Early bird catches the freshly baked croissant
5:45 am: May 7, 2016
Quarter past dusk, I climbed down from the fourth floor of my building, stumbling in the darkness, to Rue Bonaparte. The sun was just coming out and the street was deserted. I had unintentionally chosen an awfully good neighborhood to stay in when I picked my Airbnb. Not only did Rue Bonaparte bristle with cheese shops, fresh markets, florists, stylish bistros, and restaurants during the day, it was also only a stone’s throw away from the historic old town. Since it was my first morning, I decided to make a beeline to the heart of the old Town, Place Rosetti. As I turned the corner into Place Garibaldi, I spotted a fruit vendor loading strawberries from cartons onto small baskets on the display shelf. I bid him “Bonjour” and entered the old Town.

I weaved my way through the network of cobblestone alleys and squares that made up the old town. Early sunshine streamed in through the hollow gap between the rooftops and dusted the bright facades in soft golden light and long shadows. As I sauntered along, the silence of the empty streets was punctuated by the sound of the morning news on the French radio from a nearby house. I peeked in through a slightly open window shutter but I didn’t see much. I was mildly disappointed. I was hoping a friendly face would peer back at me and welcome me to a home-cooked breakfast. Quel dommage! A few seagulls caw-cawed and dipped a little low and whizzed past me. I ducked my head and I resumed my stroll.



After getting lost and finding myself in the lovely honeycomb of narrow streets, I reached an impressive square.
Place Rosetti.
Place Rosetti or Rosetti Square was crowned by a towering baroque-style Cathédrale Sainte Réparate on the right, built in the late 17th century. Buildings in red and yellow ochres dotted the plaza and surrounded a fountain in the center. Empty chairs spilled over from the closed restaurants.
It was 8 o clock and I seized a chair at the terrace (obviously!) of the Cafe Antonio. In France, there is something of “a terrace culture”, one could say. At a coffee shop, restaurant or bar you’d be crazy to sit anywhere but outside facing the street aka “en terrasse”, sip your coffee, and people-watch. That is exactly what I did.


Soon, a barista appeared out of thin air and I ordered a simple petit dejeuner in awkward French. I’m usually a bit shy transitioning from English to French and it takes a day or two before I can confidently butcher the language. 😀 A soft breeze rustled the pages of my book and the clothes hanging from the balconies above me.
After a few minutes of spying my surroundings and giggling to Wooster’s adventures, my fresh petit dejeuner arrived in a straw basket. The delicious smell of warm bread and butter wafted in the air and my stomach rumbled. I picked up the buttery croissant and nibbled at it. Flaky layers slowly crumbled in my mouth and unveiled a doughy inside with spongy pockets of air. Between sips of fresh squeezed orange juice and silky macchiato, I slowly drifted away to puff pastry heaven, floating on clouds of billowy dough.
I have simple needs if you ask me: Early morning strolls, a good conversation or a good book, and freshly baked butter croissants paired with orange juice and coffee.
My stomach was full and my heart fuller. 🙂



Here is a pin if you like and read my other posts about Nice here 🙂

Mm fresh croissant! It’s worth getting up and out for just one! What a nice outing!
Haha, indeed Jenn. There is no alarm better than a freshly baked croissant 😛
This looks so beautiful! Almost picturesque. I would love to visit.
Thanks, Emily 🙂 I hope you do get to visit someday! X
Your photography is really beautiful done and the food looks delicious.
Thank you so much Luci X
Your pictures are amazing!! I’ve been wanting to explore France forever!
Thank you so much Tanmaya 🙂 I hope you do get to explore this beautiful country some day! X
5:45 am never sounded, looked or tasted so good! The early bird catches the croissant! Lovely post. Thank you for taking us on your stroll.
Aww, thanks for following along! Thanks for the lovely words Erika X 🙂
Nice looks beautiful! I admire that you can wake up so early. I am definitely a night owl. But on a trip, I often will wake up early, and the croissant looks so worth it! I love your pictures, too.
I must admit I’m not a morning person, but I’d definitely get out of bed for a freshly baked croissant 😉
I really enjoyed the writing style you had in putting this together. Very much set the mood. I was also eating strawberries when i read it so they may have helped! Great photos and overall piece on a place I am desperate to visit. Definitely enjoyed reading this one.
I love Nice even though I’ve only been there once for two days, I had such a fantastic time. You’ve shown me a whole different side of it though, and I’d love to get back there for a bit longer.
Reading this at half past 11 in the night & feeling hungry reading your description of that wonderful croissant !! 😂
hehehe Electro-Yash, I read your comment at 11:35 in the night and I’m hungry too. Safe to say we are both gluttons! 🙂
That was a great post! Thanks for sharing <3
Thanks Malavikka, that is very sweet of you Xx
Great story! I love when it happens that I accidentally pick a perfectly situated accommodation. I had been a little cool on the idea of Paris, but with a morning like that – sounds like I need to add it back onto my list! 😀
You must visit Katie, Nice is a slice of paradise, I kid you not. 🙂
Wow! This is just magnificent. Lovely photos. I love these narrow street. So full of beauty and fascinating stories. I’m really craving strawberries now 😀
Thanks Anete! 🙂 The narrow streets can charm anyone off their feet, I have no doubt. Xx
The best way to explore a city is walk around during sunrise and I do that for almost every place I visit. It’s the best time to click pictures and the place looks different. Also the feeling of having the whole city to yourself is awesome. A croissant and a coffe post the photo session feels well deserved. Amazing job with photos.
Monica, I can’t agree more with what you have said. 🙂 and thanks Xx
Your photos truly capture the life of this area. So beautiful and vibrant. I was in France years ago, but clearly missed out in not visiting Nice. Now I need to plan my return trip!
I tried learning French but gave up too soon, too tough! Good on you for managing to conquer it. Nice is a lovely city right? I love the quietness during the winter months! You captured the mood really well in these photos =)
Thank you so much Kristine; Nice is a wonderful city and I absolutely love traveling in winter, when things are more laidback 🙂
Learning a new language can be a pain in the butt, but it’s worth it when you stick to it. I have realized that I flourish in a structured environment. If it’s still something you want to do, try taking lessons? 🙂 or if you are the disciplined sort, try Duolingo and Babbel for a dose of French lessons every day. (Note to self too haha)
Cheers X