It’s been a long time between posts on the blog – sorry about that! We’ll hopefully have more about our transition back to the US soon, but for now, there’s a backlog of written, but not posted, items from our time in Nice. Here’s the first!
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As I mentioned in a post about day trips to the east of Nice, the French Riviera’s largest, most centrally located city is a perfect base from which to explore the rest of the mediterranean coastline. Here are some suggestions when heading West:
Antibes
Antibes is a small town just 20km away, and easily accessed from Nice by bus. The main attractions in this town are the old castle, which is a pretty sight from afar and houses a Picasso museum today; the old town, which features many winding narrow streets as many of the region’s old towns do; and the beach, which actually has sand (in addition to hundreds of people). On a more quirky note, there is also an absinthe museum, though we didn’t get a chance to visit.
How to get there: Take bus 200 from Nice directly to Antibes (at the time of this writing, there are temporary bus stops in use in Antibes, but I think you’ll find that you can get off anywhere in Antibes and walk toward the coast).
Cannes
Cannes is known for its international film festival, held every year in early summer. It’s still worth a visit the rest of the year though! When visiting, you can stay in town and walk along the waterfront Promenade de la Croisette and Le Suquet, the old town. But better still is to leave the mainland and visit the nearby St. Marguerite Island (Île Sainte-Marguerite). On this forested island, you can find wildlife, pristine beaches and lack the crowds, and even a fortress that once held The Man in the Iron Mask. After visiting so many similar towns along the Riviera, seeing something different is a nice change of pace.
How to get there: Take bus 200 from Nice directly to Cannes. Alternatively, there are regular trains from Nice’s main station directly to Cannes. Once in Cannes, you can take a ferry to St. Marguerite Island from the old port on the west side of the promenade.
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The Wildly Ordinary Life 