We find ourselves in unprecedented times. It has been disconcerting and saddening to see empty squares and shuttered streets around the world, and our hearts go out to all those affected, wherever they are.

For a while, we may all need to stay grounded. One day, piazzas will fill with selfie-takers again and bistros will brim with animated chatter.

While we wait, we reflect on what draws us to the places we love.

At the age of 16 I took my first trip abroad. France enveloped me, heart and soul. it stopped me in my tracks and made me see things in a different light. Each sight, smell and snippet of conversation with a gesture to match had me hooked. Back on home soil I announced I was going to move to France when I grew up.

It took me another 16 years to finally realise that dream, but five years later I write this from my own Art-Deco era balcony in Nice, overlooking the tapestry of colourful rooftops, with gulls swooping in the open blue skies above and neighbours calling their daily greetings across the boulevard below. Serendipity surely had a part to play, as I struggle to explain why I am lucky enough to spend my days exploring this unforgettable coastline.

Nice has its own song, Nissa la Bella. The words capture the variety of the landscape, the lifestyle, the essence of the beauty that keeps people returning to this wonderful region. That variety, I assume, has something to do with ensuring everyone has a different story to tell. The Riviera has been caught by artists and writers; by history and hearsay; and like any good story, it gets better with the telling. I am often asked for a must-see list of things to do – if I answered honestly it would be endless, so I always say walk and let yourself discover. The Riviera has something special that gets under your skin, you have to let it work its magic.

Yet beneath the Instagram-worthy gloss, something else lingers, hard to describe yet inevitably keeping you on your toes – for this place with a heart as old as time can still surprise you.

And surprise me it does, from the narrow medieval alleys, the street signs in two languages, the hidden histories to the flower battles of carnival where thousands of blooms are thrown at the crowds in celebration. I can while away many a Saturday morning people watching from a pavement café (some of my favourites are Déli Bo, Le Galet, the Country Store, La Popote d’Ondine and the imaginatively named Emilie & the Cool Kids) but life is not all slow-mo. With ease you can soon be exploring the rugged coastline, the quiet rolling hills, the rural villages, the perfume fields or the ski slopes.

Many joke that when you live here, you don’t need to leave for a holiday and I believe that with each new season there is a something to celebrate. Life here is lived with all the senses.

I hope you will discover for yourself why this truly exceptional part of the world lives up to its song, Nissa la Bella. For it truly is inspiringly beautiful.

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• Kati and the global residential team are available remotely for any questions about the market or to simply share stories about their beloved locations.