NEED TO KNOW
AVING just checked into your hotel room after a relatively short and pleasant flight to a Mediterranean destination, what’s the first thing you do?
Slump back, star-shaped on the sumptuous super king-size bed and contemplate the relaxing few days ahead? Maybe.
Check out the pristine luxury bathroom, fill the tub and take a long soak before dinner? Perhaps.
Or do you, like me, immediately fling open the silky net curtains, slide back the floor-to-ceiling tinted glass doors and step out on to the seafront balcony to drink in the view?
The first thing that hits you is the heat, that feeling as you go from perfectly air-conditioned indoors to enveloping warmth from the near 30 degree mid-afternoon sun.
The second thing you notice is the stunning colour of the sea, framed starkly against the white pebbled beach, its piercing blue running to the deep azure on the horizon.
A passenger jet cuts through the cloudless sky, banking up and away, its vapour trail forming a sweeping brush stroke on a sky-blue canvas. As one minibreak ends, so another begins.
I’m in Nice, nestled at the heart of the Cote d’Azur, more commonly known as the French Riviera and historically the playground of the rich and famous.
But you don’t have to be either of those to enjoy a bit of quality time away from the humdrum back home.
Staying at the newly-refurbished Radisson Blu hotel is the perfect base for what lies ahead; a mixture of hands-on sight-seeing and unashamed ‘me time.’
A €12 million top-to-bottom upgrade provides a sense of affordable luxury, from the exquisite bedrooms with a five-star feel to the rooftop terrace where you can take an afternoon dip in the open air pool ahead of your evening meal, selected from a mouth-watering menu at the Calade Restaurant and served up against the backdrop of the aforementioned vista.
The palm tree-lined walkway and coast road stretches for seven kilometres from the airport to the west, to the picturesque old town and beyond to the east.
A little further along the coast road you have Cannes one way and Monaco and Monte Carlo the other – all well within reach for a day trip or ■ ANDY TURNER was a guest of Radisson Blu Nice, 223 Prom des Anglais, Nice, which offers accommodation on a B&B basis from £248 (284 Euros) per room per night. For more information see and even a night out.
Staying closer to home, however, there’s plenty to do on your doorstep.
After kicking off the day with a yoga class on the beach followed by breakfast at the hotel’s beach club bar, I headed into town to sample the delights of old Nice.
Running parallel to the sea, the Cours Saleya is one of the liveliest streets of the triangular-shaped old town, home to a famous flower market which is complemented by an equally colourful and beautifully scented array of soap and sweet treat stalls, as well as the usual fresh fruit and vegetable fare.
There’s also an abundance of restaurants, bars and cafés from which to choose, each seemingly perfectly placed to park yourself to combine lunch or light refreshments with a bit of people-watching.
You’ll see the locals tucking into socca, a popular Nicoise street dish and savoury pancake made of chickpea flour, water and olive oil and baked on a cast-iron pan.
For the sweeter tooth there’s the renowned Fenocchio ice cream parlour at Place Rossetti with over a hundred flavours; another ideal place to rest and replenish under the shade of the beautiful baroque Cathédrale Sainte Réparate, built in the late 17th century.
Wine lovers can enjoy a tasting experience at the oldest wine shop in the region – the Cave Pierre Bianchi, dating back to 1860 – while olive oil connoisseurs Maison Bremond 1830 welcome you to taste before you buy from their vast selection.
A little further up the coast at Villefranche-sur-Mer you can see how the other half live – the likes of Elton John and Tina Turner own properties in the exclusive district that is home to one of the most expensive residences in the world, valued at a mind-boggling 1.1 billion Euros, and has provided the backdrop to many a James Bond film.
A few kilometres on is the delightful medieval village of Eze, known as the jewel of the French Riviera where U2 rockers Bono and The Edge share a beachfront mansion and a destination that has become a favourite for Hollywood A-listers Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro and George Clooney.
You’ll also find the famous Fragonard perfume museum where you can join in a workshop to create your very own scent to take home.
The last night of the trip ends as it began, on the balcony, sitting mesmerised by the hypnotic deep-red snake of tail lights heading into town as the moon casts a midnight glow across the bay. I could sit here for hours.