The Paris Effect
  • Welcome
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Press

Vivacious Nice, a Prescription for Joy

10/13/2018

4 Comments

 
Picture
Who out there isn't searching for a little more joy?

  Lately, facing the constant barrage of nauseating political news,
life has felt like an interminable tug-of-war.
Sick & tired of feeling sick & tired, I zeroed in on
the perfect prescription -- no doctor or pharmacy required. 

If you feel the need to escape the escalating chaos,
consider making your way to the capital of the French Riviera.

Going to Nice is like finding $100 stuffed in a purse
you just bought at the thrift shop.
Whoo hoo!!
It's only a hundred bucks, but it feels like you've won the lottery.
That's Nice, the winning ticket where urban energy meets ancient charm
in an utterly fantastic medley of old and new.

First, a secret.  I didn't even go to the beach. 
While that might shock many who dream of toasting their buns
on the sexy shores of this Mediterranean superstar,
I can assure you, even a beach baby like me wouldn't dream of lying
inert when there's so much to see and do in the city.   
Picture
More than 100 water jets line Le Miroir d'Eau -- the perfect playtime setting in the center of Nice.
Picture
Nice casts its spell the moment you arrive.
  My most recent visit brought more surprise and delight than ever before.
  Sure, in seasons past, I had seen the famous Promenade des Anglais,
Hotel Negresco,
and the unforgettable Cours Saleya Market.
But that had been a quick trip and this time I was in need of some quality 
time -- a slower clock --  enough easy hours to concentrate on blue skies,

 unconventional art and icy glasses of rosé.... the simple pleasures
that help us disengage from the partisan merde at home. 


Setting off with a diverse list of museums and special walks, 
my first order of business was as French as it gets:
Eat and drink without a shred of moderation or guilt.  

With that said, we headed straight toward one of the best markets
in all of Provence, the Cours Saleya.
Surrounded by inviting café terraces, this open-air market
sort of sums up all that is Nice.
Where else can you find a block of buildings so vibrant and bright their colors compete with the mouthwatering lemons and tangerines at market?
​
Picture
You'll find all the specialties of Nice -- from Chez Theresa's famous socca* 
to local herbs and spices, soaps, olives and every variety of vegetable
to make your very own soon-to-be-world-famous ratatouille.
*a chickpea crepe that's much more delicious than it sounds

On Mondays, the market turns its attention to antiques and must-have "stuff" in
a very eclectic and laid back brocante* setting; we happily joined the throngs.
Come to think of it, maybe I should have looked harder -- perhaps that purse
embracing the hidden $100 bucks was amongst all the other tempting treasures....

*flea market
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Look for the unmistakable home of local kingpin
Henri Matisse at the far end of the market.
Linger mindfully here, there's much to absorb.
  It's a tangible escape from the ho hum routine back home,
 a time & place you'll long "play back" when you need it the most.
 
Think about it.
  You're standing in the same light that inspired the great artist known
​ as one of the most influential pioneers of the modern era.
  And who knows, the next Matisse may be standing nearby admiring the
  same artichokes and eggplants that feed your optimistic search for inspiration.
  Perhaps this is what they mean by "food for thought". 

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them."
Henri Matisse 
Picture
Check it out! That's my last name above this door. Coincidence or destiny? Two doors down from Matisse….
Picture
Picture
Animated streetside cafes light up both sides of the Cours Saleya -- too tempting not to pause for a splash of local taste & color.
Picture
Picture
This city on the sea is an exuberant mix of yesterday and today. 
Just a few blocks from the Cours Saleya and the Old Town (La Vieille Ville),
you'll run into the cheerful Promenade des Anglais. 

Though first constructed in the early 1800's for privileged British
sunseekers in search of escape from the never-ending winter damp, today's
 version is as hip and adaptive as the latest techie gadget in your pocket.
It represents the virtual definition of Nice: young-at-heart and playful to the core.
  No matter if you're eight or eighty, everyone is here to breathe the fresh sea air
and soak up the Cote d'Azur's famous sunshine.

