The past few weeks since I landed back in Paris have been a truly wonderful whirlwind of settling into a new rhythm of life here, but also getting to travel around France. I was here for less than 48 hours before my partner got a job in Nice for just under a week - he found out that morning, and that afternoon we where walking along the promenade and deciding on where to go for dinner. And was a lovely surprise trip which then allowed me to explore Nice while he was working.

Compared to Paris, Nice is a very colourful, relaxed and incredibly beautiful city on the French Rivera - the food is incredibly fresh with a strong mediterranean influence, the weather is warm and the narrow and seemingly endless streets of colourful buildings are a pure pleasure to spend the day wandering through. While booking last minute flights to Nice, I was also looking into what to do while in Nice - and of course find a local cooking class to attend. After a quick google search, some very lovely and quick emails before boarding my flight I booked the market tour and cooking class with Les Petits Farcis. I met Rosa and the rest of the small group in the class the following morning at the local markets and she showed us through the markets, introduced us to the local cuisine, told us stories of the vendors but we also bought produce that we would later use to cook our lunch for that day in her studio.

We cooked classic Ratatouille, Herb Crusted Lamb, Stuffed Courgette Flowers and clafoutis aux mirabelles, and then of course sat down to enjoy our thoughtfully prepared meal over a glass of two of local rose and a selection of stunning local cheeses and figs to end the meal. It was perfect, and for anyone wanting an introduction into the local cuisine in Nice I truly couldn’t recommend Rosa’s classes enough.

And the lovely part is, the next day when you visit the markets you see them in a whole new light - you remember the stories about the food, stalls and sellers and you very quickly realise that it’s not just for the tourist market, but it’s for the loyal locals too. This is where they shop, and it’s such a wonderful reminder that good quality and thoughtful food like this is still available.

There is of course more to Nice than just food - the pebble beach is beautiful and as it the walk up to the hill/park that has such an amazing view over the Rivera. Also take the time to walk along the port while the sun is setting - the colours are breathtaking. But of course with any city, I feel like I’ve only just scratched the surface of what is on offer in Nice, and have no doubt there is so much more to explore.

Oh, and if you’re looking for an humble yet, well priced restaurant with easily some of the best food I have eaten in a long time - make sure you visit Cafe Restaurant de la Bourse, 15, Place St Francois. And if the Plat du Jour is mussels, make sure you order it - but start your meal with a slice of pissaladière (a caramelised anchovy tart that’s a specialty to the South of France) and end it with a slice of their chocolate torte will easily be one of the most memorable lunches you will enjoy.

It truly was such a lovely and welcomed surprise to be able to spend two weekends in a row in Nice, I already can’t wait to hopefully return to this wonderful city and see what else it has to share. Until then, I hope you all have a lovely weekend planned, I can’t wait to share more of my time in Paris and upcoming travels in the next few weeks and months. x