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Nice
by Jakob Jelling
Nice is the fifth-largest city in France, and one
of the most sophisticated. It hugs the coastline, and its elegant
hotels along the Promenade des Anglais have a perfect view of the ocean
just across the street. From the coast, Nice stretches upward to Le
Chateau, once topped by a beautiful castle but now crowned only in
picturesque ruins.
The city was founded by the Phocaeans of
Marseille, Greek mariners, in around 350 BC, and was probably named for
the Greek goddess Nike in honor of a victory over a neighboring colony.
This history still lingers in Vieux Nice, the oldest quarter, in the
maze of narrow flagstone streets still used today. It was conquered by
the Romans in the first century AD and became a busy trading port, and
later fell to the Saracens. During the Middle Ages, it was held by the
counts of Provence and later the counts of Savoy, and regained its
might as a trading port.
Vieux Nice
The old town, composed of Vieux Nice, the harbor,
and the business district, is separated from the new town by the
Paillon River. Le Chateau is on the old town side, along with the Musee
Terre Amata and, above an ancient cemetery, Colline de Chateau, a
medieval castle ruin. To the west of this castle, and sandwiched
between it and Paillon River, are a variety of different attractions:
the Chapelle de la Misericorde, Chapelle de l'Annonciation, Chapelle de
St. Jacques-Jesu, and Cathedral Ste-Reparate, all picturesque and
primarily baroque churches; the Palais Lascari, home of a marshal of
the duke of Savoy and today open to the public for a fee; and the Place
Garibaldi, where you can walk around the fountain while choosing which
picturesque café you're going to eat at today.
Promenade des Anglais
After you've exhausted walking around Vieux Nice
during the day, you're probably ready for some excitement during the
evening. Nice is the leading resort city of the Cote d'Azur, and there
are plenty of things to do at any time of the day. Plan the time of
year you come carefully, and you can enjoy some of their regular
festivals, including the Carnival of Nice, their premier celebration.
Or you can try the Casino Ruhl, a neon-lit modern counterpoint to the
ancient streets of Vieux Nice, and later lounge in the Bar Anglais at
the nearby Hotel Negresco. In July, the Nice Jazz Festival draws
international performers.
In the new part of town during the day, you'll
want to take at least one walk down the Promenade des Anglais, two wide
carriageways separated by flowerbeds and palm trees, and stretching two
and a half miles down the waterfront. On one side of the promenade,
you'll find grand hotels both modern and quaint, and along most of the
other side stretches the beaches of the Baie des Anges. The beaches
alternate between public and private, and you can find waterskiing,
windsurfing, parasailing, jet-skiing rentals in many places.
For less athletic pursuits, you'll find two fine
art museums, Musee des Beaux-Arts Jules-Cheret and the Museum of Art
and History in the Palais Massena. The Jardin Albert I rises over the
River Paillon, beautiful both during the day and in the evening.
Cimiez
In Cimiez, further away from shore, there are a
bouquet of museums: the Musee Matisse, Musee du Message Biblique
Marc-Chagall, and the Musee Archaeologique. Matisse and Chagall are
among the French impressionists who lived here for some time, and they
left their marks on the culture of the area. You'll also find the ruins
of a Roman amphitheatre here.
Transportation in Nice
The airport at Nice is one of the most important
in France, and as a hub of transportation on the Cote d'Azur, Nice is a
great place to start from for driving tours. There is also a regular
passenger service to Corsica.
Shopping
Though Nice is primarily a resort city, you'll
also find a wide variety of luxury goods for sale here. Gallons of
fresh virgin olive oil can be purchased at tiny market stalls for a
bargain price, and some of the best French perfumes are manufactured
here and north, and can be found here. Crystallized fruit, a Nice
specialty, is sold at Henri Auer, and there are a fresh flower market
and lots of antiques as well.
Cuisine
Nice, like most of the Cote d'Azure, uses lots of
garlic and olive oil; in fact, their version of mayonnaise is made of
olive oil and seasoned with garlic. Ratatouia, or ratatouille, was
first cooked in Nice before being exported to New Orleans as a staple.
For a true taste of Nice, try pissaladiera, an onion flan with
anchovies and black olives.
Other attractions
Nice is a growing cultural center. The Centre
Universitaire Mediterraneen holds conferences on language studies and
contemporary problems, a university for law, science and letters has
been established there, and an international art school – appropriately
– was established in 1970.
Jakob Jelling is the founder of
http://www.kitesurfingnow.com. Visit his kitesite for the latest on
kitesurfing equipment, kiteboarding lessons, places to surf and much
more!
Jakob Jelling may be contacted at http://www.kitesurfingnow.com
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