My friends and I often packed our own small lunches and ate them on the beach or somewhere outside, especially if the weather was nice.
The second half of the day works a little differently here, too, and many people don't go right home after they get done with work or school. People typically go out for coffee, snacks, shopping, or just for walks along the Promenade des Anglais. It doesn't matter what day of the week it is: once 4-5pm hits, all the restaurants and shops get packed with people meeting up. Many restaurants offer outdoor seating as well, so customers can enjoy the sunshine. My friends in the program and I often did our shopping and bought our groceries after class. If the weather was nice, we would just walk along the beach on our way home.
On the weekends, many people often go to the weekend flea markets or the fresh produce markets they set up in the pedestrian-only areas of the city. Since the local trains connect to places like Italy and Monaco, many people also took day trips to neighboring cities and countries. My friends and I found ourselves doing much of the same things. You get used to the flow of life pretty easily, here in Nice, France!
