Venturing Across the Border

Our last excursion was a special surprise trip across the border and into Italy! Sanremo was a beautiful little town with an amazing beach. We got to spend the day at a beach club which was a real treat because it meant we got to have beach chairs and umbrellas which was so nice! My friend and I went into town for lunch to get a true Italian meal at a pizzeria and then wandered through the streets in Sanremo which was fun. It was really interesting going to a totally different country and even though I didn't speak more than two words of Italian, I was able to get around and order at a restaurant. Then in the evening we had a nice dinner on the patio at the beach club of pesto pasta and tiramisu before heading back to Nice. It was a lovely day in Italy!

Parasailing!

My favorite part about this program has been all of the great activities Abbey Road has planned for us like zip lining in the Alpes and most recently parasailing! I had never gone parasailing before - it was truly a once in a lifetime experience to go parasailing above the Mediterranean! I was worried it was going to be scary at first being high up above the water but it was actually so much fun and not scary at all! We started off on a beach and then as the boat sped up and our parachute filled with air we started running until we were lifted off the ground and then we were able to see all of Nice! The view was so amazing! In the air we even got a glimpse of an entire school of fish which was really neat to see. Parasailing was probably my favorite activity that we have done here on the Riviera!

St. Paul de Vence

Last Sunday we went to a wonderful artist colony called St. Paul de Vence. When we arrived at the nearby town, the sky decided to open up on us, leaving us sitting in the bus wondering if waiting out the rain would be worth it. Once the rain finally stopped and we stepped into the village I realized that it was totally worth waiting out the rain - it was an amazing village! It reminded me of Eze which we visited earlier in the trip except there were less cafes and clothing shops than Eze; the main specialty was art. I loved looking in the little galleries and I ended up finding two watercolor prints which was exactly what I had been searching for! One has sailboats and the other is the of a port and both are quite charming! My friends and I also had a great time sitting in a creperie that had excellent tea as well as crepes. The rain ended up posing no threat to an awesome day in St. Paul!

A Culinary Day in St. Tropez

Yesterday we took a day trip to St. Tropez and it was definitely the best day for food so far! My friend and I found ourselves searching the streets of St. Tropez for a place to eat but most of the places were very expensive(as is most everything in St. Tropez I later realized) but we finally found a delicious cafe that didn't break the bank. I had an omelette with fries and it was so good. Then we went to the famous Barbarac ice cream store and got cookie flavored ice cream - I have never had such delicious ice cream before and I am not sure I will ever find such delicious ice cream again. Later we all went to the beach and had a pizza picnic which was also delicious. St. Tropez was an interesting town but the food was definitely my favorite part!

Snorkeling!

The other day we were able to go snorkeling in Villefranche which was an incredible experience! We went out a little bit from the shore on a boat and then we got to see some of the Mediterranean wildlife up close. Most of what we saw was the rocky reef but there were also a ton of fish we got to see. A lot of the fish were small and travelled in schools but a few times I caught a glimpse of a bigger rainbow colored fish that was really pretty. We even spotted an octopus hiding in the rocks and I came awfully close to a jelly fish at one point. The coolest part, however, was when our guide picked up a sea urchin and let us all hold it! Going snorkeling in the Mediterranean was such an amazing experience!

Monaco and Eze

Today was maybe my favorite day trip so far during my time in France! This morning went to Monaco where we visited the famous palace. While only a small portion of the palace is open to the public for touring, it was an amazing sight! Each room in the palace has its own character and color scheme but not a single room it seemed left out gold accents. Gold was everywhere! After seeing the palace we got a view of Mediterranean sea life in the Monaco aquarium which was really interesting! Many of the creatures I had never heard of, let alone seen! The shark tank was cool to see but I think the tank filled with hundreds of tiny clown fish was my favorite. Next we drove down to the famous perfume factory in Eze. Until today I was not familiar at all with the process of perfume making, but after seeing the factory and attending the tour I now understand what a difficult and multi-step process it is. At the end of the tour we were able to smell all the different scents available and we got a chance to look around at their boutique. While at first I was unsure if I wanted to make the hike all the way up into Eze but now I am so glad that I did as it was well worth the journey! There is a beautiful garden at the top of the hill that allows you to see a great deal of the Riviera and all of the small bays that comprise the area. Nestled in the side of the hill in Eze are small cafes and shops and we had a great time enjoying a cool breeze and some ice cream at one of the cafes. Today's excursion was an all-around great experience!

