It was seemingly impossible to fathom the end of our trip, just as it seems impossible this is my last post about it! (That may be a lie. I don’t know.) After our time in Paris (here and here) we flew to Nice, France for a slower pace, beaches, and relaxation. We definitely planned that on point, because Nice after Paris was the perfect combination, like peanut butter + Nutella. Fortunately we had the travel planning assistance of a college friend of mine whose husband hails from Nice. (Pretty dreamy, yeah?) We followed much of their advice and had the best time thanks to their tips.

We started out in Nice and stayed in the Old Town area right across the street from the ocean. The most amazing market was just outside of our apartment. We just couldn’t get enough of the plentiful fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, and restaurants that lined the pedestrian-only streets. There were ice cream shops, meat shops, cheese shops, crêperies, spice stores…everything! We found the sweetest French books for Waverley, spices and to-die-for balsamic vinaigrette for all of our family, and the creamiest brie of my life. It was painfully hot while we were there and our Airbnb turned out to be a bust (despite its killer location). Has that ever happened to you? It was such a bummer: the AC went out and it was infested with ants. So we made the necessary yet expensive decision to ditch that and head to a hotel with a pool STAT. It was the best decision, despite the unfortunate circumstances! For restaurants, if you find your way there you must go to Café Marché for breakfast or brunch. The cappuccinos were fabulous as was the sweet bread, which included a magical center of green tea sugar and lime sugar sprinkled on top. (I had to ask the waitress. I was dying for this bread!) We also loved Restaurant Chez Mireille for delicious paella and mussels.

Okay. Èze. Èze Village! It was the highlight of Nate’s trip and definitely in the top three moments of mine! Èze is just the cutest and most defying village ever. It is a medieval village sitting atop a mountain, all in stone with no cars allowed. It is filled with restaurants, shops, and art galleries all along stone sidewalks and alleys. We loved walking around the narrow walkways and peeking into the shops (again shopping for Waverley: a French harmonica, naturally!). We spent the afternoon at Château de La Chèvre d’Or enjoying snacks and beverages with the most amazing view of the Mediterranean Sea. The breeze was perfect and it provided one of the first opportunities of our trip to truly sit back and relax! We could never have afforded to stay there but felt super luxurious ordering a few beverages and enjoying the scene.

We also spent a day in Monaco! I never imagined I’d actually find myself in the Principality of Monaco but it is definitely worth the jaunt over when in Southern France. It is truly a beautiful country, with zero litter, immaculately maintained landscape, and gorgeous architecture. We happened to visit on the hottest day of the summer which may have contributed to a slight case of heat exhaustion. Nate didn’t believe me but I think was very near needing a hospital! Or a glass of rosé? We had lunch at Café de Paris, which sits adjacent to the infamous Casino de Monte-Carlo. As promised by my friend, it was a fabulously indulgent spot to sit back, eat, and watch the ridiculously expensive cars drive up to the casino. The frequently mentioned quote, “Comparison is the thief of joy” by Theodore Roosevelt definitely applies to spending time in Monaco. For a while, Nate and I were eaten up by the grand yachts, expensive drinks, and lavish lifestyle that people live. It practically ruined our day to see how much some people have. Fortunately we were able to snap out of it, yet probably too late. Lesson learned. #begratefulforwhatyouhave

Merci!