NICE, FRANCE
TRAVELLING SOLO
F e b r u a r y 18 t h 2 0 18
SUNDAY:
french rivera
I think I've been to Paris four times now and even though I say I don't love it I must have a secret love for it to keep going back. This time I'm not getting lost in Paris even though I've never been lost in Paris; I am finally exploring the South of France... Hello early summer(ish)
HOTEL:
villa bougainville
Location: Hotel Villa Bougainville is located in the centre of Nice. It's roughly a 10-minute drive from the airport and approx 15-20 minutes by bus. The main station for international travel is Gare de Nice-Ville which is a 4-minute walk from the hotel. Aside from transport, I took to and from the airport, Monaco and Èze, I ended up walking everywhere, mainly because everything is at a walkable distance and getting around Nice is relatively easy by foot. If tons of walking isn't on your agenda don't worry they have plenty of trams, buses and taxis to get you around.
Food: Breakfast was served between 7:30 - 10:30am, although rated a 4* hotel I did feel the breakfast was extremely basic. I say this in comparison to staying in a 3* hotel who had one of the best options for breakfast to date. Aside from that It was nice for what it was and I was able to find the things I liked. During 2pm-7pm the hotel serves refreshments for all guest in their lobby, although I never participated as I wasn't around I felt it was a nice touch.
Travelling: Nice is a great base for further travel. Trains from Gare de Nice-Ville provides transport to Monaco, Cannes and multiple destinations throughout Italy. Throughout my stay, I visited Monaco which is a 30-minutes train journey from Nice and only cost 7euros. On my last whole day in Nice, I took the train to Èze. Èze is a mountaintop village located between Monaco and Nice has wonderful views and very peaceful atmosphere.
Stay: The staff at the hotel was very welcoming and helpful throughout my stay. The lift in the hotel is quite unique and very small but it didn't hinder me getting around. I loved my room and it's gorgeous decor. The only thing about the rooms is that the walls are thin so at night I could hear people in the hallway and sometimes construction outside. Overall the stay was pleasant, the bed was cosy and I wouldn't be opposed to staying here again.
POINTS OF INTEREST :
Place Masséna is the main square in Nice easily found along Avenue Jean Médecin which is a shopping district in Nice. Place Masséna has gorgeous tiled floors and a stunning fountain to its centre. Avenue Jean Médecin is the shopping district in Nice, it's like the Champs-Élysées of Paris or the Oxford Street of London. It has pretty much everything you'd find on your local high-street and of course some French brands that haven't made it's way to London as yet.
Promenade des Anglais is one of the most famous stretches of the seafront in France. It's quite picturesque, there is a ton of seating along the promenade for drifters, readers and daydreamers. Along with you walk, you'll see plenty of restaurants on the beach and hotels that offer rooftop dining with gorgeous views. And if you want to capture the view of the entire promenade then walk towards Old Nice and follow the crowd up the steps and to the top of the hill point.
Cours Saleya, what a pretty name it has, Cours Saleya is a flower market located close to old nice, behind the promenade. There is more to the market than just flowers, they sell fruits, vegetables and much more. Unfortunately, I missed it by the time I stumbled across it but from the pictures I've seen I know how beautiful it is.
MONTE CARLO, MONACO:
day trip
Monaco, home to the rich, famous and world-renowned Grad Prix. Monaco is a grand and absolutely stunning city-state. Coming out of the station at Gare de Monaco Monte-Carlo you're captured by the most breathtaking overview of Monaco. Monaco is served by buses and taxes and many locals on motorbikes. I ended up travelling by foot the entire day but it was great, following maps, reading road signs and retracing my steps all the way back towards the end of the day.
Things to see in Monaco: The Monte Carlo Casino, although I didn't venture inside the architecture alone is worth the sight. At the Casino gardens, you'll be able to see Vasarely's Hexagrace mosaic it's not to be missed! Prince's Palace of Monaco is another gem, it's quite the walk to get there but it's worth the view. By the Palace you'll find narrow streets to get lost in serving food, selling merchandise and more. During summer I can imagine how much busier it would have been so it was definitely a great time to visit.
OLD NICE:
vieux nice
Old Nice/Vieux Nice is a sweet escape from the metropolitan parts of Nice offering colourful backdrops, authentic dishes and lots of small intimate shops; home to the locals. Lou pilha leva is a must visit for Socca, Socca is a traditional dish in Nice made from chickpea flour, olive oil and water. It's very filling so if your travelling with someone I'd suggest sharing one just so you don't waste it.
