A Nice Trip to Nice

I had always dreamed of traveling to France, ever since my childhood when I curled up with The Count of Monte Cristo in hand and watched French movies with my family, just to hear the beautiful language.

Last year, my dream came true. My first trip to France was last winter at the beginning of February, when I flew to Nice with some friends for a few days during a holiday break. As soon as I stepped out of the airport, I was blown away by how clean and fresh the air was! I couldn’t get enough of it, and I kept taking deep breaths to smell how sweet it was.

That wasn’t the only thing that was sweet in Nice! Over the few days that we were there, I found many things about Nice that set it apart as a wonderful getaway and a beautiful city to visit. The pleasure of being in France, living life slowly and with a pastry in hand, made the few days of our trip such a treat.

And, I may have Instagrammed a photo with the caption “It’s nice in Nice. ” Yeah, I know, cheesy, but how can it be helped?

Here are some “nice” things about Nice that make it a perfect place for a Weekend Traveler:

1. The abundance of patisseries and the lovely Cours Saleya Market (pictured above) make Nice a foodie's dream come true. These also made it a breeze to buy food on the go and pack lunches for our many adventures. Every morning during our stay in Nice, we would hop down to the patisserie which was located across the street. There, we would grab a different assortment of pastries for our breakfast each day (this was my first experience with French pastries, and I fell madly in love). We would also grab a baguette (because, when in France... ). Later in the morning, we would stop by the Cours Saleya Market, and buy sun-dried tomatoes, veggies, and other pastries to include in our sack lunch. This made our daily meals cheap, authentic, and easy.
2. Nice is close to other destinations, so even if you are there for just a few days, day-trips are an option. During our short stay, we went to Monaco one day, and to Antibes on another. Both places were beautiful and just an hour or two by bus or train from Nice. In Antibes, we gazed on lots of Picasso paintings at his museum, and in Monaco we watched all the rich cars go by, visited the royal dwellings, and hung out at a rich-girl Starbucks.
3. We visited Nice at the beginning of February, when Istanbul was freezing cold. Nice was warm and balmy, and it has a beautiful pebble beach to sprawl-out on and get some sun. This was a delight to enjoy during the cold months. The retreat to a warm-weather place in the winter was exactly what we needed.

Nice was an amazing place to visit, and even in a few days I felt that we really got to see the city, plus the surrounding area. After traipsing through the alleys and down streets in Nice, laying out on the beach and chasing the tide in and out, getting to see beautiful pieces of art at the several museums we visited, and getting to check not one, but two countries off my list (thanks, Monaco! ), this trip was a highlight of 2016 for me.

If you are studying in Europe or Turkey for Erasmus, Nice is a delightful place for a weekend or short trip. Comment below if you have been there or hope to go soon!

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