We left beautiful Beaune by train and headed south to Nice, the largest city in the French Riviera. Back to pebbly beaches, blue water, and sunsets!
Per usual, we started our visit with a food tour. Niçoise cuisine is a mix of French and Italian, heavy on seafood and completely different from other French regions. We ate a few local staples like socca (a thin chickpea flour pancake), pan bagnat (sandwich with olive oil soaked bread, fresh seafood, tomatoes and olives), and pissaladière (pizza-like tart with onions, anchovies and olives). But as we learned, Swiss chard is the staple of the cuisine – people from Nice are nicknamed “caga blea” or “chard eaters”! We even had a tourte de blette sucrée” – a chard dessert! Fair to say, not quite what we expected but we appreciated the unique dishes! Unfortunately, we did not take many pictures of the food, but that’s not because it wasn’t delicious.
Nice was historically an Italian city and was only ceded to France in 1860. The Old Town looks very Italian with its narrow streets and colorful buildings. The main square is named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian general born in Nice that contributed to the unification of Italy. This history gives Nice a totally different feel than the other parts of France we visited.
Next up – the wine! Although well-known as being part of the Cote d’Azur, it is also a part of Provence! We went on a wine tour through some of the smaller wineries and vineyards in Provence. People typically associate with Provence with rosé but there is so much more quality wine in the area. But we also drank truly exceptional rosé – light and fresh, not full of sugar or red and white wine mixed together. The French would never!
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Nice is surrounded by beautiful coastal towns like Cannes, Antibes, and Eze (the list goes on and on) that are easily accessible by bus or train. We had plans to visit several, but the weather did not cooperate. Improbably, we were woken up by the sound of hail on the roof of our apartment one morning! So we only got to visit one nearby town, but it was arguably the best one – Saint-Jean-Cap Ferrat.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is located on a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean and ends at Cap Ferrat. The peninsula features a walking path that covers the entire peninsula’s rocky coastline. We almost made it to Cap Ferrat when the police closed the path due to rough seas. We had definitely noticed the big waves and even got splashed a few times!
The town is also ranked as the second most expensive residential location in the world. Since the coastal pathway was closed, we walked to the interior and marveled at the beautiful homes and gardens. This also gave us a chance to explore the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, built between 1907 and 1912 by Baroness Béatrice de Rothschild. The villa is now a museum and the home and gardens are impeccably maintained. Plus the villa has a stunning view of the Mediterranean and coastline. We did not plan to visit the villa but are so glad we did.
Bordeaux
We left the Coast and headed inland to our last stop in France – Bordeaux. The city is beautiful, the restaurants are delicious and of course, the wine is world class. Bordeaux felt like a mini-Paris and, due to the newish high speed train, is populated by a lot of former-Parisians. We had a great time wandering the city.
The most fascinating thing – the city gates. Like a ton of European cities, Bordeaux was originally surrounded by defensive walls. The walls are gone, but a few of the gates were preserved. And while accurate, “gate” does not describe the incredible buildings that remain from the 15th century.
Bordeaux has a signature pastry, canelés, which are a rum and vanilla flavored cakes with a soft custard center and caramelized crust. If you knew where to buy them, they were delicious! Bordeaux is only about 40 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. So along with traditional French cuisine, they also had excellent fresh seafood. Our favorite was the steamed mussels which pair perfectly with crisp white wine!
The Wine
Finally, Bordeaux is world-famous for their red wine. And we drank plenty! One of the main attractions is La Cite de Vin – an all encompassing wine museum with tastings on the rooftop. We spent a whole afternoon there and still missed some of the exhibitions. It is a cannot miss if you’re ever in Bordeaux.
We visited the famous Médoc wine region, which is located just outside Bordeaux. We saw beautiful fields of vineyards, chateaus, and medieval villages. In particular, we loved Saint Emilion and Margaux. We stopped at a few of the chateaus and sampled the delicious local wine. One of our favorite things to do on vacation!
This brings on time in France to a close. Next post Portugal!
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