Dear French Riviera - It was "NICE" to meet you

Greeted with a Namaste and a cheer of Yeay Bollywood by the airport staff, this city “Nice” in the south of France didn’t fail to surprise us with their excitement for their guests.

Travelling from India to this lesser known destination in South of France , this was one

vacation I really needed.

I could see the pictures on Google and Instagram before visiting but I didn’t expect so much warmth in the culture in this part of France.

Nice city outlines the Mediterranean Sea and is packed with visitors throughout the year. The weather was pleasant throughout my 4 day stay in June’25 .

Habituated in the aparthotel right opposite the corniche , I could see people running throughout the day, lying on the shore for a tan and happily scooting or cycling on the sides.

The French people here are courteous, they never miss to greet you with “Bonjour” , be it shopkeepers, hotel staff, fellow passengers and even strangers would acknowledge your presence by a smile, if they happened to meet your eye. They do not have the “I don’t care vibe” , they care about your presence and are always polite , willing to look for you out of choice.

As someone who has visited France for the very first time, it would really take a lot to ignore the prim, proper and confident fashion sense of the people. They were pompous, extravagant, friendly and calm all at the same time.

There are petit cafés on the road in the lanes of Old nice throughout but what stole my heart were these bunch of double storey terrace bars right along the sea shore. It was a whole new vibe sitting there with a margarita and fries.

Before we combed the city on foot, via trams and cab. On Day 1 we accessed the entire straight sea line straight in a span of 60 minutes , by riding the local electric cycle called as “Pony” through an easy app update.

Thereafter we took it almost daily to reach to the local spots like Colline de Chateau, Old Niece , Place Massena.

While it gets scorchingly hot through the day , the best part about the city is that you can explore it at ease since the sun doesn’t Set up till 9:30PM. We got to see the full panoramic view of Nice upon climbing up to colline de chateau which was situated at the extreme edge of Nice city .

Not just that , there was a beautiful mini waterfall and a full blown park up there.

We also got the luxury to check out the neighbouring city of Monaco, which was packed with a few curious and a many celebrities who arrived in their Ferraris at the Casino Monte Carlo.

Next, was a quick getaway at the coast on Ville Franche sur mer on our way back from Monaco .

Barely being able to walk on the pebbled shore at first, I later realized that sitting or lying down there was damn therapeutic and hence I made it a point to lie down on the shore every day to get rid of my usually acheing feet and back.

And not just that , upon lying down on the shore facing the sky was a meditative experience altogether.

The experience of lying down here looking up at the sky surrounded by the assuring sound of the repetitive waves brought my deepest emotions on the surface.

We ended the trip in Nice city by having a pizza and a glass of wine and then lying down the shore looking up the stars as our hearts overflowed with joy and gratitude.

It was nice to meet you Nice. I hope to see you again !