“If only I were at Nice, I would recover.”
So said Queen Victoria on her deathbed in 1901. She has a point. Who would not feel better after a stroll along La Promenade des Anglais, one’s gaze filled with the perfect Côte d’Azur blue of the La Baie des Anges. For a monarch, who had made a career of mourning the death of her consort, Prince Albert, Nice was the one place where she sparked into life. She would travel there under the name of Lady Balmoral, and go exploring the backstreets of Nice in a donkey cart. The Hotel Negresco, however, was after her time, opened in 1913. It dominates the La Promenade des Anglais. Past guests include Salvador Dali, Princess Grace of Monaco, Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Ava Gardner, and Edith Piaf. This night shot looking up to the characteristic terracotta cupola, and the cool blue of the illuminated sign, somehow sums up the Nice-ness of Nice.
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This week Paula’s guest is Cardinal Guzman. He challenges us to post some night photography, and provides lots of useful tips.
Tish Farrell 
Double-wow!
Just fascinating……..
🙂
Interesting snippets about Nice. Me, I loved Biarritz. Even the name sounds, well, ritzy?
Hi Kate. Biarritz does indeed sound ritzy 🙂 In fact I wish some supernatural force would beam to the Cote d’Azur right now. Am tired of piercingly cold wind.
I never knew that about Lady Balmoral. How fascinating!
Nice one 😉 Lady Balmoral was a new one on me….
Shows a whole new side of her doesn’t it.
Certainly does!
Beautiful photo. And a very nice (sorry) post.
I’m sure I would feel better in Nice. 100% better!
Fascinating… 🙂
very nice… ❤ I've been to Côte d'Azur 3 times, but my favourite city is Cannes… 🙂
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btw, did you know that Mr Negresco was Romanian-born like me?!… 🙂 my very best, tons of inspiration and have a sunny week-end! 🙂
Thanks so much for sunny wishes, Melanie, and the info about Mr. Negresco 🙂
avec joie et avec plaisir, Mademoiselle Tish! 🙂
I would have loved to be in Nice during La Belle Epoque. (maybe I was :D). It is quite different today, but I still like it. Your photo has more of a Monte Carlo feel to me 🙂 I like it.
I’ve not been to Monte Carlo, but I think you’re right about the ‘feel’ of the photo. And yes, Nice in La Belle Epoque – what a place it would have been.
I never knew QV had an alter-ego who snuck off to Nice! So not what I expected from how she’s usually portrayed.
It’s a fascinating glimpse isn’t it. She went off to Nice loaded with trunks containing all sorts of gifts for everyone who did her good service -from chamber maids upwards, and apparently kept lists of all she gave out, so she wouldn’t give people the same thing twice.
Ever more interesting and intriguing. Is there a chance I could persuade to write a guest post for First Night History going into this secret side?
That’s lovely of you to ask, Sarah. My head’s a bit full at the moment. Can I think about it. It’s definitely a very alluring topic.
Of course, Tish. No rush at all. I know the full head feeling very well indeed!
I thought you would understand. I’m not sure how much material there is anyway, but you’ve now got me thinking of Good Queen Vic goes on her hols…I wonder if there are photos of the royal donkey cart.
🙂
I’m definitely warming to the old dear. If only I was so organised with gift lists!
What a great shot. And as usual a lovely little history lesson.
Nice is one of the settings in my second book, which, I am told, after gods knows how many delays and setbacks will be released before August. Yay! Le Promenade des Anglais also features and never having been there, I had to to do a fair bit of ”Google-Earthing” when I was writing.
The Top Gear Team went there once as well in a Ferrari Daytona. This episode helped create a sense of what the Cote d’Azure is like.
Richard Hammond was not too impressed if memory serves. Speed bumps!
It’s definitely a city more for promenading than for driving. Good to hear your book is imminent, Ark. Brill.
LOL! That word….”Brill”. I haven’t heard or seen it since I left the UK.
Reminds me of ”Ace!” which my brother used to say all the time.
It is nice about the book, although, it’s been in the pipeline for ( I consider) so long with changes and rewrites and what have you that as BB King once sang, ”The thrill is ( somewhat ) gone.”
Hopefully the thrill will be reignited when I see the new cover and the ISBN is confirmed.
Then I can push on with other stuff I have. I am utterly hopeless when it comes to juggling multiple projects in this manner and cannot focus while odds and ends are metaphorically flapping in the breeze.
Basically, I cannot multi-task. in other words.
🙂
I’m sure getting your hands on the actual book will be v. exciting. And also brill. Will expect to be given full details of same.
Will do. I have been generally loathe to make any sort of noise until it was actually published, especially after the glitches, and was even feeling a bit nervy after I pressed ‘send’.
I do get the heebie jeebies over such matters.
*Sigh*
May the gods of publishing look kindly on this poor writer and let everything go ahead without any more hiccups!
🙂
hear, hear, Ark, when it comes to getting in the good books of the publishing divinity. The writer’s life is too fraught with, well, fraughtness.
”Fraughtiness”? Is that a Tish original? 🙂
Very dramatic photo… I love the play of light and shadows..
Thanks for visiting, Maggie.
And also for the follow.
If it looks like that outside it has to be elegant inside 🙂
Oh yes it is, but also a little strange. There are some very disparate pieces of art about the place.
Imagine a dinner with all the guests together. I love the image of “Lady Balmoral” in a donkey cart. You draw in so many fascinating details.
Such an interesting angle, it looks so grand.
What a beautiful hotel Tish and an excellent capture. Loved the history lesson as well. So much interesting when you are telling it. Thanks for sharing. 😀 ♥
Cheers, Sonel. Wishing you a good rest of weekend.
Thanks Tish and the same there. 😀 ♥
Super shot, Tish, and bonus points for the Queen Vic tidbits. 🙂
Thank you kindly for the bonus points 🙂
Awesome architecture. I wouldn’t mind to stay there with Dali or Piaf.
An out-of-body experience perhaps?!