French Riviera
Day 1
- Afternoon at the Beach
- When we arrived in Nice it was mid-afternoon and we wanted to immediately hit the beach. As is was just a short walk from our Airbnb to the water, we dropped our bags off, put our bathing suits on, and headed straight out. As we approached the beach walk, we noticed there was a large amount of people out and about. The streets were packed and it seemed that everyone around us was in great shape… it was an Ironman race.
- Dinner at Le Marlin
- For dinner, we walked to Nice Harbor and ate at a quaint seafood restaurant called Le Marlin. I had a wonderful, fresh seafood salad for an appetizer and grilled sea bass for my entrée. The service was a bit slow but then again, we are in France!
Day 2
- Hike around Nice
- In the morning we got up early and walked along the water, making our way up to Castle Hill to take in some breathtaking views. On our way home, we took the scenic route, wondering through Old Town and the Monday morning antique market.
- Monte Carlo, Monaco
- Around mid-morning we left Nice and took the train to Monte Carlo. Because Monte Carlo doesn’t have many public beaches, I had arranged ahead of time for Claire and I to have a spot by the pool at Nikki Beach. Nikki Beach is situated on the rooftop of the Fairmont Hotel. The views of the Mediterranean were amazing and the food was top notch. For lunch, we shared some fresh sushi and enjoyed a bottle of rose. It was definitely a relaxing pool day. Nothing better than sipping some coronas and watching a World Cup game poolside!
Day 3
Day trip to Èze, France
On a last minute whim, I decided to take a day trip to the small coastal town of Èze. My friend from college, Christy, had told me about Èze a while back as she had visited there when she lived abroad. Located over 1400 ft. above sea level, the town of Èze offers magnificent views of the Mediterranean and the surrounding region. When I arrived, I immediately went to take a tour of the Fragonard factory. Fragonard, a French perfume company, produces soap in the factory that it has in Èze. It also has a perfume factory in Grasse, France. After the factory tour, I enjoyed a pizza and coke (fine, traditional French food) and then headed to explore the town. The streets in Èze are cobblestone and they reminded me of the streets in Positano, Italy. After climbing what seemed like 1,000 steps and wandering various alleyways, I ended up at the Jardin Botanique d’ Èze. This botanical garden was a wonderful surprise as it contained an impressive collection of cacti and succulents. While it did seem rather ironic that I was exploring a succulent garden on the top of a mountain overlooking the Mediterranean, the garden offered the best panoramic views and was the highlight of my trip!
Dinner with Michigan friends
On our last night in Nice, we met up with one of Claire’s friends from Michigan that just happened to be in Nice at the same time. We enjoyed the beautiful summer night and watched the World Cup games outside on a restaurant patio in Old Town.
