Shopping in Nice (France)

As expected, the French Riviera isn't a bad place to do a little shopping, but in my quest to find any local brands (or preferably local independent designers), I soon realized that the majority of the boutiques belonged either to the usual suspects in designer fashion (Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton etc.), the typical high street chains (Zara, Mango and a slew of French retailers you'll also find in any other city such as Paris) or multi-brand stores which offered a mix of the above brands. It's great if you're searching for a particular item from your favorite label which might be sold out elsewhere, but if you're hoping to find something typical of the French Riviera, a Dior scarf or a Zadig & Voltaire tee probably isn't going to cut it.

Cannes, Nice and Monaco offer basically the same mix of high street and designer stores. Luxury labels are more prominent in Cannes and Monaco... the latter is also a great place to get a Ferrari, Maserati or Aston Martin if you ever win too much money in a casino. Nice, being the biggest city of the three, offers a lot more affordable fashion and foodie fare. It's also the only area that has a distinctly unique cuisine and because it's a source of some of the best olive oils, checking out a few of the gourmet places is a a must.

Some local foods... starting top left: farcis, socca, pissaladière, beignets de fleurs de courgettes.

Cheap and good food that shouldn't be missed includes socca (a crepe made of chickpea flour), pissaladière (an onion tart with olives and sometimes anchovies), farcis (vegetables stuffed with breadcrumbs and/or meat), beignets de fleurs de courgettes and the more famous salad niçoise. All of this is available in the old part of Nice and can be found in cheaper cafes or kiosk-like eateries. Of course the entire Riviera area is also a great place to get some seafood.

Alziari

In prepping for my trip, I was told that no visit was complete without stopping by legendary olive oil makers Alziari, who opened shop in 1868. The small store located near the seafront promenade is quaint and filled with an incredible selection of different olives, old-fashioned canisters and jars, various oils as well as olive oil aromas (lemon, garlic, basil etc.), skincare products, countless nibbles ranging from honey to foie gras and an assortment of herbs. If like me, you only have a carry-on bag with you and can't check in liquids, no worries... they have an online shop that delivers worldwide! So guess what I'll be ordering in the near future...

Alziari's charming interior (left) and barrels of olives (right).

Giant canisters filled with olive oils (left). Ceramic jugs and pots on display (right).

Address: 14 rue Saint François de Paule, 06300 Nice

A l'Olivier

Another olive oil expert, this company was founded in 1822, though the decor is a lot more modern and sophisticated. I don't actually know if they started out in Nice, but they have stores all over France and their products are easily available throughout the world (I believe even Amazon sells their items). They do have an online-shop as well. We stayed here for the longest time, because the selection was just huge. The girl working there let us try different olive oils, balsamic vinegars and mustards. The range pretty much covers what Alziari has, but they offered more flavors and also had a great range of sea salts, jams and other preserves, as well as an extensive selection of olive-based bath, skincare and beauty items (from various brands). I've never bothered checking out the Paris location, but something tells me I'll be heading there very soon.

Top: olive oils behind the counter. More olive oils in cans (left) and a range of other products, such as herbs and salts (right).

Overview of the store's sleek decor (left) and some of the bath products (right).

Address: 7 rue Saint François de Paule, 06300 Nice

So enough with the food... let's get to the fashion!

Aratto

I'm going to start of with the cheapest of the cheap. Someone told me this place is something of an institution in Nice and if you're ever in need of some trendy inexpensive bling, this is probably going to be your ultimate destination. What fascinated me the most though, was the deli-style concept of the store: you first choose what you want from the window displays, then take a number. Once it's your turn, you show the staff member the item you want and she'll pull it out from one of the many shelves behind her. Earrings start off at 1 EUR, cuffs around 3 EUR and necklace prices range between 5-13 EUR. The more elaborate pieces will go up to 35 EUR, but that's about as expensive as it will get. They also sell bags (10-35 EUR), wallets and umbrellas. The products aren't necessarily well-made or meant to last, but for that price you'll probably end up buying more than one piece anyway.

Top: Aratto storefront where items are displayed. Once you've found what you want, take a ticket (left) and proceed to the counter (right).

Some of the jewelry on display ranging from overly bling and borderline tacky, to somewhat more toned down.

