Day one begins with a last taste of the Mediterranean: warm air, palms, city traffic and glimpses back towards the coast. After leaving Nice, the route crosses the Var and gradually climbs into the hills behind the Côte d’Azur. Around Gattières, Carros and Le Broc, the road becomes quieter, greener and more rolling. Views open back towards the sea before the route passes Vence and Tourrettes-sur-Loup, with their stone houses, narrow streets and soft Provençal light. By the time Grasse comes closer, the journey already feels far from the coast.