What do we do when you have a few days off? Book a trip of course! We did toy with the idea of booking a cheap all inclusive and just sitting around a pool doing absolutely nothing.. but we both know that that’s just not us, and after very little time to do any planning, we decided to book a trip to Nice. Parking at Luton Airport is ridiculously expensive, but thanks to Mark’s parents living close by, we were able to get a reasonably priced taxi.. at 4am 😪 There is so much building work being done at Luton, meaning getting dropped off anywhere near the entrance is beyond impossible. So along with everyone else, dragged out suitcases for what seemed like miles to the terminal entrance. Although busy, we got through bag drop and security very quickly, meaning we had ample time for breakfast. Luton now has an obscene amount of eateries, so choosing was a challenging.. but we opted for somewhere that sold our usual ‘breakfast out’ staple of smashed avo.
The flight time to Nice is less than 2hrs, so perfect for a few days away. We got to passport control and I always like to say hello in the language of the country we are in. The man however continued talking to me in French, and as he wasn’t asking me what sort of house I live in and who it is with (thanks secondary school level French) I had absolutely no idea what he was saying. He then said he would try something basic, and asked me how I was. Luckily that was something I was able to answer. Internet searches suggested heading to the centre of Nice from the airport is very easy. The ticket system for the tram however, is not, and we were surrounded by a large group of confused tourists who had no idea how to buy a single ticket. With our arrival day being a Sunday, that meant a reduced service, and with a tram arriving, we did what everyone else did and jumped on without getting a ticket 😬 luckily we were able to work out the Lignes d’Azure app and buy one before we reached our destination (because nobody wants a fine on their first day!)
As we had an early flight, we arrived at the hotel around midday. We left out bags in the luggage room and headed out to explore. As always with our trips, the sky was covered in dark clouds.. but thankfully, the rain held off! We strolled along the promenade and just couldn’t believe how beautiful and blue the sea was. It’s a busy area, with runners, cycling, roller blading, and volleyball, and there are plenty of areas to sit and watch all the activity. Or you could sit on the pebble beach and watch the calming blue waves.
We were feeling peckish, so decided to have a walk around the old town to find somewhere to eat. The traditional French Riviera coloured alleyways are endless, and full of cute shops and cafés. There are also a number of squares, full of life, laughter and musicians. It is so difficult to decide where to eat, but we settled for the highly rated Hobo café, and luckily there wasn’t much of a wait. We had a glorious croque lunch, washed down with iced coffee, and enjoyed watching the incredibly skilled bin men navigate their lorry around the very narrow streets and corners.
After refuelling and more mooching around the old town, we went for a first look at the wealth in the area, and headed to the Port of Nice where some the posh boats are kept. There was also loads of brightly coloured fishing boats bobbing in the water, and along with the brightly coloured buildings gave the area a vibrant vibe. Although a perfect stop for a wine and a beer to admire the surroundings, there wasn’t actually much activity going on here.
It was now getting late, but as we like to cram everything possible in to our day, we decided to catch one of the last lifts up to Castle Hill for breathtaking panoramic views of Nice and the Bay of Angels. There are a few cafés, and parks where the locals do their exercise classes. There is the option to take the steps up to the top, but looking at the sweaty and out of breath people making the ascent, I’m glad we took the old and rickety lift. It’s also free!
The French Riveria is known for being expensive, so before we left, we packed wine glasses and a picnic blanket, and tonight we had pizza and wine on the beach. This seemed to be a popular option as there were loads of couples and friendship groups doing the same. It’s also perfect for a bit of plane spotting as they fly right by the beach and playing guess the plane tail logo! Mark was less interested in this ‘game’.. As we are unable to stay in one place, we headed back to the room for an early night, ready to tackle the French trains the following morning.
The Travelling Ginger 