Amsterdam canal houses

Nice(ly) Done!

With palm trees, the sparkling Mediterranean, sunshine galore and cheap as chips flights from my local Bristol airport, Nice was the natural choice for my French course!

But I soon discovered that the fact that Nice was so easy to travel to was just the icing on the cake… the city is gorgeous! I stayed with a family in the north part of the city, close to my school in Cimiez among the lovely (and might I add, very posh!) traditional French villa homes. From up there on the hill you could look out and get the most wonderful views over the city. One of my favourite times of day would be mid-evening, taking a walk after dinner in the warm South of France air, and watching dusk settle over the town and the twinkling sea ahead.

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Sunny days in Nice!

Nice is simply perfect – a beautiful. picturesque town, lying on the warm shores of the Mediterranean Sea with a welcoming, friendly atmosphere and INCREDIBLE weather! It seems the sun never stops shining! I loved it to bits! Seeing the sparkling Mediterranean each morning, enjoying the wonderful climate, and taking part in fun-filled school sponsored activities are just some of the many things I loved about studying in Nice. The weather is unbelievable, and makes all the difference when sitting, taking in the sun, at break time, chatting with other students in the school garden.

My mornings were spent in class studying, afternoons loaded with activities to help you practice French and become familiar with your new surroundings, and evenings full of Nice’s wide range of nightlife. It felt like my time there was not nearly enough – I long to return to my easy-going French lifestyle! It made it so easy to study, being surrounded by such a relaxing atmosphere. Walking along the promenade and enjoying a cup of excellent French coffee after classes was always a favorite activity of mine, and the afternoon outdoor markets are also something I loved. On Mondays the market behind the beach sells antiques, but from Tuesday through Sunday food and flowers are the specialty. Everyone outside selling their goods is welcoming. I just fell in love with the warm ambiance of the marketplace and couldn’t stop going back, looking at everything on offer, even though most of the time I was really just ‘window shopping’!

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Taking it Nice’n’Easy…

There’s only one word to describe Nice – fabulous! Walking through the port, daydreaming that all those glitzy super yachts might one day be mine, supping café crème on promenade des Anglais and people watching from behind my en vogue oversized (and fake) Chanel sunglasses, day trips to chicest of the chic Monaco, palm trees swaying in the warm Mediterranean breeze… ahh yes, I could have gotten used to the good life on the French Riviera.

Sadly, my French course in Nice only lasted 3 weeks and when it was time to leave my lovely French host, I actually cried! 25 years old and I was blubbing like a baby! I had a great host, she was in her 40s and lived alone so it was just she and I in the apartment – we got on amazingly!

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