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Bookmark & shareA Top Day in Nice
Let me get this clear: one day in Nice is simply not enough - I could tell you about four, even five top days without drawing breath. My favourite time of year in Nice is June, when the days feel like they'll never end - it doesn't get dark till - the sea hasn't quite reached bath temperature yet and the holiday crowds are yet to arrive. Bliss. I'd start early-ish, before the mid-day heat bites. I love a morning swim on the Promenade beach, when the sea is pale-blue and still, like a ream of expensive silk. Breakfast would be a shot of espresso and a recuperative pastry at a café or bakery. I'd then make my way to Vieux Nice and the markets. Cours Saleya, with its colourful flower and food market, is a must and the best place to buy picnic supplies. My favourite is Nice's speciality, the socca - a cross between a pancake and flat bread made from chickpea flour and olive oil, fried on a hot griddle and served with sneezing quantities of black pepper. Then I'd lazily make my way up the Colline du Château via Vieux Nice's labyrinthine alleyways. The views from the city's culminating point are absolutely beautiful. To beat the afternoon heat, I'd then seek refuge in one of Nice's excellent (and air-conditioned) museums. I have a soft spot for the Matisse museum, but if you're into modern art, Mamac is fantastic. Back in the centre, I'd hit the pedestrian streets around rue Masséna for a spot of shopping and round off the afternoon with a stroll along the Promenade (and maybe even another swim). Come evening, the bars in Vieux Nice beckon for an apéritif: De Klomb and Les Distilleries Idéales are personal favourites. As for dinner, Pasta Basta, La Merenda or Les Épicuriens are all fabulous. If the night is still young, I might head to the rooftop bar of Grand Hôtel Aston for a few cocktails and the champagne views of Nice, and then on for a boogie at Le Nova or Les Trois Diables.
Author: Emilie Filou
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