Towns, towns and more towns

It's been some days that I haven't posted anything and it's because I have been somewhat occupied with exams, studying and doing my work as well as a friend who came to see me... It's been non-stop!

These last few days that I haven't had class, I've gone on a lot of trips to the towns that surround Nice, because although "you've seen one, you've seen them all", they are really pretty places and each one has it's own charm.

Firstly, Grasse. This town is next to Cannes and you can get there by taking the 500 bus from Nice (be careful, the bus takes close to two hours, so make sure you go with enough time). It's famous for making perfume. It's quite a pretty town, although it's better to go to see it when it's a good temperature outside (when we went, it was cold, windy and raining, so it didn't really make us want to go and see anything).

In second place is St Paul de Vence. This is a town which to me, personally, I really like. It's like a small medieval town on the top of a mountain and it's surrounded by a wall, from which you can see as much of the coast as you can of the mountains.

To get there, you have to take the 400 bus in Nice and this will take you to the entrance of the town. You have to pay attention to the times since it's not a bus which runs very often. Not long after arriving in the town, the best thing to do it go to the tourism office, they will give you a map and point out the best routes to follow (there are two walks - one is an hour and the other is half an hour and they are both quite good).

If you have the opportunity, go and try a Nutella and banana crêpe from one of the stalls in one of the streets close to the tourism office - it's pleasant after a long walk. It's also interesting to visit the cemetery, because as well as having amazing views of the coast and the fields, there is also the tomb of a "Don Juan" who is quite famous in the town (Chagall). To eat, I would suggest that you make a sandwich at home (if there are a few of you, one of you could bring drinks, someone else some crisps and snacks and then you can share amongst yourselves) and sit in one of the streets whilst enjoying the good weather and the views. Lastly, before going back to Nice, it's a good idea to go to the outskirts of the town and go up a road which is next to a church, close to the bus stop because from there, you will have some incredible views of the town, with the sea as a backdrop.

The last town I visited was La Turbie which is north of Monaco. To get there, you firstly have to take a bus (or train) which gets you to Monaco and get off at the stop Place d'Armes. After, you have to catch the 114 bus from the stop in front of where you got off the first bus from Nice. There is also a direct bus from Nice, but it doesn't run very often. Whichever method you use to get there, you have to pay attention to the bus times because they don't come by often and it's better that they coincide so you don't have to wait for half an hour or more in Monaco just for the next bus.

La Turbie is another little medieval town. The main charm is the Roman monument called "La Trophée d'Auguste" which is honestly incredible and well worth a visit. I'd suggest doing the same thing again and going to the tourism office, ask for a map and they'll tell you what you should visit and also tell you about the bus times. And to eat? The same thing once again, bring something from home, find a nice little place to sit and have a good feast there.

Photo gallery