Debriefing the mission

Hello world!

It's been a while since I've last written a post, I apologize for any of you out there that have been missing me! hahaha...

Anyways, I have had a pretty hectic past week! I'm in the process of moving from one house to another, which meant me having to spend the past week at the parents' house which, as many of you can probably relate to, is very stressful! I wasn't planning on coming back to my current house anymore, except to move a few big furniture pieces out on moving day. Well, long story short, I'm back due to a number of reasons, but the good news is I will be settled into my new home no later than this upcoming Saturday...hooray!!

Okay, so we all know I'm about to embark on an exchange to Nice. However, many people might not know where exactly it is that I am going, so I'm going to take this opportunity to introduce you all to my future home for the next year!

I'm going to be living in the city of Nice, which is located in the south of France. It is situated on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in the heart of the French Riviera. Nice is the principle city of the Alpes Maritimes département, which is located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. With a metropolitan population of around 975,000, Nice is the 5th largest city in France.

Map of France showing the regions. Provence-Alpes-Côte d'azure is highlighted in red.

Being in the French Riviera, Nice enjoys a very warm Mediterranean climate (especially so for a Canadian like me!!). Yes, there ARE palm-trees, and no, Nice does not get snow. In fact, Nice and the other cities of this area of France are a very popular tourist destination, both for French citizens, as well as Europeans and other travelers from around the world. Nice also has many Italian influences, as it is extremely close to the Italian border (it was once Italian territory, too!). It is also a short drive away from neighbouring city Cannes which, as many people know, attracts lots of celebrities during the world-famous Cannes Film Festival. The city itself is beautiful, gradually spreading out from the coastline up into the foothills of the Alps. As I did in my last posting, I'm going to share a few pictures that I found on the internet of Nice, giving a little explanation of what it is you are looking at.

view of the Promenade des Anglais, the large waterfront boulevard and pedestrian boardwalk which runs the length of the city.

the NICETOILE shopping centre, located in the heart of central Nice. It contains many upscale as well as more conventional stores.

view of a street within the Vieux Nice district of the city. This is the historic area of the city, with many of the buildings dating back to the 17th century. The narrow streets and alleys give it a classically rustic European feel.

looking towards the west with the city of Nice in plain view. The central area of Nice lies close to the coast, however the growing city continues to crawl up into the foothills.

And there you have it, a little sample of the place I'm going to call home! I hope everyone enjoyed the little "virtual tour" of this most wondrous of cities! Please, feel free to leave any comments of questions, I really enjoy feedback from anyone who reads this blog. Also don't forget to subscribe to merry.little.fancy.things. , as I will be sure to post many more pictures as well as write all about my experiences in Nice once I get there. À bientôt!!