Coasty McCoasts a Lot

Before I forget or this gets terrible outdated...here's a recap of Nice, Cannes and Monaco.

I'm lazy, this may or may not have originally been an email to my family...

You really figure out how dependent you are on the internet when you're away from it for a day and a half and feel like it's been weeks. If not already evident, I'm back from the coast of southern France! It was a school sponsored trip which began by catching an early morning bus to Nice. Thankfully these buses were MUCH better than the ones we were in for our trek to Venice, so the ride was a breeze. As we neared Nice we got our first look at the Mediterranean, and it definitely did not disappoint. The water was so incredibly blue...it was unbelievable. Comparable or maybe even better than? the Caribbean.

Regardless, they dropped us off and it was like we had landed in some colorful, sunny utopia. The only way I can describe it is as a perfect fusion of South Beach, FL and old-time Italy. The buildings were so richly colored and the architecture switched off from quaint, bright, and old-worldly to bold art deco creations. Near the city center there was a market selling fresh EVERYTHING. I went on a sample spree running from basil pate to almond pastries, from sun-dried tomatoes to mini mandarin oranges. The colors were all so bright, my biggest problem was deciding whether I wanted to drop everything and become a food sampler or a food photographer.

We finally tore ourselves away from the market and decided to trek up to the highest point of downtown Nice where there were great views of the Med (after I bought some olives, carrots and oranges for a hiking snack of course) There was the option to take an elevator or the equivalent of probably 50 flights of stairs up to the top, due to my ADK training I opted to take the stairs, which ended up being well worth it. Every plateau we hit it seemed like it couldn't get prettier...then it would. The water changed colors and dropped off at certain points, making the view spectacular. We finally reached the top, broke out our food and appreciated the gorgeous day. Hate to mention it to the snowy mid-westerners but it was nearing 70 degrees and sunny. We toured an old cemetery, weaved down the huge hill, and eventually ended up back where we started passing by the market. We were pretty hungry at that point so we went to a nice little outdoor cafe and got some baguette sandwiches. From there we indulged in possibly the best gelato I've ever had, which led to one of the best moments in my entire life. Stepping into the sun on the coast of Nice eating the most rich chocolate ever it just hit me that all of this was really happening, haha simple pleasures I guess.

All a bit exhausted we boarded the bus and headed to a tour of a famous hilltop perfume factory. We walked through the building and after having our noses attacked by over 1,000 scents we got to climb to the top of an exclusive Medieval looking village called Ez. It was absolutely amazing, and we didn't even reach the top. The view of the coast and other hilltop villages is unparalleled. All stone buildings, cobble stone roads, tiny wooden doors and old fashioned lamps...I can't believe people actually live and work there! Dinner at one of the restaurants would put you back a couple hundred euro though...so I meant what I said about it being exclusive.

We got to our hostel and ate a comfortably American dinner of chicken and french fries...even though I'm digging the French cuisine, it was amazing to relapse back to inhaling ketchup covered fries three at a time. After dinner we got a little dressed up and took a bus to neighboring Monaco, where the rich and famous spend their nights hiding out in Monte Carlo casinos and trendy restaurants. In comparison with the old time charm we've encountered day in and out in Southern France, a modern ritzy city gave me a little bit of culture shock. It was beautiful (and impeccably clean) but I think I much prefer the smaller, more down to earth cities we've visited. After that we went to a discoteque where the highlight/low point involved me completely splitting my pants while dancing. Haha, it ended up being fine though, and I've got a friend who sews here so crisis averted.

Woke up early the next morning and drove to Cannes, home of the annual film festival. We did all the usual things, put our hands up to celebrity handprints, ate by the water, cruised the beach and had an amazing time. It was a Sunday so things were pretty low key, but it was another beautiful Southern French city I'd highly recommend visiting if you get the chance! The film festival isn't for another few months, but if I'm still here I'm thinking about stopping by. We'll see how it goes, weekends are filling up fast and I'm terrified of running out of time already!