 Here is the view of the French Riviera from the very top of Eze

This is the interesting Mediterranean garden found at the top of Eze

Bastille Day

Today was Bastille Day, the celebration of the beginning of the French Revolution, and it is comparable to the 4th of July in America. We were given the day to enjoy as we wished - naturally my friends and I spent a lovely morning at the beach. Next we went to our favorite cafe and then got frozen yogurt and walked around the city. In the evening the staff had prepared for us the most exciting scavenger hunt I have ever participated on! It required us to go to places all over the city to get our clues and we went everywhere from the outside of one of the many cathedrals in Vieux Nice to a quaint chocolate and sweet shop where we got to purchase a snack during the hunt. As we were roaming through the old town I discovered several new streets(as I always do when walking around there) that I will definitely be visiting again! My favorite part of Bastille Day, however, were the spectacular fireworks set off at the beach that all of Nice it seemed gathered to watch. In fact, the fireworks here might have even beat out any firework show I have ever seen on the 4th of July back in the US!

 Nice at night is an amazing sight to see!

The picture doe

Le Musée Marc Chagall

The other day our French class was held at the Marc Chagall museum in Nice. We viewed his collection, "Exile", and then discussed in French his style of painting, the colors in his works, and the sentiments his art evokes. His vivid colors and wavy strokes were captivating and it was difficult to choose a favorite work to present to the class. His works in the collection mostly depicted biblical scenes and it was very interesting to see how an artist interpreted and depicted the stories.

This was my favorite painting in the exhibit, Adam et Eve Chassés du Paradis, and I love the animals in the background and the bright flowers. I found the contrast between the dark and light colors and between sin and hopefulness to be very interesting! 

I loved the bright splotchy flowers he used!

Cannes and Antibes

This past weekend we spent a day in Cannes and a day in Antibes. Both cities had different attractions to offer as well as les plages(the beaches) and shopping as well. In Cannes we first stopped outside Le Palais des Festivals which is where the famous Cannes film festival takes place every year and we took pictures on the famous red carpet. Next we had free time to get lunch and peruse some of the Riviera's most famous shopping. The beach in Cannes was nice to lay out on and soak up some sun, and unlike the beaches in Nice, it was sand rather than rock. After a lovely picnic on the beach we hopped on the train back Nice to rest up for Sunday's excursion to Antibes.

Antibes is home to the world famous Picasso museum as well as the famous Marche Provencal. We were able to spend time at both looking at the works of Picasso and getting to eat fresh macaroons from a local vendor at the market. The Picasso Museum has the most picturesque terrace of any museum I have ever visited:

The Marche Provencal was my favorite part of the trip and here are some photo highlights:

Getting around in Nice!

One thing that has been very different here from America is the way that people get from one place to another. Back in the US I always drive everywhere but here it is possible, in fact normal it seems, for one to never really need a car. Everywhere we have gone we either walk or take a train. Taking the train here is a really interesting experience because it goes right along the beautiful coast and I can easily entertain myself by looking out the window and admiring the water. I also have really enjoyed walking around. Every time we walk to the train station or Place Geribaldi I discover a new gelato place, or creperie, or cafe, and walking around and exploring has definitely helped me figure out the lay of the land! There are also tons and tons of mopeds here! Mopeds and small cars are pretty much the only vehicles found on the streets which is very different from the streets in America but fortunately in the Vieille Ville in Nice doesn't have too many cars so its easy to walk around through les ruelles to see the small shops and find souvenirs. Overall the slower pace in France is very nice and relaxing!

Settling in on the Riviera

My first experiences in Nice have been nothing short of wonderful! This is the end of our second day here and I am beginning to feel well acquainted with our area and familiar with several local establishments like cafes and outdoor markets. Yesterday when we got here we settled into our rooms which are great and rested up for the week ahead of us! We had a great dinner at a Nicoise restaurant and the food was delicious. While it was a French restaurant, it definitely had an Italian influence as they served pizza, pastas, and bruschetta. I have really enjoyed the several local French restaurants I have eaten at in the past few days - all of them were delicious from the Nicoise restaurant to the sandwich I purchased on the street corner.

So far I have most enjoyed wandering through the streets in Nice looking around at the stores and outdoor markets. We passed one flower market that had beautiful fresh peonies

I look forward to going back to the same market to look at spices, scarves, and enjoy some crepes! I also am really looking forward to the upcoming excursions! Tomorrow we are traveling to St. Jean Cap Ferrat where we will get to enjoy the beach and a French cooking workshop, both of which sound like great fun!