Stop & Smell the Flowers

Some argue that of all the towns dotting the swanky French Riviera, Nice is the least… French Riviera-y. True if you’re into hobnobbing and celeb-spotting, but for anyone into photography and flowers (and tiny candies shaped like fruit), Nice is a perfect stop.

As luck would have it I am, in fact, into photography, flowers, and tiny candies shaped like fruit; it’s no surprise that when my travels brought me through Nice last September, I found myself right in my milieu. Armed with a sweet tooth, an early internal alarm, and my Canon 100mm macro lens, I was like a pig in… well, you get the point.

The best place to partake in the above is the Nice Flower Market, which happens daily except on Mondays (when it’s replaced with an equally intriguing antique and flea market) in the South-West corner of Vieux Nice on Cours Saleya. It’s best to get up as early as possible to avoid the crowds—somewhere between 6 am (for the intrepid) and 8 am (for those of us who enjoy a pain au chocolat and a café au lait before heading out).

Amongst the stalls of fresh flowers of every colour and variety (all grown locally in the South of France), you’ll also find amazing fresh produce, seafood, and the aforementioned infamous fruit-shaped candies. It’s a barrage on the senses—new smells, sounds, and a stunning array of colours come at you from every angle. Perfect for capturing the charming fishmonger and his display of fresh lobster, or the charming elderly couple shopping for their dinner. Nowhere else amongst the towns dotting the coast will you find this authenticity, simplicity, photographic potential… or this many tiny candies shaped like fruit. It’s an anomaly amongst the bathed-in-luxury background of the Riveria, and oh, what a lovely anomaly it is.

Melissa Joseph is the latest addition to Trufflepig’s European planning team, bringing her wealth of floral and tiny fruit-shaped candy experience to the table, along with a few other amazing skills.