eye train, and ready to meet the city of Aix-en-Provence.
To Barna & Beyond 