I've travelled by myself where I have gone out to stay with friends in another country but I have never gone on to another country alone where I didn't know a soul. One of the things I realised was how much time I had and it didn't feel like it was rushing past me as it does in London. It gave me time to think more, for myself and do the things I enjoy. This trip showed me how much I've grown in the sense of pushing myself to do something I've always imagined doing, even though I was somewhat hesitant to do.
Don't let fear stop you, you will always meet people along the way and you will find your way around it's an adventure! Dining by yourself is completely fine and those who stare are simply admiring the life you've written for yourself.... (corny) but it's true, your probably inspiring someone else. The funniest thing about my trip was asking people to take my picture and me crying on the inside at the angles and positioning of the lens...well at least they tried.
Travelling solo shows you so much about yourself, probably things I'll see differently in the space of a year or few months. It gives you more confidence in yourself because other than God you really got to do your thang solo. I definitely will do it again and at times I was saying to myself what on earth am I doing but it makes more sense as you go along, trust yourself.
Earrings: H&M
Lipstick: Fenty Beauty, Stunna Lip Paint
Face: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r - 350
Polo: ASOS
french rivera
Last year was pretty exciting and draining, I definitely had a full year but taking a break was long overdue. For the past few years I've been wanting to go on a solo trip and it’s something I wanted to do before I got any older. I have always said I'd do it but I never knew that that time would be now. Time is precious and you really can't wait too long to do the things you are more than capable of doing so just do it!
Searching for flights I went through sky scanner and was able to find cheap flights to and from my preferred airport. I flew with Ryanair for £40, a bargain I know! I didn't pick my seating on the plane and, going there and back I had the entire row to myself, what a win, For my accommodation I was looking through all the usuals until 'Secret Escapes' came across my mind, I proceeded to open 100 tabs prompting plenty of options and then narrowed it down to the one that worked best for me. My accommodation was just over £150 and that price was based on two people so had I gone with someone this would have been one of the cheapest getaways ever, well it still was.
Searching for flights I went through sky scanner and was able to find cheap flights to and from my preferred airport. I flew with Ryanair for £40, a bargain I know! I didn't pick my seating on the plane and, going there and back I had the entire row to myself, what a win, For my accommodation I was looking through all the usuals until 'Secret Escapes' came across my mind, I proceeded to open 100 tabs prompting plenty of options and then narrowed it down to the one that worked best for me. My accommodation was just over £150 and that price was based on two people so had I gone with someone this would have been one of the cheapest getaways ever, well it still was.
AIRPORT:
nice côte d'Azur international airport
nice côte d'Azur international airport
I think I've been to Paris four times now and even though I say I don't love it I must have a secret love for it to keep going back. This time I'm not getting lost in Paris even though I've never been lost in Paris; I am finally exploring the South of France... Hello early summer(ish)
HOTEL:
villa bougainville
Location: Hotel Villa Bougainville is located in the centre of Nice. It's roughly a 10-minute drive from the airport and approx 15-20 minutes by bus. The main station for international travel is Gare de Nice-Ville which is a 4-minute walk from the hotel. Aside from transport, I took to and from the airport, Monaco and Èze, I ended up walking everywhere, mainly because everything is at a walkable distance and getting around Nice is relatively easy by foot. If tons of walking isn't on your agenda don't worry they have plenty of trams, buses and taxis to get you around.
Food: Breakfast was served between 7:30 - 10:30am, although rated a 4* hotel I did feel the breakfast was extremely basic. I say this in comparison to staying in a 3* hotel who had one of the best options for breakfast to date. Aside from that It was nice for what it was and I was able to find the things I liked. During 2pm-7pm the hotel serves refreshments for all guest in their lobby, although I never participated as I wasn't around I felt it was a nice touch.
Travelling: Nice is a great base for further travel. Trains from Gare de Nice-Ville provides transport to Monaco, Cannes and multiple destinations throughout Italy. Throughout my stay, I visited Monaco which is a 30-minutes train journey from Nice and only cost 7euros. On my last whole day in Nice, I took the train to Èze. Èze is a mountaintop village located between Monaco and Nice has wonderful views and very peaceful atmosphere.
