This is something that dawned on me one day years ago while I was having a particularly bad day. Somehow, looking around at where I was, I realized that even on a difficult day, I was still incredibly fortunate to be living where I was.
Ever since then, it has become a little personal slogan that I live by when needed: Even a bad day on the French Riviera is a good day.
It is also something I occasionally say to clients who are new to the region and are wondering what it is really like to live here year-round. Sometimes people arrive with the impression that life on the Côte d’Azur must somehow be too beautiful, too easy or too good to be true.
Of course, no place in the world offers endless happiness. People sometimes tell me, based largely on what they see on social media, that life here must be all roses. They see the sea, the sunshine, the villages, the restaurants, the beautiful homes and the spectacular views and assume that everyone living here must somehow have figured out the secret to a problem-free existence.
That simply isn’t reality. People living on the French Riviera have problems just like everyone else. We have difficult days, disappointments, financial worries, relationship problems, health concerns, frustrations and all of the other things that come with being human. And honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. A life where every day was exactly the same emotionally would probably become rather boring.
Even the weather doesn’t always cooperate with the postcard image. Yes, there is an extraordinary amount of sunshine here, but as I write this, we’ve had a couple of cloudy days with rain coming and going. And that’s perfectly fine. A little change in the weather can actually be good.
There are countless photographs and videos online showing the most spectacular side of the French Riviera. I am certainly guilty of producing plenty of them myself, but I do it because I genuinely love this region. The beautiful places aren’t an invention. They are part of everyday life here.
What you don’t always see in a photograph is everything that happens around them: people going to work, doing the shopping, dealing with paperwork, paying bills, having an argument, getting stuck in traffic, feeling tired or simply having a day when you don’t particularly feel like doing anything.
In other words, life. And perhaps that is one of the things I love most about living here. The Riviera can be spectacular, but it can also simply be home.
Day-to-day life can be as routine as anywhere else if that’s the life you choose. Or you can make a point of getting out, exploring somewhere new, having lunch in another town, taking a walk along the coast or simply sitting outside with a coffee and watching the world go by. So much of life here ultimately comes down to the choices you make and the kind of life you want to create. Like anywhere.
For me personally, moving here all those years ago remains one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made, not only because of the surroundings, but because of what living here has done for me physically, mentally and emotionally as well.
When I am having what might be considered a bad day, one of the simplest things I can do is go outside. Sometimes I don’t need to do anything more than walk for a few minutes. The surroundings alone can change my mood. The sea, the mountains, the architecture, the light, the people, the sounds and even the changing seasons have a way of reminding me to step back from whatever is bothering me. It gives me the opportunity to reset, recharge and refocus.
And perhaps that is what my little slogan has really come to mean. It doesn’t mean that nothing bad happens here. It means that even when something bad happens, I am still grateful for where I am.
The Assumption That Everything Must Be Perfect
There is another side to this that I’ve noticed repeatedly over the years. When someone knows you live on the French Riviera, it can sometimes be difficult for them to understand that you might be going through a genuinely difficult period. From the outside, it can seem almost impossible. You’re having a hard time, but you live there. Surely you can just go to the beach.
There is another side to this that I’ve noticed repeatedly over the years. When someone knows you live on the French Riviera, it can sometimes be difficult for them to understand that you might be going through a genuinely difficult period. From the outside, it can seem almost impossible. You’re having a hard time, but you live there. Surely you can just go to the beach.
I understand where that comes from. The Riviera has an extraordinary image around the world, and when people visit, they naturally experience the beautiful side of it. But beautiful surroundings don’t make anyone immune to life.
What I have discovered, however, is that living here can give you something that is perhaps even more valuable than beautiful surroundings: community.
I don’t have family here, but I do have an incredibly close circle of friends from many different backgrounds. We look out for one another, celebrate each other’s successes, help each other through difficult moments and understand that sometimes you simply need someone to be there. No problem is too big or too small, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have that.
Finding Your People
Just over a week ago, I met a friend from Canada who, despite living elsewhere, has remained a regular visitor to the French Riviera for many years. She is well known both here and in North America for the books she has written about this part of France and has been an inspiration to many people, including me. Over the years, she has also become something of a mentor.
Just over a week ago, I met a friend from Canada who, despite living elsewhere, has remained a regular visitor to the French Riviera for many years. She is well known both here and in North America for the books she has written about this part of France and has been an inspiration to many people, including me. Over the years, she has also become something of a mentor.
We were sitting having coffee in Nice at a café, talking about life in general, when we started discussing something we had both experienced. Whenever she prepares to come to the Riviera, people sometimes tell her how lucky she is and how wonderful life must be when she is here.
And of course, it is wonderful to come here. But what people don’t necessarily see is everything that happened behind the scenes to get to that point. She has experienced difficult periods in her life, raised a family, was determined to build a career with her writing and eventually found a way to make many of her dreams happen. Her story reminded me that we often see only the destination and not the journey that brought someone there.
I have experienced much the same thing. Because I live here full time, people sometimes assume that everything must be wonderful all the time. But having lived here for so many years, I’ve learned to look at difficult situations differently.
Something might initially shock me, upset me or make me angry. Those feelings are completely normal. But I’ve also learned not to let them consume me. Instead, I quickly take a step back on the situation and ask myself what happened, what I can learn from it, what I can control and what I should do next. Rationally and methodically. And I then tell myself that I have been given a new life lesson.
Living in another country teaches you that. When you move away from the country you grew up in, you don’t always have the same support systems around you that you once took for granted. You have to learn, adapt and evolve. Life will inevitably change.
Over the years, I’ve come to believe that some of the most difficult experiences here can ultimately lead somewhere you never expected to go. That doesn’t mean difficult things are somehow good or that we should pretend they don’t hurt. It simply means that experiences have value. They teach you something, build resilience and make you understand yourself better. Sometimes they even open doors you would never have considered before.
I’ve found that some of the situations that once seemed like major setbacks eventually led me somewhere far more positive than I could have imagined. That has happened enough times in my life that I now tend to trust the process a little more than I used to.
It’s Not All Roses — And That’s Ok
So no, life on the French Riviera isn’t all roses. It never has been and never will be. Moving to another country can be difficult. Starting over can be difficult. Learning how things work, building friendships, finding your place and creating a new routine all take time.
So no, life on the French Riviera isn’t all roses. It never has been and never will be. Moving to another country can be difficult. Starting over can be difficult. Learning how things work, building friendships, finding your place and creating a new routine all take time.
But if you are genuinely happy with the decision you’ve made to be here, something interesting can happen. You begin to build a life that is uniquely yours.
And even if you initially feel completely alone, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will stay that way. People here are generally sociable. Start conversations. Talk to someone at a café. Chat with someone on the train. Join a group. Attend an event. Say hello to someone you keep seeing in your neighbourhood. You might be surprised by how many people are interested in meeting someone from somewhere else.
Eventually, you find your people, and once you do, the Riviera becomes something more than a beautiful destination. It becomes home.
That, for me, is the real difference. I don’t live here because every day is perfect. I live here because even on the days that aren’t perfect, I can still step outside, look around and remind myself that this is where I chose to build my life. Somehow, that changes everything.
Even a bad day on the French Riviera is a good day.
