A traditional hangout for artistic and literary types, the French Riviera is now a more accessible summer escape for residents of Ukraine thanks to direct flights from Kyiv to Nice in the April-September period.
With its countless luxury outlets the Cote d’Azur, which encompasses both Cannes and Monaco, is often seen as the abode of global jet setters. But it is also much more – a land of charming historic towns lodged between the Alps and the Mediterranean where one can enjoy the pleasures of the French and Italian cuisines and marvel at the riches of the local culture.
Whether you are strolling along Nice’s renowned seaside boulevard la Promenade des Anglais (promenade of the English), or driving through the quaint hilltop villages of Provence, the region’s daunting beauty never goes stale.
Indeed, the scenery has inspired some of the world’s most famous artists of the past 150 years. An hour’s bike ride along the sea will bring you to Antibes, where the winding narrow streets of the old town are filled with copies of paintings by Pablo Picasso, who worked here – so you can see what he saw, and how he saw it.
Next to the ruins of the former Roman settlement in Nice is a museum dedicated to Marc Chagall, the Belarus-born painter famed for his surrealist depictions of life in the Vitebsk region. A short stroll away is the house museum of Henri Matisse.
Those worried about communication and the French nation’s infamous dislike of English may be in for a pleasant surprise. Many museums, shops and restaurants in the main tourist areas have staff who speak English quite well, and their Russian is impeccable.
As West European purses have been bled by the economic crisis, the French Riviera reached East to replenish its tourism revenues. Major venues now employ charming Russian-speaking ladies ready to greet you with a zdrastvuite as soon as they see sandals worn with socks, or a pair of leopard pants, or just that general post-Soviet je ne sais quoi.
Yet the Mediterranean’s ties with the Central and Eastern Europe go much deeper than the droves coming in each day in buses and private planes.
Indeed, Nice’s official art museum is located in the former residence of Princess Elisabeth Kotchoubey, whose family origins go back to Ukraine.
Russian nobility, however, has the biggest historical presence, and is reflected in many of the landmarks. The famous St Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral, the largest in Western Europe, was named after Nicholas Tsesarevich, son of Tsar Alexander II, who contracted meningitis while touring Italy and later died in Nice in 1865.
Ukrainians will be quick to point out the similarities with Crimea’s southern coast, whose landscapes and palaces are strikingly reminiscent of those on the French Riviera. This is perhaps best visible in Yalta, which in many ways resembles its fellow Greek colony Nice. Tsar Nicholas II, who built the Livadia Palace just outside Yalta, was allegedly inspired by the French and Italian residences he saw whilst traveling the northern Mediterranean.
Yet further comparisons are sadly not in favor of Ukraine’s overpriced riviera. For a price just marginally higher, France offers much better service and infrastructure. Barring some unique Crimean Tartar or Armenian eateries, food in Nice is also much better and often cheaper than the generic Crimean grub.
The proximity of the Italian region of Liguria (San Remo is just an hour’s drive away) is felt in many of the local dishes, so the pasta al pesto (spaghetti with Parmesan, basil and pine seed sauce) is second only to the one you can get in Genoa. Prices will vary from Hr 50 to Hr 80 for a large portion.
The fresh seafood is an even bigger draw. Each morning you can buy the day’s catch in the old town market, or have it prepared in a number of excellent local restaurants.
At Gambetta in uptown Nice a large platter of shrimp, mussels and calamari in an unctuous tomato-basil sauce costs Hr 140, and will leave you filled and sighing with joy. A tartar of cold-cooked fish with lemon juice is slightly pricier at Hr 160, but still cheaper and fresher than anything you will ever find in Kyiv.
You don’t always get what you ask for, though.
With endearing French smugness, the menu warns: “The sea is capricious. Our inability to prepare what is listed is a guarantee of the quality of our produce.”
How to get there:
Ukrainian International Airlines runs four direct flights a week from Kyiv in the April-September period. Additional flights through Frankfurt, Vienna and Munich.
Where to stay:
Hostels from Hr 150 per night. Hotels from HR 600 per night.
What to do:
Wander the narrow streets of the old town. Take a day trip to Cannes (Hr 40, 35 minutes), Monaco (Hr 40 and 20 minutes by train) or San Remo (Hr 90, 75 minutes by train). See the Roman ruins and local museums.
What to eat:
Socca is Nice’s traditional take on the pizza (Hr 20-30 a piece). Local cuisine is a delight for salad and seafood lovers (mid-level restaurant meals range from Hr 100 to Hr 200).
Kyiv Post staff writer Jakub Parusinski can be reached at [email protected]
