Pictures of the French Riviera
The Cote d’Azur, or the French Riviera as it’s also referred, extends along the Mediterranean roughly from the Italian border over to Cassis in Southeast France. There are almost 50 towns and villages on the Cote d’Azur, even though not all are on the sea themselves. Some of them are up in the mountains overlooking the towns below. The landscape is some of the most stunning in the world. These pictures of the French Riviera don’t do it justice, but you get the idea.
The most notable towns along the Cote d’Azur are Toulon, St. Tropez, St. Maxine, Antibes, Cap d’Antibes, Cannes, Jean-les-Pins, Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Saint-Jean Cap Ferrat, Eze, Cap d’Ail, Monaco and Menton. And most of these are easy day trips from Nice itself. These are great options if you are planning a week or weekend in Nice and want to explore further.
This area has been home of international royalty and the international jet-set crowd since the late 1700’s when the English used to flock here for health benefits. Now-a-days you have the likes of Elton John, Tina Turner, Bono and Edge from U2 occasionally living in these parts.
The South of France is a photographer’s paradise. You will find some of the most beautiful landscapes here and the French Riviera was often a source of inspiration for painters such as Chagall, Picasso and Matisse, and writers such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, D.H. Laurence, and James Joyce, due to the soft sunlight and pleasant temperatures.
The Cote d’Azur receives around 300 days of sunlight a year and you’ll find mild temperatures year round. Nice’s International Airport (NCE) services this part of southeast France. The South of France is a photographer’s paradise. I hope you enjoy the assortment of pictures of the French Riviera.
Hello Mareen,
I have been to the Mediterranean and fell in love with the area. Also, enjoyed Spain, France and Italy in general. My husband and I are heading towards retirement in a few years. I really want to spend time in this area and maybe rent a place for a time.
By the way, my husband is from Milwaukee, though we live in TN.
Thank you for the lovely pictures and info. Enjoy your time there!
Sincerely,
Linda
P.S. How have you learned the different languages?
Hi Linda, thanks for your comment. The Mediterranean is fantastic. The countries are so diverse. Make sure to put Greece, and, while it’s not physically on the Mediterranean, Portugal on your list. I’ve linked to my other blog called Moe’s Atlas. It’s relatively easy to rent a place for a few months in any of these countries, or if you want to stay longer, you apply for a long-stay visa. If you ever get to that point, let me know and I will put you in touch with people who can help. This requires a few more hoops, but is not impossible.
Don’t let the languages scare you. You can EASILY navigate in English in any of these countries nowadays, particularly if you are in/near a larger city. You can certainly get by in English here in Nice.
Luckily, I studied Italian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, then did a year-long study abroad in Bologna. French is very similar to Italian, and in Nice, the local dialect is a mix of French and Italian (since the Cote d’Azur was thrown back and forth between the countries for years. In fact, Nice was part of Italy until 1860.) You could always do a language class online. There are some great resources now online. Better yet, sign up for a language course in Spain, Italy or France, and that will help with your long-stay visa. 🙂 But you won’t be at a real disadvantage without the language, unless you want small village life. That may be different.
Thanks again and shoot me a line anytime. Go Pac! 🙂
Maureen