After a very long and gray winter in Germany all I wanted on Spring Break was to feel some warm sun and see some flowers in bloom. We woke up on sunday in Villa Franche Sur Mer (on the French Riviera close to Nice), feeling like luck was in our favor. The sun was shining and everything felt warm. The kind of morning that just makes you smile!
On our way to Nice, we were able to stop and take these amazing pictures of the view over Villafranche-sur-mer where we stayed. The water was an amazing color, the boats glistened in the sun, and the Italian-esque architecture make it so beautiful!
We drove the 20 minutes to Nice, parked and headed straight for the boardwalk along the beach. The water was so blue and beautiful. The beach is not known for its lovely sand. Its rather rocky and you would definitely have to have a chair if you wanted to lay out, but it didn’t stop several Europeans from trying anyway. It looked slightly uncomfortable to me, but we were here for the views and it was amazing!!
Kids are like magnets to ocean water…..thankfully nobody ended up drenched…..for the first time like EVER!
We made our way to Castle Hill all while walking along the beach front and viewing this:
Somehow we went undetected and caught a free ride up the elevator to the top of Castle Hill (no small feat for 4 adults and 11 children!) Castle Hill used to have a Castle on it built by the Greeks who settled this area circa 400 B.C. It was leveled by King Louis the XIV in 1706. So now you will find an amazing park, some cafes and beautiful views from Castle Hill of the beach front and ship port of Nice France.
The Starbucks met the Johnsons for their last day together at the park. We headed out to see more of Nice and made this very important stop to get Rick Steve’s recommended Gelato. And wow were glad we made the effort.
Before heading out of Nice completely, we swung by this neat Russian Cathedral. Five hundred rich Russian families wintered in Nice in the late 19th century. They needed a worthy Orthodox house to worship in . Czar Nicholas I’s widow provided the land and Czar Nicholas II gave this church to the Russian community in 1912. The onion domes seem sort of out of place here in Nice, but its always great to see some Russian Architecture if you get a chance!
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