A piece of: Nice, France
This summer I was lucky enough to spend two weeks in Nice in a tiny house by the beach. As this is one of my favorite cities in the world, I thought I would share a few tips and tricks :)
Musée Matisse
Musée Matisse is a museum devoted to the French painter Henri Matisse that lived in Nice, big parts of his life. It is surrounded by an olive garden where you can have a little picnic before or after enjoying one of the largest collections of Matisse's work. Me and Nora had such a lovely time at the museum but I would recommend bringing your passport if you are under 18, because then you can get in for free. We saw children admiring his work and bringing pencils to try to recreate it. It was truly inspiring to see people in all ages find beauty and comfort in art. There are so many benefits that incorporating different forms of art into your life includes, from improved creativity skills to a better understanding and connection with others. I would definitely recommend you visiting if you find yourself in Nice, as I believe this truly is one of the best parts of Nice's cultural side.
Markets
Antique market:
After picking up Nora at the airport we took the bus to the vieux-ville to visit the antique market at Cours Saleya. It was a beautiful combination of old original paintings, vintage clothes, jewelry and film cameras. There is so much variety form stall to stall which makes this market extra interesting to visit. Keep in mind that it's only held on Mondays and it runs from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m (but they start to pack up around 5 p.m).
Flower market:
The flower and vegetable markets kind of merge at some point, but it is flowers on one side and fruit + vegetables on the other. I truly wish I could bring all these plants with me home as they were all so beautiful and most of them were quite inexpensive compared to at a regular florist. The bouquets was full of color and you should definitely consider stopping by if you are close to Cours Saleya any day but Monday. Also, a lot of the flowers and plants were not wrapped in plastic which is a big pluss since we should always try to treat our mumma earth with kindness.
Fruit and vegetable market:
As said before, this market is pretty much a part of the flower market but it closes ca. 4 hours before the flower market (open from 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m). It is such a nice place to swing by to pick up a basket of peaches or some lemonade to bring to the beach that is only about 500m away.
Used and antique book market:
I actually bumped into this market by coincidence as I thought that all the markets took place at Cours Saleya. You can buy everything from vintage perfume posters to books about the french revolution, at La Place du Palais de Justice every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. I definitely think it is worth visiting if you want something unique and beautiful to cover your walls or need an affordable book in French.
Cafés
Caju:
This was my absolute favorite café! The opening hours for french restaurants are often very weird but Caju was one of the vegan cafés that I got the opportunity to visit while Nora came to visit me. We each enjoyed a smoothie (mine was extremely spicy, so if you like big amounts of ginger in your smoothie, you should defiantly try the "Orang Utang") and the best vegan brownie I have ever tasted. They sold power juices, smoothies, different cakes and a couple of burgers, but if you find yourself there - try the red bean brownie, you won't regret it.
Café de Max:
Café de Max is a very tiny place, famous for their coffee, in the center of the city where you can eat croissants, pain au chocolat, french bread with homemade fig and plum jam, cake and more. Both their freshly squeezed orange juice and banana smoothie with almond mylk tasted heavenly and was made of only natural ingredients. The people working there was super sweet and it was a cosy and more tranquil place compared to the busy streets next to it.
Ballanger:
This is the place for the sweet tooth! Ballanger make everything from scratch and have a lot of vegan options, such as candy floss and caramelized almonds, and churros and Belgian waffles for the vegetarian. Prices are a bit high but it is worth it if you are as fond of caramelized almonds as me..
Thrift shops
Caprice vintage:
This is the absolute vintage gem, hidden in one of the narrow streets in the vieux-ville. From vintage dior and retro dresses to slips from the 50's and gowns from the 20's, this shop is like heaven to second-hand shoppers. Each item has been picked out by the owner Madame Caprice and each item has a unique story to it.
Mademoiselle:
If you are looking for luxury vintage this is the place for you! It is a mix of retro and classics, including vintage louboutin and chanel. The store is full of paintings, jewelry and elegant and colorful clothes, I only wish I could afford it.
Hippy market:
This is such a cute thrift shop, focusing on items of clothing from the 60's and 70's. This is the place for you if you're searching for flared jeans, vintage levis, floral dresses or vintage scarfs. The owner is very nice and helpful, and what makes it even better is that the shop is right next to a vegan café!
Promenade des anglais
If you ever visit Nice it is hard to miss the famous promenade and beach. At night there are people playing instruments and singing along the promenade and during daytime it is perfect to take a dip in the ocean or sit by the shore and breath in the fresh sea breeze to cool down.
Here is a little video of some of the things Nora and I did in Nice when she came to visit: