In the the seaport city of Nice, Located on the Côte d’Azur, France

 "Don't wait for inspiration. It comes while one is working."

-- Henri Matisse
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(in the cultural capital of the French Riviera, set on the Bay of Angels) With its mixture of real-city grit, old-world opulence, year-round sunshine, vibrant street life, and stunning seaside location, no place in France compares with the seaport city of Nice. Located on the Côte d’Azur of the Mediterranean Sea, near the Italian border, Nice was founded by Greeks around  350 BCE, conquered by Romans in the 1st century CE, and became a trading station. Held by the counts of Provence during the 10th century, in 1388 it passed under the protection of the counts of Savoy who held it until 1860 -- although it was captured and occupied several times by the French during the 17th and 18th centuries. Nice was ceded to France by the Treaty of Turin (in 1860), after which a referendum ratified the decision. Sheltered by beautiful hills, Nice has a pleasant climate and is the leading resort of the French Riviera.

+ The Paillon River, now partly built over, separates the New Town to the west from the Old Town, the harbor, and the commercial district to the east. The Old Town, with narrow winding streets, stands at the western base of a granite hill known as Le Château, although the castle that used to crown it was destroyed in 1706. The harbor, begun in 1750 and extended after 1870, is now used primarily by ferry services to Corsica and by sailing craft. There is also a regular passenger service to Corsica. The most striking part of the New Town is the famous Promenade des Anglais, which originated in 1822 as a path along the shore built by the English colony. It stretches 2.5 miles (4 km) along the waterfront and consists of two wide carriage-ways separated by flower beds and palm trees.

+ The Musée Jules Chéret des Beaux-Arts and the Musée Masséna have collections of early Italian paintings and works by 19th-century and contemporary artists. A memorial to the painter Marc Chagall has been built to house a collection of biblical paintings donated by the artist in 1966. A mile northeast of the city center is the ancient episcopal town of Cimiez, which contains the majestic ruins of a Roman amphitheater. Nearby stands a 17th-century villa housing an archaeological museum and a collection of more than 40 paintings and drawings by the French artist Henri Matisse.

+ Over time, The Côte d'Azur has ensnared many a visitor with the beauty of its light (not least Henri Matisse, who came here to convalesce from bronchitis.) When the sun finally emerged after a month of wintry drizzle, Matisse was so smitten that he made Nice his home for the next 37 years. Chagall, Picasso, and Renoir also fell in love with this place, and Nice was later home to the influential avant-garde École de Nice. Art museums abound throughout the region, but Nice's three superstars (the Musées Matisse, Chagall, and d’Art Moderne) are reason enough to make an aesthetic pilgrimage to it.