The Nice Flower Market Isn’t Just About the Flowers

After a long stroll along the Boardwalk and ensuing mega stair climb up to the top of Le Château de Nice, Gal Pal Elizabeth and I searched for the Nice Flower Market – Cours Saleya. We had a map, we watched for the street signs and yet we still missed it somehow. We backtracked and still no market. As hunger and thirst was setting in we spied with our little eyes a woman leaving her apartment building with a rolling shopping trolley headed in the general direction we knew the market must be in, so we did what desperately lost people do…we followed her. She moved quickly along the old cracked sidewalks and disappeared around corners unaware she had two stalkers on her tail. Breathless, we caught up to her just in time to see that she was not headed directly to the market, but to meet up with some girlfriends for a coffee before her daily shopping, but fortunately for us, she ended up right next to the flower market so we made it!

There was eye candy everywhere! Literally and figuratively…Flowers, as expected, art, olive oil, produce, fish, cheese, meat and candy. The oranges seemed more orange and the candy made to look like the ripest of fruits blew us away. We had to get very, very close to see that it wasn’t real fruit, but sugary delicious candy made to look exactly like the real deal. Had we been staying longer and in an apartment we would have been able to pick up all the necessities for a huge French feast. But since we were staying at the luxury Palais de la Méditerranée we skipped most of the local goodies. Both Elizabeth and I did, however, purchase small watercolors directly from the artist. Since Mr. Weekend In Paris is an avid sailor I chose one with a sailboat in it. It’s the perfect colors for a small space in our summer home by the sea in Rhode Island.

Quai des États-Unis is the street along the water in Nice and parallel to this is the Cours Saleya Market  just before (old Nice) Vieux Nice. For the freshest items make sure you go bright and early as the market is in full gear by 8:00 am. Bring cash and an appetite – you’re going to love it!