During my walking tours of Nice, I like to introduce visitors to local specialties. For this purpose, I often offer them a taste of a signature dish from Nice: “La tourte aux blette” (Swiss chard pie). There are two types of this delicious tart, one sweet and one savoury. The …

Contributor blog post by Margo Lestz: Have you heard of cat cafés? No, they are not where cats go to have their morning coffee and read the newspaper. They are for us humans, and they are pretty much like any other café… except there are cats roaming around. Normally, you …

Traditionally the French Riviera, and Nice in particular, was a winter resort. It served as a destination for the upper echelons to escape harsh northern winters amongst their own. Today Nice in the winter is a largely local affair – which means less hustle, bustle and fewer crowds to contend …

For over a century the striking Hotel Negresco has been the favourite holiday destination for celebrities, royalty, millionaires, and politicians. This magnificent belle-époque building, instantly recognizable by its pink domed roof, stands proudly on the promenade des Anglais in Nice. The hotel celebrated its centennial in 2013. Five centuries of …

Contributor blog post by Margo Lestz: Did you know that the city of Nice, France almost had a 49 foot (15 meter) tall statue of the Virgin Mary standing atop the Colline du Chateau (Castle Hill)? In the 1980s, the idea of the “Virgin on the hill” came to the …

Like theTour Eiffel of Paris or the Big Ben of London, La chaise bleue has long been considered the symbol of Nice. The iconic chairs, as blue as the rippling Bay of Angels they overlook, are wedged in rows of 20 along the famous Promenade des Anglais. While in winter …

The funny thing about life and travel is that we are often more curious about a new environment than our status-quo location. According to Margo Lestz, “Life in a foreign country is never dull and each day is a new learning experience.” She launched her blog The Curious Rambler in 2012 …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: ….in both senses of the word. ‘Un Monde Flottant’ just opened in Nice focuses on the work of Jacques Henri Lartigue who was born in 1894 into a high-society French family. Given a camera as a child, he photographed everything and everyone around him, from …

Contributor blog post by Jemma: The cover of our local newspaper tells the story of Paradise Lost: The artist Mesia puts it even more touchingly: Such a bleu-blanc-rouge waves outside Bellevue, too. The flag is an ever-present sentry at the tip of a quay jutting into the Mediterranean bay. …Continue reading …

Contributor blog post by Margo Lestz: Dear Readers, Today’s post is a letter to let you all know that I am fine and to thank you for your concern, and your thoughts and prayers. Jeff was away, and I went to the July 14 fireworks display with some friends. About …