One Day in Nice, France (on the French Riviera)

Nice, France, on the French Riviera near the Italian border, was a quick train ride from our cozy Antibes apartment. During our month and a half in the South of France, I could see Nice from our Antibes shoreline. It’s likely why I never felt rushed to visit Nice—until it was time for us to leave France. That’s when, all of a sudden, I worried that we were missing out, so we hurried over to Nice for one day.

To keep travel real, I must share two unexpected things that happened at the beautiful Nice train station (Nice-Ville). A mob of teens forced their way onto our already completely packed train. We were crushed, nearly unable to get out—it was frightening. And thieves were on the platform. I scolded one with my eyes, and he left. Another seasoned traveler appeared to have lost everything, and the police could do little to help her. The lesson for me? I should always avoid the Nice train station during busy hours. After all that (which we never experienced elsewhere), I was so happy to walk by the city parks and the Musee de la Photographie. That calmed me.

Next, we walked to the center of Old Town Nice (Vieux Nice), where we strolled through the outdoor market (Marché Aux Fleurs Cours Saleya).

These hortensias were the largest I’d ever seen. They reminded me of my Grandma, who had grown them in her front yard. It felt like she was right there with me.

French shops were filled with local goods.

Love was on sweet display.

Then we hiked up behind Old Town Nice, following the sounds of falling water. We had no idea at the time, but we were walking up Castle Hill (Colline du Château).

The nature was serene.

Flowers and stone lined the steep path.

Which brought us to a cemetery.

It was the Israelite Cemetery (Cimetière Israélite) and Holocaust memorial in Nice, France. There are not enough words to describe the importance of acknowledging this. We roamed up here for quite some time, absorbing this tragic reality of history.

Eventually, we slowly found our way down a hill, passing through what felt like secret little pathways and doors. This beautiful route took us back to Old Town Nice, where we indulged in a special Indian dinner that I’ll soon share.