France Nice Nice Travel Date: 2023.09.08 – 2023.09.18
Visited: Opéra Plage, Flower Market, Fontaine du Soleil, L’Ovale, Blue Chair, Prince’s Palace of Monaco, Monaco Cathedral, Monte Carlo Casino, AC Hotel, COOP Mart
France Nice On the ninth day of our 9-night, 11-day Western Mediterranean cruise, we captured the unforgettable landscapes of Nice and Monaco.
Nice Nice On the last day of our cruise, we arrived back at Savona Port and headed to Nice by tour bus. After a journey of about 3 hours, our day in Nice began.
Exploring Nice: From the Beach to the City Center
Nice The iconic blue chair of Nice, which caught my eye from afar, was something I finally got to see up close. I’ll share more photos of it soon.
Opéra Plage
France Nice Located in Nice, Opéra Plage is famous for its breathtakingly beautiful sea color. The unique and captivating blue hue, unlike anything I had ever seen before, was enough to captivate any traveler’s heart.
Nice This is the Opéra Plage beach in Nice, and the sea color was unbelievably beautiful. I was so mesmerized by the picturesque scenery that I took countless photos.
France Nice While strolling along the beach, I discovered the steel obelisk, Neuf Lignes Obliques, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the annexation of Nice and Savoy. This was our meeting point, but we were given free time shortly after, allowing us to explore leisurely.
I took many more photos of the beautiful beach. There was a restroom near the beach, but unfortunately, the strong smell prevented me from using it, so I decided to wait until lunchtime.
Marché aux Fleurs Cours Saleya – Flower Market
We visited Cours Saleya, famous for its flower market. Although I didn’t have a particular interest, the fragrant scent of the flowers was captivating. Due to the hot weather, I didn’t stay long and moved on to the souvenir shops.
I bought a magnet here and considered buying soap as a gift, but I was worried it would get crushed in my suitcase, so I ended up not purchasing anything.
Fontaine du Soleil – Nice
Located right next to the flower market, the Fontaine du Soleil was bustling with people, like a meeting square. Despite the crowd, I was surprisingly able to take great photos without being obstructed at the photo spots.
I saw a couple having a wedding photoshoot on the street, and I learned that it was the City Hall building and that taking photos after registering a marriage was a significant event. I passed by, sending them congratulatory applause from afar.
Lunch: L’Ovale
France For lunch, we visited L’Ovale, a French restaurant. The chewy pre-meal bread was impressive in the somewhat dimly lit atmosphere.
The squid salad I ordered had a strong, sour balsamic dressing, but the squid itself was delicious, so I enjoyed it.
The rosé pasta was topped with fried fish and squid. It was a bit greasy, but I enjoyed it, mainly focusing on the toppings.
For dessert, the tiramisu was superb with its rich creaminess and sweetness. I especially enjoyed the waffle cookie on top, which I mistook for nuts at first but found to be a surprisingly good pairing.
My companion shared some perfectly ripe figs they bought at the market. They were much sweeter and more delicious than the ones I’d eaten in Korea, but I found them a bit too much to eat in large quantities.
The Symbol of Nice, the Blue Chair
Nice I encountered the famous blue chairs of Nice again. While I couldn’t ascertain the specific reason for them, their placement along the beach was striking.
The streets were lively with people cheering for what seemed to be a game, though not a soccer match.
Moving to Monaco: Beautiful Coastal Road
Nice The road to Monaco offered breathtaking coastal views. I heard that drivers often avoid this route due to the winding roads, but thanks to a kind driver, I was fortunate enough to enjoy a spectacular panorama of the Mediterranean Sea from a high vantage point.
Exploring Monaco: Palace, Cathedral, and Casino
As soon as we arrived in Monaco, a sudden downpour began. I hesitated, having left my umbrella on the bus, but I decided not to miss out and proceeded with the tour, braving the rain. Despite the heavy rain, I ventured out to experience Monaco’s charm.
Prince’s Palace of Monaco
The Prince’s Palace of Monaco was the grand structure I had seen from afar on the cliff. Taking advantage of a brief lull in the rain, I quickly took commemorative photos from a scenic spot.
Monaco Cathedral
On the way from the Prince’s Palace to the meeting point, we only saw the exterior of the Monaco Cathedral. Due to time constraints, we couldn’t go inside, but its grandeur alone was impressive.
On the way, we briefly enjoyed seeing a peculiar boat that looked like it belonged in an anime, which added a touch of fun to our journey.
Monte Carlo Casino
We visited the Monte Carlo Casino, a symbol of Monaco. Unfortunately, I lost 30 euros playing the slots, but since photography was prohibited inside, I took a commemorative photo with the statue in front of the entrance.
Inside the casino, there was a roulette game model where large chips were moved for betting, although it wasn’t for actual play.
To warm up my body, chilled and damp from the rain, I bought a hot coffee from a vending machine at the entrance of the casino building. While waiting for the bus, I felt a bit uneasy due to the presence of some delinquent youths nearby.
Genoa Accommodation: AC Hotel by Marriott Genova
For the next day’s itinerary, we moved to Genoa and stayed at the AC Hotel by Marriott Genova. After driving for about 3 hours from Monaco, we were able to rest comfortably.
The room was more spacious than the hotel in Milan, but the lack of slippers made my feet cold on the floor. I was reminded of the inconvenience of countries without floor heating.
For our Western-style dinner at the hotel, we were served pre-meal bread and cheese. Two types of water were provided: still and sparkling.
The main course, which tasted similar to bulgogi pasta, was delicious and familiar.
Another main dish, beef and wedge potatoes, was served as steak, sliced like ham, which was interesting. The taste was ordinary.
For dessert, we had pudding generously drizzled with syrup. It was sweet and good, but a bit too sweet to finish completely.
Visiting COOP Mart in Genoa
We stopped by a COOP Mart near the hotel that was open late. To be prepared for any situation, I bought masks and cosmetics as gifts for my mother. The checkout lines were long, so I used the self-checkout, which was convenient as it supported English. However, I was briefly confused by the system where I had to scan a receipt barcode to open the door when leaving.
Since dinner wasn’t enough, I had instant ramen and corn soup from home as a late-night snack. I requested hot water at the first-floor cafeteria, but what would have been a quick task in Korea took 30 minutes, which I found frustrating. It was a moment where I truly felt the cultural differences and missed Korea.
