Event Previews & Reviews from Nice

As the sun begins to heat the earth and our skin we can certainly feel that spring is in the air here in Nice.

Summer is well and truly over, but for some autumn is the best time to be here.

As with most weekends in Nice and along the Cote d'Azur, the May day holiday weekend this year begins with festivals and a good smattering of culinary delights. Throw a running-come- wine-tasting event into the mix and the month has truly begun.

Le Tour de France 2016 kicked off last Saturday with stage one and the 'Grand Depart' being hosted by the stunning island community of Le Mont Saint Michel.

The Nice Carnival almost rivals Rio with its extravagant and colourful parades through the city and along the Promenade des Anglais.

We're halfway through the summer and the holiday season is fully underway.

More runners than ever are expected to take part in France’s second-largest marathon. And as entries rapidly fill up, now is the time to enter.

July brings with it all sorts of sporting events. This year we have the EURO 2016 hosted in France at the start of the month, the annual tennis tournamant at Wimbledon and Formula 1 action at Silverstone, Budapest and Hockenheim.

So far we've seen not only some fantastic racing, stunning scenery and nail-biting sprints from the 2016 Tour de France, but we've witnessed several unusual crashes, the yellow jersey literally running up Mont Ventoux and more than one incident of an over-enthusiastic fan causing disruption.

First launched in 1984 by the French Ministry of Culture, the third Sunday in September is the designated day for historical monuments, museums and even private areas across the country to open their doors and allow the public access to places they would not normally be able to experience.

The Stade de Nice saw some fantastic football on Friday night as Spain, the hot favourites in the EURO 2016, took on Turkey and came away with a 3-0 victory.

This seven day stage race that brings the cycling elite to France early in the season, a full five months ahead of the legendary Tour de France, is now in full swing.

After Bradley Wiggins in 2012 and Richie Porte in 2013 and 2015, Geraint Thomas was ideally placed to keep Team Sky in a good position for a fourth win at Paris-Nice in five years.

After the last of the group matches were played last night, including the Sweden v Belgium game here in Nice, we now have a confirmed list of 16 teams to go through to the next round.

Summer is almost over, however there are lots of things to do in this Riviera city.

This beautiful seaside city, nestled in the French Riviera, has a lot to offer the discerning tourist. From film and dance to creativity and sport, you will find that Nice has a jammed packed year ahead in 2017.

Stage 17 of the Tour de France 2016 took the riders from Bern, the capital of Switzerland, to Finaut-Emosson on the Swiss-French border, just around the corner from Chamonix-Mont-Blanc.

As with most months along the Côte d'Azur, June is about festivals and markets.