Enjoying the Good Life in Nice

Tired of Tesco and boring supermarket shopping? If you're looking for the perfect antidote, plus a little sunshine, take a short city break in Nice, book an apartment and go shopping for food in the famous Cours Saleya market.

The Cours Saleya is a huge, open-air market right next to the sea front, sandwiched between the Promenade des Anglais and the atmospheric Nice Old Town. The Mediterranean Sea, and the palms that fringe the resort's beach, can be glimpsed enticingly through archways from the market itself. Resist the temptation of the beach, though, and you'll see Mediterranean life at its finest in the market.

Anyone with the slightest interest in good food, or people watching, will think they have landed in heaven. The famous flower and vegetable market is held here from Tuesday to Sunday each week, while Monday is given over to antique stalls. The space is lined with shops and restaurants, ideal for sitting in the sun sipping a beer or coffee before slipping in to one of the many restaurants for a meal of fish soup, a salad nicoise or other local speciality.

The produce on sale in the market makes you appreciate why food in France is so special. There are seemingly endless displays of cheese, charcuterie, olives, herbs and spices and, on the fringes of the market, fish stalls with a quite stunning selection of species on offer. In the alleyways leading off northwards into the Old Town, you'll find small pasta, pastry and chocolate shops while others will provide luxury products like truffle oil and foie gras.

Watching the locals choosing their produce with such care is a delight in itself. Everything is sniffed at, examined minutely and discussed with the stall holders before the purchase is complete. Choosing one's ingredients is not something to be rushed in Nice.

There's as much emphasis on Italian food as French in Nice. After all, the city was Italian until the early 1860s when the population voted to transfer to France. Pasta, gnocci and pizza still feature strongly on restaurant menus, while dishes like soupe de pistou are closely related to the pesto and minestrone found along the coast in Genoa and across Italy.

Several chapels and churches add to the attractions of this vibrant part of the city while at the far end is the Place Charles Felix and a large yellow-ochre house, No1 Palais Cais de Pierlas. For some years, the third floor was home to Matisse, his paintings of Nice's Baie des Anges are the views from his apartment window.

The likes of Matisse and Marc-Chagall, both with their own museums in the nearby suburb of Cimiez, have meant art is another key attraction in Nice - indeed, the city has more galleries and museums than any other French city outside Paris. The galleries will be particularly interesting if you visit any time of year. Nice was for years primarily a winter resort. It was only in the 1920s, when the likes of Picasso and his friends started visiting the Riviera in summer, that the world followed their example. While unbroken sunshine is far from guaranteed in the winter months, the chances are you'll still enjoy some decent weather.

If you have any time to spare, try popping down the coast to Monaco. It's only fifteen minutes away by train but is always great fun. The Principality, for it is an independent country albeit less than a square mile in size, sits in a beautiful setting; has the allure of the world's most famous casino and is full of very rich residents. If you thought people watching was fun in Nice, Monaco will be a revelation.

Try lunch at the Café Rascasse on the famous bend on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit. Spot the very rich gentlemen taking their stunning 'nieces' out for lunch. You'll also have a very pleasant meal, happy in the thought that your seat would have set you back 1,500 Euros on race day. So book that flight now - Easyjet and Ryanair have a wide choice of cheap flights to Nice, or even jump the train via Paris. It's a trip you'll want to repeat any time of year for short city break when a little sun, and good food, is desperately needed.

Article Source: http://www.article-gems.com/

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