Nice, really is nice!

We set sail on the 18th August for the 6NM’s to the old port of Nice where we had booked a mooring for 2 nights. Our entry into the old harbour really set the scene for the next 2 days, it was stunning, surrounded by beautiful colourful homes and old fishing boats in the harbour.

The Port

Once settled, and knowing clouds were due to arrive later in the day, we wasted no time and went for a walk into town.

The Old Town

After a spot of lunch, we headed along the Promenade de Anglais, taking in all the posh and quirky hotels..

Le Promenade de Anglais

Including the infamous Hotel Negresco, which I (David) was fortunate enough to have stayed in many years ago for a few nights to watch the Monaco Grand Prix in 2001. It was constructed in 1912, and named after Henri Negresco, born Alexandru Negrescu, the son of an innkeeper. Not sure how he made his money, but as a director of the Municipal Casino in Nice, he had the idea to build a sumptuous hotel of quality that would attract the wealthiest of clients. After arranging the financing, he hired the great architect of the “café society” Édouard-Jean Niermans to design the hotel with its now famous pink dome. When World War I broke out two years after he opened for business, his hotel was converted to a hospital. By the end of the war, the number of wealthy visitors to the Riviera had dropped off to the point that the hotel was in severe financial difficulty. Seized by creditors, the Negresco was sold to a Belgian company. Henri Negresco died a few years later in Paris at the age of 52. Over the years, the hotel had its ups and downs, and in 1957, it was sold to the Augier family. Madame Jeanne Augier [fr] reinvigorated the hotel with luxurious decorations and furnishings, including an outstanding art collection and rooms with mink bedspreads. She also popularised it with celebrities; Elton John featured it in the video for his song “I’m Still Standing”, and she told Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, that purchasing it would be beyond his means!

With its doormen dressed in the manner of the staff in 18th-century elite bourgeois households, complete with red-plumed postilion hats guarded the entrance, we didn’t have the audacity to try to gain entry dressed in t-shirts and shorts! But we have pinched a view internet images to give you a feel of its sumptuous decor…

We then wandered back along on the opposite side of the promenade soaking up the beach atmosphere..

Including the hectic and busy volleyball courts in the sand, (not that the rest of the beach was sand!)

Finally we headed back into the old town for a glass of vino or 2 before heading back to Seacluion as the dark clouds bringing lots of rain rolled in!

Once the rain cleared, we headed out for a bite to eat and funnily enough some more wine!

The following day, we went to explore and discover the parts we had missed the day before …

All the way up to the gardens at the top of the hill for the views, and the hill top waterfall, albeit man-made!

On our way back down the hill, we spotted this and just couldn’t resist!

Finally on the 20th, after doing some chores like laundry and provisioning, we were ready to say goodbye to this lovely city.. Sadly I didn’t remember any of it, no doubt had we caught the tram up to where my grandfather lived I would have remembered a few bits, like his house, but given it is surrounded by high hedges and a solid gate, I wouldn’t have been able to show David, there didn’t seem much point, not when there was so much to see in this city!

All we can say is , if you want a lovely weekend away, Nice has to be up there as one of the places to go.. we loved it and I can certainly see why my grandfather chose to live there, once he left Paris!

20th August 2024