From Barcelona we travelled northwards along the coast and arrived in Nice, France aka the French Riviera. On our first day we went to the French perfume factory of Fragonard located in Eze (about 20 minutes outside of Nice) where they make all their perfumes from real natural extracts and without any synthetic ingredients. I ended up purchasing a Vanilla scented eau de toilette called Fleur de Vanille. I found it to be very reasonably priced for this quality, and also I really love the purity and simplicity of this Vanilla fragrance. Possibly the nicest one I've ever bought!
Afterwards we had quite a bit of free time so most of us spent the day lounging in the sun near the crystal turquoise waters. Nice has a typical sun-holiday destination vibe (something I would compare to Mexico for example). However, once you get into the Old Town, you start drifting away from the beach-touristy scene and are suddenly in a very quaint, historical city. Where you'll be wandering through tiny alleys and corridors, and I can guarantee you will come across some fantastic local restaurants. Be aware though, that there are of course several 'tourist' restaurants that lure you in with a low price "deal" (be cautious of menu's labelled "Tourist Menu"). In my experience, these restaurants don't serve true authentic, local cuisine and honestly the food quality and taste is usually disappointing. It's usually simplistic and flavourless.
If you have time, I recommend stopping in Monaco to have a peak at the Grand Casino... which can only be done from the outside as you have to pay an entrance fee to go in. Also if it is feasible, go up to Prince Albert’s (the prince of Monaco) castle where you can get a great view that over looks all of the city.
Au revoir! ... xx