  Whether you like to stay on the move or just sit and watch "the show", 
the Promenade des Anglais is a must-do in a city that is full of choices.
Cyclists, runners, grannies and kids line the walkway, reminding us that
the original "Prom" has evolved as far from its 19th century aristocratic roots 
as possible, making its down-to-earth incarnation accessible to all.
Picture
Be sure to stop by Maison Auer for the most beautiful chocolate showroom ever -- tempting Nice locals since 1820.
Picture
Nicois architecture is stunning.  Belle Epoque villas -- glorious gardens, flawless details, unforgettable doors --  line the pretty avenues while sleek and sexy
describes the more modern and trendy new construction.
The streets overflow with Riviera style.

  You'll sense a strong dose of Italian dash nearly everywhere.
 There's a good reason for that.
 Nice belonged to the Savoy region -- part of the loosely configured Italian state -- until
1860 when France came calling. 
She was the prize in a bargain brokered by Napoleon III, leading France
to lend Italy a hand in her fight against Austrian invaders.
  It was a good trade.

Mediterranean red-orange roofs, orange trees and palatial hotels complete the dazzling picture of this beautiful city; she hardly shows her age.

 Speaking of sumptuous beauty, do your best to walk into the Hotel Negresco,
where you'll be rewarded with over-the-top decoration -- a mix of
Belle Epoque glamour and contemporary jubilation.
Who knows, you may run into one of your favorite celebrities in the lobby or bar.  
The Negresco has attracted mountains of famous visitors over the
years -- including the Beatles!!!, the Rockefellers & Vanderbilts,
Salvador Dali -- cheetahs in tow! -- Coco Chanel, Ernest Hemingway,
Marlene Dietrich, Liz & Dick, Elton John.....
And don't forget to look up at the famous pink dome on your way out,
said to be designed to evoke the image of a beautiful breast --
​as they say, only in France. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
How would you like this to be your home sweet home? #MeToo
Picture
Picture
Jazz reigns in Nice -- here, a stunning tribute to Miles Davis in front of the Negresco.
Picture
Picture
Inside Hotel Negresco, the Chanticler's wine list -- a little above average, don't you think?
Picture
Picture
It's often said that fresh sea air cures everything -- and I believe it -- but if
you need more, there is no end to the possibilities in Nice. 

Avenue Jean Médecin is a shopper's paradise -- including Galleries Lafayette
and a vast array of unique boutiques.
  Locals enjoy nearby Place Masséna, particularly at night when its seven statues
are illuminated, bringing a play of light that is unforgettable.
  A statue of Apollo -- the god of sun & light -- stands sentry on the square,
reminding all that getting to know Nice is like capturing lightening
in a bottle -- if only for a day.
Picture
What the heck?
Picture
There are parks and gardens all over the city, including two of my favorites,
the Promenade du Paillon and Le Jardin Albert 1er.
  Green Nice will bring a smile to even the grumpiest traveler's face.
 
​For another WOW moment, head to Cathédral Russe, the St. Nicholas
Russian Orthodox church, said to be one of the finest outside Russia.
  Onion domes, orthodox icons and incense were a welcome sight
to wealthy Russians wintering in Nice.
  Czar Nicholas II had the church built in 1912, a great
spiritual source of pride for the community.
Exuberantly ornamental, it claims to be the largest Eastern Orthodox
​ cathedral in western Europe.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
A sweet little chapel stands behind the grandiose Russian Orthodox Cathedral.
Picture
Picture
Spanish artist Jaume Plensa created the statues in beautiful Place Massena.
Picture
Picture
July 14, 2016, the saddest day in Nice history.
Picture
Picture
Picture
When in France, you've got to eat and drink as if it's your last meal -- and
when in Provence, that goes double. 
It's pretty tough to find a bad restaurant here but as always, I like
to rely on someone local for an authentic recommendation.
  Since the French love to talk about food,
it's easy to gather a number of good suggestions.
  Adrian Leeds of International House Hunter fame -- who divides her time
between Paris & Nice -- has offered high praise for the cooking and animated energy
of Bistrot d'Antoine in the center of Vieux Nice.

  From the appetizer to the dessert, we were more than happy.
  And the best part is, you can eat to your heart's delight because when the
party in your mouth is over, you'll walk it all off
getting "lost" in the magical streets of the old town.
 