Address: 18 rue Masséna, 06300 Nice

Façonnable

The only local brand I could find in Nice, was Façonnable, the classic sportswear chic brand with items suitable for any member of a country club or anyone who needs an outfit for a polo match (i.e. it's a more conservative Ralph Lauren). The store opened it's doors in Nice, back in 1950 and gained popularity among Hollywood stars visiting the Cannes Film Festival. The label now has two additional boutiques in the same street catering to women's wear and more formal looks. I can't say that I've ever been drawn to their range which I deemed a little too preppy, but considering how many well-made basics they stock, I can imagine the classic coats or argyle sweaters to be something you could pair with edgier pieces to create a cool country look. Their items are stocked throughout the world and US residents can also order online via their homepage.

One of the storefronts in Nice (above) and some of the current season looks (images: Façonnable).

Address: 7-9 rue Paradis, 06300 Nice

Espace Harroch

Finally, I also browsed this four-storey multi-brand boutique, which some claimed was a concept store (it isn't) and stocks designer brands that don't happen to have their own boutique in the city. I found a decent selection of Balenciaga, Marni, Chloé, Miu Miu and Yohji Yamamoto to name a few, while the menswear section was dominated by Paul Smith, Missoni and Helmut Lang. The top floor had a great range of beauty and skincare products from the Provence, home decor items, as well as linen, towels and bedsheets. There was also a perfume counter and a small range of Diptyque candles. For other luxury designer fixes, you'll of course have a range of flagship boutiques to choose from and Galeries Lafayette has a branch in Nice as well.

Part of the women's wear (left) and menswear (right) section.

A selection of the beautifully displayed beauty and skincare products. For some relaxation, head to the outdoor terrace (right).

Addres: 7 rue Paradis, 06300 Nice

Lastly, I would definitely urge anyone to check out the many markets in this area. I forgot to take pictures of them, but Nice has a lovely flower market, while Forville in Cannes is a great covered market which sells everything from flowers, herbs and seafood to wild mushrooms and (of course) olives. Provence specialities, such as lavender can easily be found in these areas as well.

Lavender and other dried flowers on display at a crafts market in Cannes (top) and more dried petals at Forville (bottom).

Eating and Shopping in Tunisia

Souvenir shops and outdoor cafes in Sidi Bou Said.

One of the best ways to discover a country (besides looking at buildings and nature) is to see what it has to offer in terms of cuisine and shopping. At least that was my excuse for stuffing myself with food and heading to a different market almost every day. Unless you're really picky with what you eat, Tunisia is a great place to find some delicious local treats. Some of them, such as the various couscous dishes (usually with lamb or fish) might be familiar. Others, such as tajines (similar to an omelet) or brik a l'oeuf (deep-fried pastry filled with meats, cheese or shrimp and a soft-cooked egg) might be new to you and are worth trying if you get the chance, though the latter was a bit too deep-fried for my liking.

Mint tea with pine nuts. The bouquet of jasmine next to it, was sold throughout Sidi Bou Said, but I managed to get one free. Couscous with fish (top right) and appetizers incl. harissa, olives, cucumbers and canned tuna (lower right).

In general there are four types of eateries to choose from: smarter restaurants approved by the tourism industry (which are popular among locals as well), local dining places, small outdoor cafes (usually only serving drinks and occasionally pastries) and snack-bars which can be considered a local version of fast-food, though less unhealthy. And if you don't like any of their foods, you can forget about hiding out in McDonalds or KFC, because none of the Western fast-food chains have made it to Tunisia yet.

A more elegant dining option in Gammarth's 'Le Grand Bleu' with a lovely view of the coast from the terrace (top). One of the snack bars offering sandwiches with your choice of filling and fries (lower left and right).

We tried out all of the above and the snack-bar option (usually involving sandwiches, stuffed with tuna or warm roasted chicken, salad, fries and olives) was great for lunch, while regular restaurants were a good alternative for dinner. In the cafes, the main Tunisian speciality tends to be hot mint tea served with pine nuts. If you're into it, you can order a water pipe (chicha) to go along with it. The most popular soft drink was fresh lemonade (citronnade). What I quickly realized is that Tunisia has a slight obsession with canned tuna. This stuff was served as an appetizer before every meal (along with olives, harissa paste and cucumbers), but could also be found in various other dishes, sandwiches and even crêpes. Speaking of crêpes - as mentioned before, French food has happily been adopted here, so you'll easily find baguettes, croissants and other French treats here. During the two weeks I spent in Tunisia, I actually had more crêpes than I ever had in France. For more foodie fun, we made sure to head to the souks selling spices, vegetables and fish. Tunisians are big on all meats (except pork - for religious reasons), seafood, pastries/sweets (similar to what you'll find in Turkey), dates, olives and the spicy harissa paste (made of peppers, tomatoes, olive oil and salt).

