200 years ago, the wealthy British tourists that flocked here every winter, insisted on an upgrade of the potholed dirt road running along the beach, so they could stroll along the seaside without getting their finery soiled with dust and dirt. The working-class Niçois didn’t really see the point, so the industrious English (Anglais) community just got to it and organized and financed the paving of what is now called the Promenade des Anglais (and now you know why!)
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of its inauguration in 1824, the Ville de Nice is throwing a birthday party of sorts, and you are invited. All weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Aug 31-Sept 1, the Prom will be punctuated with fanciful animations, music and surprises; mostly centered around the Jardin Albert 1ere, but also all along the ‘English Walk’ including vintage photos under the pergolas.
Last June marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day: the storming of the beaches of Normandy. But that was just the start, as battles raged all summer, including the storming of Toulon/Var beaches on August 15th. Town by town the Nazi occupiers were eradicated and villages liberated, each at tremendous cost.
Saturday Aug 24th: Giant free 40’s style big band retro dance ball, 6pm-midnight, Theatre de Verdure. The American tanks arrived in Nice two days later, and that elation is the theme of tonight’s American-style 40’s swing celebration. Costumes encouraged, food trucks on site.
In medieval times, ancient Convent of the Visitation in Old Nice was an austere abode for pious nuns. The nuns are long gone and the convent has been boarded up for decades, but nevertheless the locals fought tooth-and-nail to stop its transformation into a lavish 5-star hotel, fearing the introduction of an ostentatious luxury resort would forever alter the feel of the vieille ville.
It’s rare to find a hotel with such a sense-of-place: the guestrooms are sober yet elegant, the spa evokes Roman baths, the terraced gardens beg to be strolled, the restaurants serve on antique linens and vintage glassware …and they grow their own herbs, just like the nuns used to do.
It’s a conundrum: you want to visit Nice’s Bellet wine region, tour the picturesque wineries and taste lots of wine, but the vineyards are spread out in the backcountry, necessitating a car, and driving the windy roads isn’t exactly compatible with the tasting, sampling, and savoring that is the whole point of the trip…
After a scenic 20-minute bus ride up to the hilly vineyards, the first stop is maybe the most famous, 