Picture
Picture
Beautiful Place Rossetti -- Baroque Ste. Reparate Church and nearby gelato shop Fennochio -- a true spiritual immersion....
Picture
Musée Matisse in Cimiez - DON'T MISS IT!
Picture
Nice offers too many extraordinary experiences to recount in one blog.
  If you're an art lover, this city is heaven on earth.

  Musée National Marc Chagall really does offer you a ticket to heaven -- the
​ Old Testament kind -- with art that is filled with love and wonder.
  Musée Matisse is on a completely different playing field, a colorful
and sometimes outrageous party that will leave you breathless. 

We will definitely visit both of these in future chronicles of The Paris Effect Blog.  
In case you missed it earlier, I've written about a special museum in Vieux Nice
called the Palais Lascaris, a treasury of art and vintage musical instruments:
musical-chairs-in-magical-nice.html 
​
​I hope you're able to visit all these venues to your heart's content.
  ​
Picture
"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you."
​Anne Lamott, American Novelist & Social Activist

It's true.
If you've come to Nice to unplug from all-things-unpleasant at home,
you've come to the right place.
  Lighthearted and jubilant, you'll walk away with a renewed lease
on life, with love planted firmly in your heart.
Sunny-side up Nice is truly a prescription for joy.

"The cure for all the ills and wrongs, the cares, the sorrows and the crimes
of humanity all lie in the one word "love".
​ It is the divine vitality that everywhere produces and restores life."

Lydia Maria Child, 19th Century American Abolitionist & Women's Rights Activist
Picture
Place Massena is particularly dynamic at night as the square lights up in true Riviera style.
Picture
4 Comments
    Picture

    AUTHOR
    MICHELLE MOGGIO

    Thanks for visiting  my blog!

    I've been experiencing the joys of Paris since the ripe old age of eleven.
    As a big fan of duck fat, raw oysters and bad French movies, my long career in advertising helped pave the way for drinking at lunch. When not living la vie en rose, my husband Gary and I live in Brentwood, TN, where we stay busy planning our next travel adventure and offering unsolicited advice to our daughter.

    Archives

    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014


    RSS Feed

    Click below to buy
    The Paris Effect 
    book today
    Enter your email address to receive blog updates -
    Subscribe Now
    Buy Now

