Nice is Nice

Rita and Nice Waterfront

For our last day of sightseeing in France, we thought Nice would be nice as it’s only about 20km’s. We knew it was a big city, but had forgotten about heavy traffic and road construction. It took us over an hour of travel time each way but the experience was worth it. Nice used to be Italian until 1860 but as Italy was uniting as one country the people were given a choice of joining France or the new country. They chose France and traded pasta for baguettes. It was also around this time that Nice started to become a major holiday destination for the Brits followed by the Belgians and then the Russians. There is a wonderful 4 mile walkway along the Med called the Promenade des Anglais (walkway of the English). It was created and paid for in 1822 by wealthy English tourists who wanted a safe place to walk and admire the view. It was originally paved in marble so the English would not dirty their shoes or have to smell the fishy gravel. We had a wonderful time strolling the Promenade and exploring the old town. It was a great way to finish as Nice has the flavors of both France and Italy.

Rita heading to a cafe in the Market Square

Rita with fig & Vanilla low calerie gelato’s

This was an amazing candy shop that has been in the same family since it opened in 1820. The interior is the same and some of the confections are original recipes. Glazed fruit is on display in the windows (pineapple, appricots, plums and oranges).