Hard to believe something like that once stood out over the sea. The whole structure almost looks unreal… like a glass palace floating on the water. I read that the pier casino in Nice was inspired partly by London’s Crystal Palace and finally completed around 1891 after years of setbacks and even a fire before its opening.

What fascinates me most is imagining the atmosphere back then. Music drifting across the bay, lights reflecting on the water, people strolling along the promenade… a completely different era.

Strange how places that once felt so alive can vanish almost entirely.