#FranceFriday: Never want to leave the French Riviera

Nice, FR is nice. Very nice.

Nice is the second-largest city in France's Provence region, following Marseille.

Let us relish in some gorgeous views of this beautiful city.

Your 'to-do' list in Nice should most definitely include:

• strolling the Promenade des Anglais
• enjoying the view from the local chateau
• soaking up the sun, sitting along the Mediterranean, on a pebbly beach
• tantalizing your taste buds with all the lavender and rose-flavored gelato you can manage
• enjoying the beauty of the city's (and overall region's) multitude of colorfully shuttered windows
• picking up a locally-crafted lavender product to take home with you

We left Nantes one October evening on an overnight couchette train and about 11 hours later, arrived in Nice the following morning. We left the chilly, autumnal northwest corner of France and seemingly traveled back through the season, seeing as we arrived to this...

Bienvenue! Our train has arrived

All who visit Nice simply must hike up to the top of the local chateau, located at the eastern end of the Promenade des Anglais. You will be rewarded with an outstanding view of the entire city similar to this one.

View of the Mediterranean Sea, Promenade and  Old and New town

Strolling, rollerblading and people-watching under the palm trees is made easy on the Promenade.

Promenade des Anglais

Don't forget to bring a sturdy pair of sandals when trapsing along the beach. Pebbly beaches are the norm here. I suppose this is a good way to engage the core and get an extra ab workout.

Pebbly beaches are the norm in Nice, FR

Fun Fact: Michael Jackson once stayed at Nice's Hotel Negresco, located on the Promenade des Anglais

#FranceFriday: Sète, the Venice of southern France

Bienvenue à Sète. 

It is a port and seaside community overlooking the gorgeous Mediterranean sea. It is built on and around Mont St. Clair, from which visitors can stare in awe over the amazing views of the  quaint city and seemingly never-ending sea located beneath them. 

The city's bassin de Thau, an enclosed salt-water lake, has a primary function for oyster and mussel harvesting. The city undoubtedly serves excellent seafood; pulled from the waters regularly and served on dinner tables only a few short hours later. Can it get any fresher than this?

Take in the beauty of this seaside village. Don't forget to explore and learn about Mont St. Clair at the Chapelle de la Salette while you're up there enjoying the views as well.

Sete, FR as seeing from Mont St. Clair

Fun Fact: French crooner, Georges Brassens and poet and philosopher, Paul Valéry were both born in Sète.