Lazy Beach Day and a Lucky Dinner at Nespo
Updated: Oct 13
By our second full day in Nice, we wanted a relaxed day. I already didn't book anything that day. I had booked a bar hopping event the night before for my birthday, but we'd cancelled that our first day in Nice, knowing at 44 that I didn't really have the energy to keep up with a young crowd. Nothing filled the space for the non-hungover September 15th.
We’d walked so much on our last day in Paris and then again on our first day in Nice that Dean had zero interest in another ambitious itinerary. It would have been difficult to book anything last minute anyway. So that day we gave ourselves the kind of vacation day you need on a week long trip: a blank one.
The plan was simple. Ride bus #8, go all the way to the beach, lie down, swim, and not turn the day into a project.
Bus #8 All the Way to the Beach
We’d already taken bus #8 before, so it felt easy and familiar. This time the route wasn't changed by a road closure so we were able to stay on until we reached the beach. We even brought beach towels from the hotel.
The beaches in Nice are beautiful, but they’re not soft sandy beaches. They’re mostly smooth stones and pebbles, which look gorgeous against the Mediterranean but are not exactly gentle on your spine if you show up with nothing between you and the ground.
I laid my towel down, took off my shorts and top, and settled in with just my bikini and a thick layer of sunblock. Dean went into collector mode almost immediately, combing the beach for rocks he liked. The stones are all different shades of grey, white, tan, and blue, and some are so perfectly smooth they look polished.
I mostly stayed stretched out on my towel, looking at the water and letting the day be quiet. After Paris, quiet felt luxurious.
Nice’s famous Promenade des Anglais was right behind us, even though we didn’t walk much of it that day, it was good to recognize where we were. The promenade dates back to the 19th century, when English aristocrats and winter visitors helped fund a walkway along the coast. That’s where the name comes from. It literally means Walkway of the English. Today, it runs along the Baie des Anges and is one of the city’s best-known public spaces.
Swimming in the Ocean
The stones were a bit awkward at first, especially walking down toward the water. I kept my sandals on the whole time. I didn't want to feel the stones against my bare feet. Once I got into the water, it was perfect.
The water was clear, cool without being cold, and that ridiculous blue that makes the South of France feel a little unreal. I swam three times in about two hours, which was the right amount for a slow beach day. Swim, dry off, reapply sunblock, and sit down again. No schedules and no sightseeing goals.
If I were packing for Nice again, I’d bring water shoes. I’d also bring a thicker towel if the hotel had one, because a thin towel on pebbles only does so much. Sunblock is obvious, but it’s extra important in Nice because the light bounces off the pale stones and the water. Even in September, the sun can still do damage.
After two hours and three swims, we both knew we’d hit our sun and heat limit.
Looking for Souvenirs
Before hopping back on the bus, we did a little souvenir shopping.
Nice is a good place to look for small souvenirs from the South of France, especially things like soaps, local food items, postcards, ceramics, or lavender products. We saw water shoes for €120, so it is best to pack your own if you're planning a trip to Nice.
Riding the Bus Back
I did something practical for navigation: I held my phone with Maps open and became the official bus stop watcher. I made sure we got off at the stop closest to the hotel, which sounds simple but the route on the way back was different. Luckily, I got us off only a 3 minute walk back.
Back at the hotel, we both showered and transformed from beach people into dinner people.
Consulting Google for Dinner Plans
That night, we tried to be organized travelers and follow Google recommendations for dinner. Three places in a row were fully booked. So we set off wandering hoping to find a spot.
At that point, I was hungry enough to lower my standards to anywhere that would feed us, but instead we got oddly lucky. We stumbled upon Nespo and ended up getting the last table for when they opened at 7:00 pm.
From the outside, and even once we sat down, it didn’t scream celebrity hotspot to us. It looked stylish, yes, but not intimidating. The lighting was warm, the room had polished energy, and the bar gave the whole place a little theatre. Our table was right by the bar, which I faced. Dean had the view of the room, so he got to people-watch while I watched cocktails get made.
The dinner service was quite elaborate. Servers took every plate we used away after each course. We got bread when we sat down, and then they took those plates. Then we shared an appetizer, then they took those plates. Finally we got our mains, and when finished they took those plates. And then brought us fresh plates for dessert.
We only found out later, after Googling it, that the restaurant had a bit of a glamorous reputation. That actually made sense in hindsight. It had the appeal of a place that knows exactly what it’s doing and tries very hard. The kind of restaurant where the menu reminds you that you are absolutely still in France, and not at a casual Tuesday dinner back home.
I ordered the duck breast, mostly because it was the most affordable thing on the menu and they didn’t have a chicken dish. It turned out to be a great choice, rich and satisfying in a way that felt right after a beach day.
Dean, meanwhile, had what I will forever remember as the $70 Caesar. I only knew when I was paying the bill, but he really knows how to go all out. Then we ended the night with a $50 dessert, because apparently once you're spending lavishly, you might as well keep doing it. It was a once in a lifetime ice cream dessert with gold leaf, popcorn, and caramel sauce.
Why I Loved this Day
What I loved most about this day was how little we forced it. We were tired, so we listened to our bodies. We took the bus instead of walking more. We brought towels. We swam until we were done. We shopped a little, showered, then wandered into dinner without a perfect plan but stumbled on a real gem.
And somehow, that easy day gave us everything: a swim in the Mediterranean, a backpack full of beach rocks, a lucky table, Dean’s legendary Caesar, and a dessert expensive enough to become part of the story.
Nice was good for that kind of day. You don’t have to chase every viewpoint or fill every hour. Sometimes the best plan is no plan at all.
The following day, we headed to two more South of France cities. Each stop had it's own vibe. Read about Eze and Monaco here.
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