Spices and dried herbs in Sousse's souks.

Local pastries and baguettes on sale in the souk (Sousse).

They also sold live snails, which didn't look too appetizing considering they were actively crawling up a branch (left) and fresh dates (right).

The fish market in Sfax. They even sold small sharks, which I sincerely hope aren't endangered (lower left) and eels (lower right).

While hunting down and trying local foods proved to be quite rewarding, shopping for other stuff was a bit trickier. As mentioned in my last post, many of the souks turned out to be quite touristy. And as I soon realized, the main sources of finding non-food related products were restricted to either these markets, shopping malls filled with slightly tacky local chains I'd never heard of before or small shops that sold sparkly 'prêt-a-porter' and 'haute couture' creations that were a tad too outdated and prom-queen for my liking. So you can imagine my delight, when upon arrival in Tunis, I found out my check-in bag had gone missing. Had I been in a big city with well-known stores or quaint boutiques, I probably would have rejoiced and spent some travel-insurance money in them. But I was in Tunis and by the time my bag showed up a day later, I already had visions of me standing in a crowded souk, haggling with a vendor over the price of neon-colored polyester underwear.

The somewhat touristy market in Tunis, which sold everything from leather goods, fake LV bags and carpets, to football/soccer shirts.

The most commercial part of the Tunis souks, offering cheap sunglasses and counterfeit goods.

Most souks, which can be found within a medina, follow the same layout: the center is occupied by the Great Mosque surrounded by souks in a strict hierarchy. Noble souks selling incense, perfumes or carpets are closest to the mosque, while noisier and smellier souks belonging to blacksmiths or butchers are located towards the edge of the medina. In many cases, such as the souks in Tunis or Monastir, you'll find plenty of souvenir shops in the markets, selling stuffed animals (usually camels) and other junk that's made in China. A lot of the products are overpriced and you'll get a large number of pushy vendors trying to lure you into their shops. The best way to get rid of them is to just ignore them completely. If you do find something you like, you'll need to haggle (start at about a third of the price they give you). There are also state-owned craft shops which sell items at a fixed price if you don't feel like haggling. It's worth coming here just to get an idea of what prices are like before going to a market.

The more noble perfume souks, selling scented pure oils or a specially concocted perfume of your choice. You can even get popular designer perfumes replicated here.

One of the official craft and souvenir shops in Monastir. The replica brand name perfumes fascinated me the most, incl. 'Chanail 5', 'Dakka Noir' and 'K One'.

Tunisia specializes mainly in perfume (particularly in jasmine, rose and geranium scents), ceramics, silver/gold jewelry and brass or copper items. You'll also find plenty of vendors selling traditional clothing items, but most of the above is favored either by tourists or by richer/older locals. The younger generation can be found in the souks buying cheap costume jewelry, fake designer products and mass-produced decor items. I had forgotten bad fakes still existed and I was blown away by the fact that even perfumes were counterfeited. My favorite pseudo-brands were 'J-Star Raw', 'Levie Strausst' and 'Abibas' (the latter was sported by an older lady wearing a headscarf and a black two-striped track suit. Priceless.).

I spent a record 5 seconds in a local shopping mall (top left) filled with local retail stores. Streetsyle in Tunis involves casual gear and the occasional headscarf (above right). More prestigious stores in Sfax and Mahdia (lower left & right). Gotta love the sign of the men's store...

Even though Tunisia didn't strike me as a fashion capital (and it really isn't), it has given the world two big international designers: most notably Azzedine Alaïa who grew up near Monastir, and Max Azria who was born in Sfax. From what I could tell, none of their pieces are sold in this country (not surprising, as I don't think most locals would spend that much money on clothes) and I wondered if the general population knew of them at all. Most girls did wear clothing that was hip and cool enough. The basic uniform consisted of a tee and jeans, along with Converse sneakers or ballerinas. Because this is a Muslim country, shoulders and legs were always covered (and I'd advise anyone else to adhere to this dress code, unless you're in a tourist zone) and some girls wore a hajib (headscarf), though the rest of their outfit remained casual.

