Summer on the French Riviera: Nice and Monaco

We got into Nice in early July, just as the evening was setting in. The first night was warm, with a deep blue twilight over the city. People were dining outside along the promenade, and the grand old hotel buildings were illuminated against the sky and palm trees.

The next day was for the beach. It’s a pebble beach, not sand, and it was packed with rows of blue and white striped umbrellas and lounge chairs. The sun was bright and the water was a vivid blue, with the city curving along the bay in the distance. It was exactly the scene you’d expect for the height of summer on the coast.

We spent our days walking around the city and exploring the coastline with friends. The sun was strong, so hats and sunglasses were a constant. We took a day trip to see Monaco, which feels incredibly dense, with the city built right up into the steep mountains that drop into the sea.

The view overlooking the harbor was the main event. It was completely full of boats and massive yachts, packed into every available space. Seeing the scale of it all—the water, the city, the mountains—was the most memorable part of the trip.