Cote D'Azure, Nice, France

December 14 - December 16th

A French experience would be incomplete without a visit to the French Riviera. Manoj took out time from his busy schedule to go to the south of France. We decided to visit the coastal city of Nice and it's surroundings. The Nice airport strip is on the Cote D'Azure, which translates to the blue coast. As our plane made the landing, we could see the deep blue shade of the sea. After Barcelona, this was our second city on the Mediterranean this semester.
After checking into the hotel, we decided to go for a leisurely stroll. Our hotel receptionist suggested walking to Massena place. Place Massena is the main square in Nice. In the middle of the square we came upon the sight of Buddhas sitting on pillars (pictured below). There are seven such Buddhas, each representing a continent. The Buddhas are trying to talk to each other, to arrive as a shared perspective on life.

Like Barcelona, this coastal city is also surrounded by small hills.

Above Manoj is seen posing with a statue of General Massena. He was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. 
After lunch, we walked on the Promenade Des Anglaise. In early 18th century English aristocracy started spending time in Nice to escape the depressing English winters. They built this promenade to enjoy the seaside walk without getting sand in their feet and clothing. Below are some pictures we took from the promenade.

 

When you are in Nice, a photo by the #ILoveNice sign is a must. Its a beautiful city with a wealth of history and natural beauty. I am not poetic enough to describe the clear blue sky and the deep blue waters of  Cote De Azure.

In the evening, we went to the Christmas market. The place had all kinds of stores, art work, food items, and stands selling Vin Chaud. The air was festive and joyful.

The streets were decorated with Christmas lights. We saw again the Buddhas on poles. This time they were lit up in various colors. As said previously, there are seven Buddhas in the Massena square. They represent the seven continents and they light up in different colors at night. The Buddhas are conversing with each other and someday when they are at peace and consensus, they will be lit in the same color. A beautiful way to describe the inter-continental differences, right?

The next day we went on a day trip offered by a tour company. We began the trip with a quick stop at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat for pictures.

Next, we stopped in the medieval village of Eze. Nice was Italian territory till 1860. You can see the influence of Italian culture in this medieval town with cobble stoned streets and stone houses.

The pictures below are of Monaco, the millionaire's paradise. Its the second smallest country in the world. It's ruled by a monarchy. People come here mostly to gamble in the Casinos. The shots below are of the coastline and the palace of Monaco. The biggest story in Monaco for Americans is that Hollywood actress Grace Kelly got married to the prince of Monaco; somewhat Cinderella style story. The fifth picture below shows the church where Grace Kelly is buried.

 Another town we went on this trip was Saint Paul De Vence. Absolutely amazing! Again a vintage town, with cobble stoned tiny lanes and stone houses so pretty.

It turned out that our tour guide was more of a driver than a guide. He drove us around and rushing us from one town to another, but he could not explain the history of these small towns. I am sure a good story teller could have brought these towns to life with riveting stories. 

The following day we went on walking tour of Nice which was about two and half hours. The tour was fantastic. The tour met at the Fontaine du Soleil or Fountain of Sun, in Place Massena.

Here we saw a massive sculpture of Apollo the sun god (see picture below). You can see the four horses on his head, his horses pulling the golden chariot, to get the sun across the sky every day. The sculpture caused a lot of controversy when it was initially installed in city center. The conservative women in the town could not stand Apollo displaying his kind of large private parts.

Nice was discovered by the Greek and named after the goddess of victory Nike. It was later inhabited by the Italians and eventually became a French territory in 1860. You can see Greek, Italian, English and French influence in this city. The feel of this city is very different from Paris. We walked through Queen Victoria's favorite sweet shop and an antique market.

The tour guide regaled us with stories about Saint Reparata, and one of the most interesting bank heist of all times. 

Eventually we walked up to the top of the Castle Hill for the most beautiful view of Nice.

We walked  through the English Promenade on our way to lunch. I feel fortunate to have seen this part of France. When I feel gloomy and sad during the long gray winter days in Ithaca, I too can say like Queen Victoria "If only I were in Nice".  Our trip to France would have been incomplete without the trip to Nice.