    Categories

    All
    100th Blog
    20th Arrondissement
    Abbaye De Fontfroide
    Absinthe
    Academie De La Grande Chaumière
    Adrian Leeds
    Aix-en-Provence
    Albi
    Aligot
    Alsace
    Ambassade D'Auvergne
    Amboise
    American History
    American Revolution
    Amphitheatre
    Antibes
    Apartments
    Aperitif
    April In Paris
    Arc De Triomphe Du Carrousel
    Architecture
    Arena De Nimes
    Ariége
    Armenian Cathedral Of Paris
    Art
    Art Deco
    Artistic Paris
    Artlover
    Art Museum
    Art Nouveau
    Atonement Chapel
    Auray
    Avenue Foch
    Avenue Frochot
    Avignon
    Baccarat
    Baden-Baden
    Baguette
    Basque
    Bayeux Tapestry
    B&B
    Benjamin Franklin
    Bénodet
    Bercy Village
    Biarritz
    Biot
    Biot France
    Bistros
    Bonbons
    Books Set In France
    Boulangerie
    Brassaï
    Brittany
    Brittany American Cemetery
    Burgundy
    Cagnes-sur-Mer
    Cakes
    Canal Du Midi
    Candy
    Cap D'Antibes
    Caracalla Spa
    Caramels
    Catalan France
    Cathars
    Cathedral
    Cathedrale St-Just
    Cemetière De Passy
    Cemetière Saint-Vincent
    Chantilly
    Chapelle Expiatoire
    Chapelle Saint Vincent De Paul
    #Chapel Of Hospice Saint-Jean
    Charles Aznavour
    Charles Trenet
    Chartreuse Du Val-de-Benediction
    Chateau
    Chateau De Clisson
    Chateau De Foix
    Chateau De Fougeres
    Chateau De Malmaison
    Chateau Grimaldi
    Cheese
    Chinon
    Chocolate
    Choice Vs. Chance
    Christian Constant
    #Church Of Saint-Volusien
    Cimiez
    Cité Des Fleurs
    Cité De Trevise
    Claude Monet
    Clisson
    Cocktail
    Coco Chanel
    Cognac
    Cointreau
    Cole Porter
    Comedie-Francaise
    Cote D'Azur
    Coulon
    Cours Mirabeau
    Cours Saleya
    Coussin De Lyon
    Crêpes
    Dessert
    Dijon
    Dreams
    Duck-confit
    Eating In France
    Ecole Des Beaux-Arts
    Ed Clark
    Edith-piaf
    Eglise Notre Dame De Clisson
    Eglise Sainte-Trinité
    Eglise Saint-Germain-des-Prés
    Elsa Maxwell
    Entrevaux
    Environmental Challenges
    Eric Kayser
    Eugene Delacroix
    Fabergé Museum
    Falling For Paris
    Famous-faces
    Fashion History
    Fauchon
    Fernand Léger
    Fete De La Transhumance
    Fête De Vendanges
    Fish Specialties
    Foix
    Folies Bergère
    Fontainebleau
    Fontaine Du Palmier
    Food Markets
    Fougeres
    Fragrance
    France
    Francois-premier
    Free Museums
    French Atlantic Coast
    French Bread
    French Cuisine
    French Food
    French-food
    French History
    French-islands
    French Musee D'Art Moderne De La Ville De Paris
    French Music
    French Resistence
    French Revolution
    #FrenchRiviera
    French Riviera
    French Slave Trade
    Friedrichsbad Spa
    Fun Fair Museum
    Genevieve De Gaulle-Anthonioz
    Genièvre
    George Sand
    Germaine Tillion
    Germany
    Gertrude Stein
    Gordes
    Grand Mosque Of Paris
    Grand Palais
    Grasse
    Guerlain
    Gustave Moreau
    Harvest Festival
    Haut-de-Cagnes
    Healthy Travel
    Hediard
    Henri Le Roux
    Henri Matisse
    Holocaust
    Hometown Memories
    Hotel Belles Rives
    Hôtel De Soubise
    Hotel Dieu
    Hotels
    Ile De Bréhat
    Ile De Ré
    Isadora Duncan
    Jacques Genin
    Janet Flanner
    Jardin Samuel-de-Champlain
    Jay Z
    Jazz A Juan
    Jean Seberg
    Jewelry
    Josephine Baker
    Josephine Bonaparte
    Juan-les-Pins
    Keith Haring
    La Campagne A Paris
    La Couveroitade
    Lafayette
    La Jourrnée San Voiture
    Lalique
    Language Skills
    Languedoc
    La Rochelle
    La Verrerie De Biot
    Lavinia Wine Store
    Le Bonbon Au Palais
    Le Bon Georges
    Le Capitole
    Le Carrousel Des Mondes Marins
    Le Clos Lucé
    Le Cochon à L'Oreille
    Le Coq Rico
    Legendary Lovers
    Le Grand Véfour
    Le Musée Montmartre
    Leonardo Da Vinci
    Le Rostand
    Les Cocottes
    Les Fauves
    Les Invalides
    Les Machines De L'Ile
    Les Sept Iles
    Lichtentaler Allee
    Lille
    Little Gourmand
    Loire Atlantique
    Luberon
    Luxembourg Gardens
    Maison Carrée
    Malmaison
    Man Ray
    Marais Poitevin
    Marc Chagall
    Marché Beauvau
    Marché D'Aligre
