🇫🇷 Nice is really NICE! 🌊

This trip, I was most excited about the lavender fields... and Nice’s sea! 🌊 But before departure, air quality reports warned of Canadian wildfire smoke affecting Europe. Sure enough, on the first day, the coastline was barely visible from our room—total mood killer. 😔 Then, Day 2’s weather looked slightly better, so we scrapped plans and just wandered Nice. Zero itinerary—no Old Town (had enough of "charming villages"), no hunting for Place Masséna (stumbled upon it by accident). The only "must" was Castle Hill for that iconic Bay of Angels view. Even with haze, the water was still pretty blue—not postcard-perfect, but way better than the horror stories online. (Low expectations = happy traveler!) PS: We never got pickpocketed... until Castle Hill! 🏃‍♂️💨 Sitting on a bench, we heard an old lady shouting (no clue what). Turned around just in time to see a guy sprinting with a bag, her chasing after him. Ah, the authentic French experience! Grabbed our bags and noped out of there. Next stop: Ruhl Plage ☂️—the famous blue-and-white umbrellas! Arrived at 1:30 PM on a Saturday, certain front-row spots were gone... but luck was on our side! €42/person bought us a lounger till 7 PM. As a professional lazy person, this was peak bliss. Years from now, I might forget details—but not that afternoon spent staring at the Med. 💙 Later, we planned to hit Cannes/Antibes... but Nice’s vibe had us hooked. Still, "when in France," so we drove to Cannes. Lasted one hour before craving Nice again. Antibes? Just long enough for网红 gelato 🍦 and a half-hearted stroll. "Why waste time when we could be lounging in Nice?!" Zoomed back, zero regrets. A friend once said: "The trip doesn’t end at sights—it ends when you’re where you love." 🎯 Back in Nice, we devoured lavender gelato (best bite of the trip!) and claimed our spot on the iconic blue chairs. Watched people parasail, soaked in the vibe... Pure Mediterranean magic. Nice, you stole my heart. I’ll miss your light, your air, your joie de vivre. 🌞 #NiceFrance #FrenchRiviera #SlowTravel #BeachLife