beyond nice
By Leah Marie Armstrong . Leah is from Canada and currently lives in Genoa, Italy. She is an ESL teacher, Blogger, and Innkeeper, with a passion for olive picking and Italian wine. When she isn't teaching, she helps run a family Agriturismo located on Portofino Mountain, called Terre Rosse Portofino.
One of the benefits of living in Europe is the close proximity to so many wonderful countries and cultures. This past weekend we made the two hour drive to Nice. Having been there a few times, I had a very specific agenda and wasted no time getting to the highlights.
Our first stop was Menton, which is a seaside town just past the French/Italian border. We had a leisurely lunch of steak tartar and mussels and of course champagne! Our journey then took us just beyond Nice as we followed the highway towards Cannes and then inland. Our destination was Grasse, or more specifically, the Molinard Perfume Factory.
The shop closed at half past six and we arrived at six. Normally, I would have dedicated a lot more time to explore the museum and products but since we had already done this a few years ago, I knew exactly what I wanted and quickly filled my basket with bars of colourful fragrant soaps like Rose, Verbena and Cassis, oh, the scents are all so intoxicating!
Next, we stocked up on Rasoline shaving cream, this is a special almond oil cream that my husband loves. And finally, I just had to buy a bottle of their signature scent, Habanita ( I bought the more delicate Miss Habanita) I tried it three years ago but didn't buy any and regretted it ever since so I wasn't going to let the chance pass me by twice. Truth be told, when I first tried it, I didn't like it at all and then after 20 minutes of it lingering on my wrist and halfway back to Cannes I was amazed at how wonderful it was.
Fragonard is also a great stop and one of the items on my bucket list is to participate in a fragrance workshop where you learn all about the art of making perfume and then get to create your own fragrance. Fragonard have workshops scheduled for March and April and the cost is €65 so I will be signing up soon! Molinard also offers these tarinology workshops but they seem to be less organized with their schedule. You can take the course in English or French.
Our first stop was Menton, which is a seaside town just past the French/Italian border. We had a leisurely lunch of steak tartar and mussels and of course champagne! Our journey then took us just beyond Nice as we followed the highway towards Cannes and then inland. Our destination was Grasse, or more specifically, the Molinard Perfume Factory.
The shop closed at half past six and we arrived at six. Normally, I would have dedicated a lot more time to explore the museum and products but since we had already done this a few years ago, I knew exactly what I wanted and quickly filled my basket with bars of colourful fragrant soaps like Rose, Verbena and Cassis, oh, the scents are all so intoxicating!
Next, we stocked up on Rasoline shaving cream, this is a special almond oil cream that my husband loves. And finally, I just had to buy a bottle of their signature scent, Habanita ( I bought the more delicate Miss Habanita) I tried it three years ago but didn't buy any and regretted it ever since so I wasn't going to let the chance pass me by twice. Truth be told, when I first tried it, I didn't like it at all and then after 20 minutes of it lingering on my wrist and halfway back to Cannes I was amazed at how wonderful it was.
Fragonard is also a great stop and one of the items on my bucket list is to participate in a fragrance workshop where you learn all about the art of making perfume and then get to create your own fragrance. Fragonard have workshops scheduled for March and April and the cost is €65 so I will be signing up soon! Molinard also offers these tarinology workshops but they seem to be less organized with their schedule. You can take the course in English or French.
Our first morning in Nice, we woke up to a cool sunny day and headed towards the open-air book market. After a petit déjeuner of hot tea served in an antique silver pot, fresh french bread and croissants, we made our way towards Promenade des Anglais. Once along the seawall, we walked towards Le Port.
We quickly got sidetracked at Les Puces de Nice, an antique flea market. Every crevice from floor to ceiling was jam packed with hidden treasures. Moving on, we crossed the street and entered one of my favourite places in Nice, Confiserie Florian. This shop is serious about candy! In fact, even their toilet seats had candies on them!
My husband went crazy for their candied oranges, Clémentines Confits, they're a syrupy dried fruit and one of their specialties. I filled my basket with rose petal and violet flower jelly as well as the candied rose petals. They offer plenty of free samples so it's a fun place to shop.
We quickly got sidetracked at Les Puces de Nice, an antique flea market. Every crevice from floor to ceiling was jam packed with hidden treasures. Moving on, we crossed the street and entered one of my favourite places in Nice, Confiserie Florian. This shop is serious about candy! In fact, even their toilet seats had candies on them!
My husband went crazy for their candied oranges, Clémentines Confits, they're a syrupy dried fruit and one of their specialties. I filled my basket with rose petal and violet flower jelly as well as the candied rose petals. They offer plenty of free samples so it's a fun place to shop.
Twenty minutes later we were on our way to Villefranche-sur-Mer, by way of the public bus. From Le Port bus stop, take the 81 or 100 bus for €1,50. They take cash and will also give change right onboard. In about ten minutes you will exit at the Octroi bus stop. Cross the road, and walk towards the signs pointing down towards the sea. On your left you will see a staircase, go down, walk towards the end and turn right and continue walking down the road. You will soon arrive at the old fort.
We explored the village and then sat at a seaside restaurant, L'oursin Bleu, and had a yummy lunch. We ate fish soup, lamb chops and the best desserts ever! My husband ordered the pistachio soufflé and it was pure heaven. Upon our return to Nice, we had a leisurely stroll along Promenade des Anglais. The sun was bright and many people were out riding bikes, rollerblading or just soaking up the warm sun rays on the benches lining the boardwalk. I stopped and chatted with dog owners and a sweet 82 year old man who showed me how to feed the birds from my hand. An end to a perfect day!
We explored the village and then sat at a seaside restaurant, L'oursin Bleu, and had a yummy lunch. We ate fish soup, lamb chops and the best desserts ever! My husband ordered the pistachio soufflé and it was pure heaven. Upon our return to Nice, we had a leisurely stroll along Promenade des Anglais. The sun was bright and many people were out riding bikes, rollerblading or just soaking up the warm sun rays on the benches lining the boardwalk. I stopped and chatted with dog owners and a sweet 82 year old man who showed me how to feed the birds from my hand. An end to a perfect day!
On our way back to Italy, we made our final stop at Éze Village. This medieval town is quite interesting and if you have loads of money and love food you might want to stay a night or two at the La Chèvre d'Or hotel where they specialize in gastronomic experiences.
We made our way towards Jardin Exotique which features a botanical garden built within the ruins of a medieval fortress. There are statues and waterfalls and a serenity deck with lounge chairs overlooking the Côte d'Azur. If I lived closer, I could easily see this as a favourite spot to return for a relaxing afternoon with a good book.
We made our way towards Jardin Exotique which features a botanical garden built within the ruins of a medieval fortress. There are statues and waterfalls and a serenity deck with lounge chairs overlooking the Côte d'Azur. If I lived closer, I could easily see this as a favourite spot to return for a relaxing afternoon with a good book.
In two days we covered a lot of ground but because everything is so close, it was a relaxing pace. Spring is a great season to explore this area and if you are feeling adventurous I would highly recommend hiking over the hill from Nice to Villefranche. And if you are feeling lazy but daring, then go ahead, order the basil/tomato gelato and let me know what's like!
|
Images copyright of the Author
Click on any image to enlarge it |