Beside Cannes and St. Tropes, Nice is a superb city on the French Riviera, a place that I have visited and a starting point for me, on my way to Monte Carlo and back.
The warm climate (up to 30 degrees C in summer and a minimum of 14 degrees C in winter) and the beautiful view over the area and the sea, were strong reasons for some rich Englishmen, during the second half of the 18th century, to come here and build properties along the beach. The road that stretches along the beach and crosses the whole town, bears the history started by the Englishmen : it is called Promenade des Anglais.
This street is crowded with tourist – an ideal place for walking, a pleasant place for jogging. No matter what age, or weather, people train themselves on Promenade des Anglais.
Climbing the hill up to the ruins of the old castle, you get a lot of stone stair sets. Among tourist and runners, you’ll find places to rest and to photograph some of the most beautiful panoramas in the world. This thing is clearly stated on a panel just when you start to climb the stairs.
The more you climb, new angles and horizons open to your eyes along the shore until you can see Cannes.
Coming back to those side streets filled with tourists looking for a free table at the terraces and restaurants, the general feeling is one of relaxation, calmness, even for those who are not on a vacation.
When you speak about Nice, it’s hard not to mention about one of the most important architectural monument of this city : Hotel Negresco.
„Le Negresco”, built by the Romanian Henri Negresco, was meant to be the most luxurious hotel in the area, made to invite the richest of clients. From 1913 until today, „Le Negresco” is a source of architectural inspiration for other hotels on the French Riviera and just like its creator desired, it still is the most favorite hotel in the world of celebrities.
Nice, together with Monte Carlo and other wonders of French Riviera could be an ideal place to spend a vacation, a great city for street photography. I can’t wait to come back and photograph some other places where I could not go yet. And no matter what type of camera you use, DSLR, mirrorless, compact or even smartphone, do not hesitate to use it to its full potential – you won’t regret it. I often go through old image archives back home and some pictures that had nothing remarkable at the first sight, could be interesting later, as seen from a new approach. And they contain my travel memories. A part of me. Make your photos a part of you and of your life experience.
All photos and text – © Sebastian Boatca 2015 / www.sebastianboatca.com