    Marché President Wilson
    Marché Victor Hugo
    Marie Curie
    Market Street
    Marquis De Lafayette
    Matisse
    Maurice Utrillo
    Medieval Festival
    Medieval France
    Memorial De L'Abolition De L'Esclavage
    Memorial De La Shoah
    MFK Fisher
    Minervois Wine
    #ModernArt
    Monolithic Church
    Montmartre
    Montmartre Museum
    Montparnasse
    Montparnasse Cemetery
    Montpellier
    Movies Set In France
    Musee Carnavalet
    Musée De La Chasse Et De La Nature
    Musée Des Arts Decoritifs
    Musée Des Arts Forains
    Musée Des Beaux-Arts De Dijon
    Musee D'Orsay
    Musée D'Orsay
    Musee L'Orangerie
    Musée Marc Chagall
    Musee Marmottan Monet
    Musée Matisse Nice
    Musée Picasso
    Musée Yves Saint Laurent
    Museum
    Museum Of Decorative Arts
    Museum Of Hunting & Nature
    Museum Of Modern Art City Of Paris
    Nancy
    Nantes
    Napoleon Bonaparte
    Napoleon III Apartments
    Narbonne
    Nashville
    Natalie Portman
    Nazi Atrocities
    Nice
    Nice France
    Nimes
    Normandy
    Not-far-from-paris
    Not-far-from-paris
    Notre Dame De Lorette
    Notre Dame De Paris
    Occitanie
    #Occitanie
    Off-the-tourist-track
    Off-the-tourist-track
    Opera-garnier
    Operation Dragoon
    Oradoursurglane
    Our Lady Of Paris
    Palais Lascaris
    Palais Royal
    Paloma Beach
    Pancake
    Pancake Pantry
    Parade
    Parc De Bercy
    Paris
    Paris 1968
    Paris Arrondissements
    Paris Art Museum
    Paris Art Schools
    Paris At Home
    Paris Cafes
    Paris Fashion
    Paris Friend
    Paris Markets
    Paris Metro
    Paris Neighborhoods
    Paris Parks
    Paris Patisseries
    Paris Pets
    Paris Predestination
    Paris Retail Therapy
    Paris Travel
    Parks
    Passage Boudin
    Passerelle Simone De Beauvoir
    Pastis
    Patisserie
    Patricia Wells
    Paul Cezanne
    Perfume
    Pernes-les-Fontaines
    Pet Cemeteries
    Petit Palais
    Photography
    Picpus Cemetery
    Pinching Pennies
    Pink Granite Coast
    Place De Furstenberg
    Place De La Concorde
    Place Des Vosges
    Place Masséna
    Place Stanislaus
    Place Vendome
    Ploumanac'h
    Poilane
    Ponr Alexandre III
    Poster Art
    Promenade Des Anglais
    Provence
    #Provence
    Provence Markets
    Puffins
    Pyrenees-Orientales
    Rambouillet
    Raoul Dufy
    Regional Cooking
    Rennes
    Renoir
    Robert Doisneau
    Robert Wuhl
    Roquefort
    Rue Cler
    Rue Cremieux
    Rue De L'Eole Du Medecine
    Rue De Nil
    Rue Dénoyez
    Rue Des Ecoles
    Rue Des Martyrs
    Rue Irenee Blanc
    Rue Jules Siegfried
    Ruelle Des Chats
    Rue Montorgeuil
    Ruth
    Saintdenis
    Saint-Emilion
    Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
    Saint-Etienne-du-Mont
    Sainteustache
    Saint-Goustan
    Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert
    Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
    Saint-Malo
    Saint-Medard Church
    Saint-Paul-de-Mausole
    Saint-Remy-de-Provence
    Saint-Vincent Cemetery
    Sculpture
    Senlis
    Serendipity
    Shopping
    Sliceoflife
    Slice Of Life
    Small Paris Pleasures
    Small Town Saturday Night
    Social Media
    So-Pi
    Springtime In Paris
    Square Des Peupliers
    Square Montsouris
    St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral
    Street Food
    Suzanne Valadon
    Suzy Solidor
    Sylvia Beach
    Texas
    The Avignon Papacy
    The-dreyfus-affair
    The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
    The Louvre
    The Moose
    The National Archives
    The Pantheon
    The-paris-effect
    The Pink City
    Toulouse
    Toulouse-Lautrec
    Tourrettes-sur-Loup
    Travel
    Travel Advice
    Travel Planning
    Troyes
    U.N. World Climate Conference
    Urban Art
    Uzès
    Vacation
    Vacation Planning Food
    Vel D'Hiver
    Vichy
    Vieille Bourse
    Vieux Nice
    Villa Eilenroc
    Villefranche-de-Conflent
    Villeneuve-les-Avignon
    Vincent Van Gogh
    Walking
    Walking Paris
    Willi Ronis
    Wine
    Wine Festival
    WWII
    #WWII France
    WWII Paris
    WWII Provence
    Yachts
    Yves Saint Laurent

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.