Skip to Content

I’ve Got the French Blues!

“There is no blue without yellow and without orange.” — Vincent Van Gogh

French Blue

I’ve Got The French Blues!

I dream in color, vivid dreams of French Blue that swirl around in my head. Imagine an artist’s brush, dipping first in the dark tones of blue and then in the lighter ones and smearing them onto a canvas. I look deeply at the details of the brushstroke and see many shades of blue, from indigo to baby, from powder to steel and ultimately to French Blue.

French Blue, Arles France

South of France Blue

Now imagine the South of France… more shades of “blue” envelope my soul as I stand on the terrace overlooking the ocean taking it all in. I take a deep breath and pinch myself. The views go on and on like a deep blue tunnel that never has an end. It is as if the colors of blue are in every shade that they have ever existed in.

French Blue

The Color Blue

Kenneth Fehrman, co-author of the book, Color: The Secret Influence states that “Most people are unaware of the profound effect color has on their behavior.” For me it is a stimulant, I get drunk on it. It is said that if you want some creative juices spilling out of your mind, then you need to be exposed to the color blue, this time around it was French Blue. Blue is believed to have a soothing effect on the human mind, as it helps to produce some calming chemicals in your brain.

French Blue, Arles France

No Blue Blood Here

And with not a drop of blue blood in me, it is hard to imagine that a small-town, Texas girl could really be standing on the rooftop of the Blu in Nice, gazing out across the royal blue sky. Here I am and I feel as if it is a brand new me. I am not who I was before. My travels have changed me. Listening to my heart, I knew it was time for me to visit the South of France and see all its glorious shades of blue. Little did I know that the blue would come to me in three shades.

French Blue, Arles France

Here’s my take on the French Blues:

Radisson Blu Nice

French Blue, Radisson Blu Nice

Radisson Blu Hotel, Nice is positioned on the French Riviera along the Promenade des Anglais, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Nice lies just steps away from a small, private grey-rock beach and the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. It is most certainly French blue.

Address: Promenade des Anglais, 223  F-06200  Nice  France

Rooms:  331 rooms and suites, some with ocean views

Location:  Near the Nice airport and the Train station

Amenities: Fitness club, sauna, and steam room, free high-speed Internet, rooftop pool

French Blue, Radisson Blu Nice France

Restaurants: There are two, La Terrasse  – The main French Restaurant, LE Pool Bar & Lounge  – A cozy and heated rooftop terrace

French Blue

French Blue

Prices: €125.00 -€259.00 (estimate in Oct 2019)

Radisson Blu Marseille

French Blue, Radisson Blu Marseille

View from my room – Radisson Blu – Marseille

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Marseille offers seaside accommodations overlooking the Vieux Port of the Mediterranean Sea. It has two buildings and boasts a shimmering pool with harbor views, creating the perfect home base for your vacation days in the South of France.  In my humble opinion, it had the best views of the three Radisson Blu hotels I mention here.

Address: 38-40 Quai de Rive Neuve 13007 Marseille France

Rooms: 189 rooms and suites, some with Vieux Port views

Location: Close proximity to Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Avignon and Les Calanques.

Amenities: Free high-speed Internet, chic outdoor pool, which showcases views of Vieux Port, pets allowed

French Blue, Radisson Blu Marseille

Restaurants: There are two, Solaris Restaurant and Scirocco Tapas Bar & Lounge

Prices:  €182.00 – €282.00 (estimate in Oct 2019)

French Blue, Radisson Blu Marseille

Radisson Blu, Champs Elysées

French Blue, Radisson Blu Champs Elysées, Paris France

Radisson Blu Champs Elysées Paris -Once the headquarters of the iconic Louis Vuitton, this boutique hotel features inspiring views of the nearby Arc de Triomphe. It lies only steps from the Champs Elysées, the famous, elegant shopping street of Paris.

Address: 78 bis Avenue Marceau (8º Arr)  75008 Paris France

Rooms:  45 rooms and suites, some with Arch de Triomphe views, some with terraces or balconies

French Blue

View From my room – Radisson Blu Champs Elysées – Paris

Location: Near Arch de Triomphe, short walking distance to subway stops Etoile and George V and the Champs Elysées

Amenities: Free high-speed Internet, twice-daily housekeeping

Restaurants: There is one, La Place and a Lounge Bar with a fireplace

Prices: €263.20 -€799.00 (estimate in Oct 2019)

French Blue, Arles France

French Blue

Disclosure: On my trip to France, I was as happy as a queen to see the French Blue’s of Radisson Rewards, staying at their highest-end properties known as Radisson Blu since I have become an ambassador with them this year.

Note that they have a great points program that I recommend using, as I was an active member of their points program long before I became an ambassador. This was a sponsored stay, but the blues in my eyes continue to gaze at all the French Blue I have experienced and the opinions expressed here are all my own.


For more journeys through France, I have some recommended reading:

15 Photos To Make You Pack Your Bags for Southern France

Journey Through Champagne

Reims, France: Explore the Champagne Houses in Reims 

Tiny Bubbles in the Countryside of France, La Champagne

How to be a Queen for the Night in Paris, France

A Love Letter to Strasbourg, France

Remembering Normandy Beach

 

Jane

Monday 28th of September 2015

I'm so glad you are writing this series on your Rhone cruise and the hotels in France. We will be on the AMAWaterways cruise on the Rhone next September. We made our reservations for the Blu in Marseilles before their devaluation last June so it is good to hear about your stay and to see pictures of it. Did you by any chance go to any of the other Radisson's while in Paris?

Cacinda Maloney

Monday 28th of September 2015

Jane I did not get a chance to visit the other Radisson's in Paris, I just did not have enough time, but will return! I loved the one in Marseille, as I felt of all the ones I visited it had THE BEST VIEW and was in a great location. However, Radisson Blu Champs-Élysées is also a great location, but the one in Trocadero also interested me...

Comments are closed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.