Blog

Cours Saleya is THE most famous street in the old town of Nice. While Cours means yard, we are not so sure where the name Saleya originally derives from. Either from “Sale” which means salt or maybe “Sole” which means sun. Both play or have played an important role here, the sun is part of …

About 20 miles East of Nice ends the French Riviera and begins the Italian Riviera or like we also call it the Flower Riviera. On the highway a big board greets the visitors with “Benvenuti in Italia” which means Welcome to Italy. Once you pass the border, it is amazing how the landscape changes. While …

Paris has its Champs Elysées and the Eiffel Tower. While Nice has its Promenade des Anglais and the Hotel Negresco. Whenever you will see a postcard or a documentary about Nice, be sure you will see the Negresco in it. The shiny white Belle Epoque building with its pink dome is moored like a vessel …

One of my passions is exploring the beautiful back country of our Riviera.  Whether on my bike or by car, I love to discover new villages or revisit old ones that I have not seen for a while. The more off the beaten tracks, the better. The more authentic, the more I love to show …

It was in the spring of 1882 that Queen Victoria visited the French Riviera for the first time. She had previously visited Paris with her husband Prince Albert. However his death prompted her to enter a long period of mourning and it was many years before she revisited France. Queen Victoria had never travelled outside …

During my bike ride today I made a stop in the port of Antibes and watched the fishermen bringing their catch to shore. It makes me happy to see that in the middle of all the exclusive yachts that dock there, you can still see some authentic local activity going on. A long time ago …

Nice is mostly known for its famous flower and food market on Cours Saleya in the old town. It is mentioned in all the guide books and you will have no difficulty in finding it, just follow the flow. If you look for a more authentic market though, where the locals go and buy their …

Located in one of the most beautiful bays of France, Villefranche-sur-Mer is definitely one of my favorite places on the French Riviera. Its ochre-colored houses and charming narrow alleys remind us of its Italian past when the region was still under the government of the House of Savoy. Villefranche used to be a fishing village …

You certainly know that France is very famous for, and proud of, its cheeses. Charles De Gaulle once said that it is very difficult to govern a country which produces more than 246 different cheeses. In the meantime there are even more, France counts approximately 400 cheese varieties and according to statistics, every French person …