For our anniversary, we took a week off to travel to the south of France. It was a great time of year to visit as the weather was still warm enough for swimming, but the crowds were less than during the peak summer season. We found a cozy VRBO in Nice to make as our home base for the week. It was in the old town (Vieux Nice) which was a neat place to stay with its very narrow streets, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, mom-and-pop bakeries, and endless boutiques. Of course, we started our time in Nice with a food tour. We learned about the unique blend of French and Italian food in this region that takes advantage of the wonderful local produce. We learned how to pick out the best stands at the local market. And we learned that wine was only slightly more expensive that water. It was a fun experience with the highlight of the tour being the Nicoise specialty: socca. This regional meal is a fried pancake made from chickpea flour. Think corn bread flavor with a more brittle texture. It is really quite tasty and filling! We spent the rest of our first few days recovering from our food coma by taking in the stunning sights and relaxing on the beach. The beaches in Nice are made up of smooth, golf ball to tennis ball sized stones. It takes a bit of practice to find the best way to lay comfortably, but it is worth it for the beautiful view.
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| Vieux NIce |
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| Tomatoes at the market |
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| At the beach! |
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| Pebble beaches |
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| The Nice port |
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| Nice from above |
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| France isn't complete without a crepe or two! |
On our third day, we took the bus over to Monaco so we could mark another European micro-country of our list (only 3 more to go!). The bus ride alone was worth the trip. The route winds along the coast from town to town providing gorgeous views of the bays and coves along the way. Once in Monaco, we toured around just admiring the luxury cars on every street and enormous yachts in the harbor. Molly was nearly run over by a Bentley, and our applications to become yacht staff were denied. We stopped by the world-famous Monte Carlo casino, but it was closed for a private event for the next few hours, and we didn't feel like waiting around to donate our hard earned Euros to the blackjack dealers.
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| Monaco |
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| Monte Carlo Casino |
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| Our new ride... haha |
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| Monaco port |
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| We made them stamp our passports! |
After seeing the beauty during the Monaco bus ride, we decided that we should head back over to one of the smaller towns for a beach trip the next day. Villefranche-sur-Mer is a picturesque village situated on a quiet sea bay. We spent the day at the water there enjoying the much more comfortable pea gravel beach.
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| Villefranche-sur-Mer |
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| Still crowded and beautiful at the end of September |
On our final day, we took the train over to Cannes and Antibes to pretend to be rich and famous. In Cannes, we enjoyed the old town and views from the city fort. We also took a moment to pause for our photograph on the red carpet. In Antibes, we got the chance to appreciate the yachts up close as the harbor is very accessible to foot traffic. Before heading to the sandy beaches there, we toured the thriving old town and city walls with stunning sea views that are famous for inspiring several painters. All in all, it was a fun and relaxing vacation. The food, weather, and wine were perfect all week, and it was certainly hard to pack our bags and head home.
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| Cannes |
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| Cannes |
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| Above Cannes |
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| On the red carpet, we forgot the evening gown and tux |
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| Famous Carlton Hotel |
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| Antibes port with fort in the background |
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| Antibes |
