Medieval villages, perfume, and the first glimpse of the sea
Perched medieval village on a cliff above the sea. Exotic garden at the summit with cactus collection and 360° views. Fragonard perfume factory at the base (free tour). Narrow cobblestone streets — a fairy-tale village.
World perfume capital since the 16th century. Fragonard, Molinard, and Galimard offer free factory tours. Create-your-own-perfume workshops available. Emily will want to make her signature scent.
Medieval hilltop art village. Fondation Maeght museum, galleries on every corner, the cemetery where Chagall is buried. Extremely photogenic — stone walls, bougainvillea, Provençal light.
Narrow streets, baroque architecture, the Cours Saleya flower market. Socca (chickpea-flour crêpe) from Chez Thérésa. Pissaladière (onion tart). The colors alone — ochre, terracotta, shuttered blue.
Nice's iconic seafront boulevard. 7 km of palm-lined promenade along the Baie des Anges. Walk, rent bikes, or just sit on the blue chairs facing the Mediterranean.
You descend from the mountains and the Mediterranean appears — a sudden, overwhelming blue that makes everyone in the car go quiet for about three seconds before Emily announces she wants to swim.
Today's route threads through some of the most beautiful villages in France. Èze is a medieval eagle's nest perched on a cliff — narrow streets spiraling up to a cactus garden with views that will make your phone camera seem inadequate. The Fragonard perfume factory at the base is free and fascinating (Emily will want to buy everything; Laura will let her pick one).
Grasse is the perfume capital of the world — workshops where you can create your own scent. Saint-Paul-de-Vence is where Chagall and other artists settled because the light is that good.
Evening: arrive in Nice. Vieux Nice (Old Town) for socca — a chickpea-flour crêpe cooked on a copper plate over a wood fire. It costs €3 and tastes like the Riviera.
Nice — Vieux Nice or Promenade des Anglais area
Two nights in the Nice/Monaco area. Budget €200–400/night. Parking: hotel garage or public lot (€20–30/day in Nice).
Perfume chemistry in Grasse — essential oils are extracted by steam distillation, enfleurage (fat absorption), and solvent extraction. It takes 10,000 pounds of rose petals to make 1 pound of rose absolute.
Make-your-own-perfume workshop in Grasse! Pick your notes (top, middle, base), blend them, name your creation, take it home in a bottle.
Èze is steep — take it slow or enjoy the view from the base. The perfume factory tour is flat and indoors. Nice's Promenade des Anglais has benches and blue chairs the entire length — perfect for sitting and watching the sea.