Académie de Nice

When I got accepted into TAPIF, I was hoping for Lyon (the region where I had previously studied abroad). Instead, I was placed in Rouen (a very northern city full of museums but very cold). Then about three months before I was set to leave, I was asked if I would be willing to change to the Académie de Nice. At the time, I had to think about it (silly me!) but I swiftly accepted and I am really happy I did.

I wasn't originally attracted to Nice at all. Nice is known for the fancy cars, the beaches, and the omnipresence of the sun: "toujours au soleil". In the end, I accepted because it would be nice weather, it was closer to Lyon, and Rouen really did not entice me. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised to find a place full of nature so stunning I felt like I was in paradise, sun nearly every day, and wonderful people.

I didn't end up anywhere near Nice. I was placed in a small city called la Seyne-sur-Mer, in fact, which is about a 20 minute bus ride outside of Toulon. I worked in two middle schools there Monday through Thursday. I decided to live in Toulon because it was a bigger city. Toulon is about 2 hours west of Nice along the southern coast of France and 45 minutes east of Marseille. It is the second biggest naval base in France. The city itself is a little run-down. All the locals would tell you it has nothing to do and "ça craint" (it's a little dangerous). They would also tell you that it was heavily bombed in WWII and they never quite rebuilt it the same, which is why it seems more run-down. Despite the buildings that are a little rough around the edges and the sometimes seedy situations, Toulon is a beautiful city in its own right. The buildings are brightly colored and the squares are hidden but lively. If you know where to look, you can find hidden gems of restaurants and boutiques. My favorite part is that it is surrounded by little towns with gorgeous beaches, either a quick bus ride, boat ride, or train ride away.

The Mediterranean coastline is breathtaking and it is not lacking around Toulon. If you click on my previous post about Travels in the Académie, you can see what I mean. It is mostly rocky beaches with bright blue, clear water. There is a lot of hiking, striking cliffs of rock near Toulon, calanques (special rocky inlets) found closer to Marseille. The area is special because you are sandwiched between the mountains and the sea. The people in the South also remind me more of Californians. People are wont to talk to you in the bus or on the train, for a few minutes or your entire ride. People are louder and a little more free. People may tell you that people from the South are more superficial (that's what they say about Californians too) but I haven't found that to be true. The friends I have met there are kind and they sacrificed their time, effort and belongings for me more than once. My landlord's mom who lived below me drove me to the hospital and waited with me for two hours when I was hit by a car. My landlord from last year invited me to stay with her the last time I was there to visit and pulled out all the stops to entertain me. One of my colleagues often invited me over to her house for dinner to spend time with her family and she lent me all my Christmas decorations. My friend, Laura, and I exchange cards often and I always have a place with her when I go to Toulon.

Some of my suggestions if you're going in the area:

Toulon Sights:
Cap Brun (secluded beach)
Mourillon-Rue des Lamargues (boutiques and cute terrasses to have a drink)
Plages de Mourillon (beaches)
Télépherique de Mont Faron (ride it to the top and enjoy a drink up there)
Take a Bateau-Bus to Les Sablettes (beach in La Seyne-sur-mer)
Place de la Liberté
The open-air market on Cours Lafayette (everyday but Mondays I believe)

Restaurants/Bars in Toulon:
Le Bistrot des artistes
La Tortue (on the port!)
Le Petit Marché (BEST café gourmand: 3 desserts and a coffee)
L'aparté (delicious and HUGE lunches)
L'aromate provençale (I never ate there but heard good things)
Havana Café: bar with comfy outdoor seating
Bar à Thym: neighborhood bar (salsa nights on Sunday)
L'arbre à bulles: hipster cocktail bar (no sign so it can be hard to find)
Café Polyglot: cafe with language exchange

Cities around Toulon:
La Seyne-Sur-Mer: beaches are the main attraction (Les Sablettes, Tamaris)
Six-Fours-les-Plages: smaller town, more families, beautiful peninsula called Gaou, biking trails
Sanary-sur-Mer: smaller town, beaches, big outdoor market Wednesdays
Saint-Mandrier-sur-mer: take a boat bus from Toulon, little island town with nice walking paths
Carqueiranne: small beach town, port has a great bakery and creperie, one of the beaches is a rock pile beach!
La Ciotat: strange rock formation that you can hike!, old factories for shipbuilding, famed city where pétanque was created
Cassis: absolute favorite city around here, hiking the calanques, boat tours, swimming in the turquoise waters, la Défonce is my fav restaurant!
Hyères: calmer town, beaches, and connection to Ile des Porquerolles where you can snorkel in the summers
Bandol: another good option!
You can also take ferries to Corsica from Toulon!