Le jazz was hot. The band rocked sets that ranged from Abba to Zappa. Bubbly and sangria were the drinks of choice. The party on the roof overlooking Promenade des Anglaise had the electric chic of a music video and the location was the most sybaritic on the French Riviera.
The guests of World Traveller were this evening’s celebrity guests at an exceptional surprise bash organized by Atlas Ocean Voyages as the grand finale of a remarkable day in Nice.
The experience started early as the 196-guest cruise yacht slipped easily between the floating palaces of billionaires in the marina of Port Lympia that’s an easy walk to the beach and the heart of the city. My wife and I have visited Nice on cruises before, but never had an opportunity like this. Larger cruise ships have to anchor miles away in forgettable Villefranche that’s a train ride away from the city.
Peering at the scene from the balcony of our suite, there was excitement in the air. Our dock mate was the Christina, the famed yacht once owned by Aristotle Onassis that became the floating abode of Jacqueline (Kennedy) Onassis and guests that included Winston Churchill.
Yacht harbor is adjacent to the beach in Nice–Photo by Wallace Immen
The famed four-mile long beach fringed with its famed walkway the Promenade des Anglais was tempting, but a day of discoveries awaits in the Old Town with its fascinating marketplace of the best produce and flowers, crafts and oh my gosh discoveries in what the locals call the Cours Saleya.
The market started with fish–and salt–shops but as railroads expanded in the nineteenth century, Nice became the center of shipping cut flowers across Europe. One famous story says that Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, inspired by the market’s floral profusion wanted to create a similar one in St. Petersburg. He ordered two train cars of fresh flowers delivered daily by rail from Nice to the Russian capital, a trip that then took a day and a half.
Today, the market has blossomed to cover entire city blocks and include a remarkable profusion of fresh fruit and veggie vendors as well. Everything is lush and ripe and eye-catching and the activity is fascinating as shoppers negotiate for everything from chicken to chives to cheese. There are also numerous stands serving up the scrumptuous Niçoise etreet cuisine that has attracted gourmets and aristocrats to live and vacation here for two centuries.
The best advice is just to wander up and down the rows of stalls. Even going from one end of a row and back again, the displays in reverse will make you’ll think you’re seeing a different place. It’s touristy, but designed for locals who come with their own shopping bags to bring home fresh bread, tapenades and nibbles for the day.
But don’t stop there. The narrow winding lanes of Nice’s old town dating back to the 1700s that are packed with restaurants, boutiques and bars were recently awarded UNESCO World Heritage landmark status. The prices are touristy, but the packed outdoor tables are testament to the tastes and the oh-so sophisticated ambience that makes people watching a treat.
Architecture aficionados will love the art deco details on government buildings, the shops whose nineteenth century facades even feature their original signs and the Baroque Cathedrale Ste-Reparate, honoring the city’s patron saint.
The stroll back to the ship, was the perfect time to experience the glittering Promenade des Anglaise with its landmark hotels, the Negresco and the art deco Palais de la Méditerranée, multiple outdoor cafes and chic designer shops.
The seemingly endless promenade got is nickname that translates Walkway of the English from British aristocrats who came to Nice in the Victorian era to enjoy the warm sea breezes and financed paving the seaside path to make it smoother for their carriages. And there’s an undeniable appeal of the beach that translates Bay of Angels–but whose more apt name might be Pebble Beach for its stony surface–that has attracted generations of sun seekers. These days, leathery tans are out and there are cabanas and forests of rental chaises to provide shade on the treeless beach.
Back on World Traveller, it’s almost time to head out to the rooftop party. There’s private transportation provided to Farago on the roof of the AC Marriott hotel whose pool you’ve seen many times in swimsuit fashion shoots. But tonight is our exclusive night and oh, my, the goodies just kept coming. Cocktails and tapas, charcutterie, croquettes, zucchini flower fritters, duck breast and risotto And of course copious amounts of Champagne.
It’s been a jam packed and exciting day and the night’s still young. Sante! And thanks to Atlas Ocean Voyages for making it exceptional.
Story by Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times
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