There are two trains departing from Milan to Nice daily. We took the afternoon one which departs at 3.10pm. It cost 33Euros and takes 5 hours. The train passes by the Mediterranean sea and it arrives at Nice’s Gare Nice Ville station. After spending 2 weeks in Italy, we have now arrived in France. By the time we checked in to our hostel – Villa Saint Exupery, it was evening time. We decided to turn in early and be ready to explore Nice early the next day. Nice falls under the region known as the Cote d’Azur, or the Azure Coast in English.
21st April (Wednesday) – Nice
We took a walk along the beautiful beach.
Notice that the beach consist of mainly stones and not sands. When the wave hit against the beach, the abrasion between the stones create a unique sparkling sound.
We visited the Flower market of Marche aux Fleurs, which sells lots of French produce.
And went to check out the special Russian church in the area, the Cathedrale Russe.
There is a hill in the area which offers a good view of Nice from the top, it is the Colline du Chateau.
Yachts are docked at a pier.
And me taking in the amazing sight from the top.
We got back down and went for dinner of French crusine.
We finished the day with shopping along Avenue Jean Medecin. The evening sun sets upon this lovely seaside town.
22nd April (Thursday) – Eze Village and Monaco
Our hostel owner recommended that we should check out the Eze Village (Beausoleil). It is a village made entirely of stone perched at the top of a hill. It is along the ride from Nice to Monaco so we dropped by there to check it out. The bus ride cost 2.50Euros.
There are many narrow walkways in the village, giving it a cosy and peaceful feel. Walking through, we can scent jasmine and bougainvillea. We came across sun-drenched paths, with its walls dating back to the Bronze Age. It is here where wrought iron and wild roses bushes co-exist with the stones.
At the top of the village, it overlook the Mediterranean sea. There are houses perch on the hill. This is really an amazing place for a peaceful getaway.
From Eze Village, it is another bus ride to Monaco which cost 2.10Euro.
Here is the famous casino of Monte Carlo Monaco, the Casino et Salle Garnier.
We went up to the palace area (Place Du Palais) where Prince Rainier is said to be living in now.
From there it offers a view of Monte Carlo. They are preparing for a F1 race, so notice the stands that lined up the road.
A group photo of us in the palace compounds.
23rd April (Friday) Farewell Nice
We did a bit of last minute shopping in the morning. Visited the flower market again and begin shopping for sweets and chocolates. Went back to our hostel to collect our bags. We were given a lift to the bus stop where we will take a bus to the airport. It is farewell to mainland Europe for Easter, our next stop is Liverpool.