Mahdia is famous for its silk weaving. Left: one of the small silk workshops. Right: Colorful ceramics in the Sousse market.

The jewelry souk in Tunis specializing in expensive silver and gold pieces (left). Art in Tunis usually involves verses of the Koran written out in decorative script (right).

Even if many of the souks were a bit annoying with the pushy vendors and touristy wares, it's still lots of fun to browse them. Sfax had the best souks - remarkably untouched by tourism and very authentic. I was most impressed by their fabric shops selling everything from embroidered silk to fine linen. It is also this souk, that was used as a setting in the movie 'The English Patient', as a stand-in for Cairo who's markets were already too modern for a period drama. If you get a chance to visit this part of the world, I'd definitely drop by this city just for the markets alone.

Crafts (left) and blacksmiths (right) in Sfax's souks.

Traditional outfits (left) and dried flowers (right) in Sfax.

Still in Sfax: a men's tailor (left) and women buying fabric nearby (right).

Haute fashion in Sfax's souks: sparkly candyfloss colored dresses seem to be popular...

Impressions of Chamonix (France)

My Significant Other is a bit of a sports addict (then again, aren't most men?), especially when it comes to running marathons. Ages ago, he signed up to run the Mont Blanc marathon, which is how we found ourselves in Chamonix this past weekend. In a way, I was really glad to not be in Paris during the first sales weekend... if the Wednesday was bad, the Saturday is usually the ultimate shopping madness, as you'll get people traveling from neighboring European countries who want in on the fun.

View of Mont Blanc from the hotel room.

Chamonix is a beautiful alpine resort in France, bordering on Switzerland and Italy and conveniently located at the foot of Mont Blanc, Western Europe's highest mountain. The closest city is in Geneva and though we drove through it, I unfortunately didn't get to spend any time there. Not really an issue - I've never seen Mont Blanc and wanted to spend some quality time away from any city. Unlike other ski resorts, especially the glitzy Swiss ones (yes St. Moritz... I'm looking at you), Chamonix is surprisingly unpretentious. I'm sure during the winter seasons you'll get a few ski bunnies in designer sports gear, but judging from the stores I saw, this place is pretty down-to-earth and not as overly filled with chalet-kitsch as many of it's counterparts.

Downtown Chamonix & starting point for the marathon.

During the summer months the area is really popular among rock climbers, hikers and extreme sports fans - there were so many paragliders out this weekend. I would have been tempted to try it out if we had had more time.

Chamonix

Partial view of Mont Blanc from Chamonix.

As you can imagine, shopping isn't really a main attraction here, which is why I'm not going to do any store profiles. But since the main downtown area consists of nothing but stores (mainly outdoor and sports shops) and restaurants, I couldn't help snapping a few pics...

Left: Boutique with a range of Gerard Darel, Ralph Lauren etc., Right: A more common sight were the large number of outdoor shops. Here: The North Face.

You won't starve in Chamonix. One of the many delicatessen stores.

An art gallery sold some amazing photographs of Mont Blanc. The below image was my favorite.

Not the best place to find shoes... unless you like Birkenstocks (left), which I can still tolerate... or that other brand (right), which I would prefer not to name.

... because every town deserves some Karl. Surrounded by outdoor shops, I found the only designer flagship in Chamonix. And they had sales as well!

We also managed to browse the weekly market...

Overview of the market

More outdoor clothing... but cheap (left). You can't escape the harem trousers... (right)

Left: These flowers were made of wood and paper. Right: Colorful jewelry.

Top left: A range of artisanal honeys. Top right: Sausages made of donkey and wild boar. Bottom: A nice selection of wild mushrooms.

On Sunday, my dearest and well over 14 000 other crazies set out to run/walk/crawl up this part of Mont Blanc, starting at 7AM in the morning. I chose an easier way... around noon...

No way am I walking up that...

The destination from inside the cable car.

View of Chamonix from the cable car.

View of the rest of Mont Blanc from the top.

Hope everyone else had a lovely weekend!