Stay: The staff at the hotel was very welcoming and helpful throughout my stay. The lift in the hotel is quite unique and very small but it didn't hinder me getting around. I loved my room and it's gorgeous decor. The only thing about the rooms is that the walls are thin so at night I could hear people in the hallway and sometimes construction outside. Overall the stay was pleasant, the bed was cosy and I wouldn't be opposed to staying here again.
POINTS OF INTEREST :
place masséna, promenade de anglais, old nice - cours saleya
Promenade des Anglais is one of the most famous stretches of the seafront in France. It's quite picturesque, there is a ton of seating along the promenade for drifters, readers and daydreamers. Along with you walk, you'll see plenty of restaurants on the beach and hotels that offer rooftop dining with gorgeous views. And if you want to capture the view of the entire promenade then walk towards Old Nice and follow the crowd up the steps and to the top of the hill point.
Cours Saleya, what a pretty name it has, Cours Saleya is a flower market located close to old nice, behind the promenade. There is more to the market than just flowers, they sell fruits, vegetables and much more. Unfortunately, I missed it by the time I stumbled across it but from the pictures I've seen I know how beautiful it is.
MONTE CARLO, MONACO:
day trip
Monaco, home to the rich, famous and world-renowned Grad Prix. Monaco is a grand and absolutely stunning city-state. Coming out of the station at Gare de Monaco Monte-Carlo you're captured by the most breathtaking overview of Monaco. Monaco is served by buses and taxes and many locals on motorbikes. I ended up travelling by foot the entire day but it was great, following maps, reading road signs and retracing my steps all the way back towards the end of the day.
Things to see in Monaco: The Monte Carlo Casino, although I didn't venture inside the architecture alone is worth the sight. At the Casino gardens, you'll be able to see Vasarely's Hexagrace mosaic it's not to be missed! Prince's Palace of Monaco is another gem, it's quite the walk to get there but it's worth the view. By the Palace you'll find narrow streets to get lost in serving food, selling merchandise and more. During summer I can imagine how much busier it would have been so it was definitely a great time to visit.
EZÉ:
mountaintop village
mountaintop village
Èze is a mountaintop village located between Monaco and Nice which has wonderful views and a peaceful atmosphere. Of course, before I caught the train I had to stop off at PAUL (a French cafe) and get some bugnes (french doughnut). Èze is a lot quieter than Nice and on my short visit, I attempted to climb the mountain to see reach the top of Èze Village. If you watched my Instrgam stories you would have heard the heavy panting and struggle in my chest. With a handbag, jeans and long-line coat my journey to the top came to a quick end, I was going nowhere fast. If you do visit Èze you can take a bus to Èze Village but it runs approx every hour and of course, I missed it by a fraction of a second. Besides that, it was a lovely short trip and one I'd be sure to revist.
OLD NICE:
vieux nice
Old Nice/Vieux Nice is a sweet escape from the metropolitan parts of Nice offering colourful backdrops, authentic dishes and lots of small intimate shops; home to the locals. Lou pilha leva is a must visit for Socca, Socca is a traditional dish in Nice made from chickpea flour, olive oil and water. It's very filling so if your travelling with someone I'd suggest sharing one just so you don't waste it.
TRAVELLING SOLO:
experience - final thoughts
experience - final thoughts
I've travelled by myself where I have gone out to stay with friends in another country but I have never gone on to another country alone where I didn't know a soul. One of the things I realised was how much time I had and it didn't feel like it was rushing past me as it does in London. It gave me time to think more, for myself and do the things I enjoy. This trip showed me how much I've grown in the sense of pushing myself to do something I've always imagined doing, even though I was somewhat hesitant to do.
Don't let fear stop you, you will always meet people along the way and you will find your way around it's an adventure! Dining by yourself is completely fine and those who stare are simply admiring the life you've written for yourself.... (corny) but it's true, your probably inspiring someone else. The funniest thing about my trip was asking people to take my picture and me crying on the inside at the angles and positioning of the lens...well at least they tried.
Travelling solo shows you so much about yourself, probably things I'll see differently in the space of a year or few months. It gives you more confidence in yourself because other than God you really got to do your thang solo. I definitely will do it again and at times I was saying to myself what on earth am I doing but it makes more sense as you go along, trust yourself.
Earrings: H&M
Lipstick: Fenty Beauty, Stunna Lip Paint
Face: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r - 350
Polo: ASOS
Spotify Playlist: Western Grove 7: Autumn Falls
© Jeaulina Cato 2018 all rights reserved on photographs
