Let's get rich and buy our parents homes in the South of France ♫

Nice, France

Eze Village, France

Monaco, Franc

Well this post is long overdue! I traveled to the South of France from April 14th - 18th but I got so busy after I came back that I haven't had the time to report back to those of you who wish to read about it. Blogger has changed it's format though so now I can post photos on here easily! A little late in the game for me but it is nice for my last posts and perhaps it will come into play in my next adventure! So on April 14th I took off on a solo trip to Nice, France. I arrived in Nice around 8:30pm so I went straight to my hostel. My first night consisted of skyping with my mom and going to bed early. Not very adventurous, I know, but I was le tired. I got up bright and early the next day to see if I could sign up for scuba diving but because it was pouring down rain, they weren't taking people out. I thought it would be a good idea to catch some more z's and then head out once the rain had stopped. At around 10:30 in the morning I grabbed a map (which I didn't really end up using) and took off to explore Nice. I love just taking off on foot and wandering around a new city. I find it's the best way to see everything and a great way to stumble upon things you wouldn't normally see. My wandering lead me to the flower market, the Chateau de Nice, to some adorable little shops, and to the Port. My favourite part of that day was the Chateau de Nice. It provides a wonderful view of the city, the Mediterranean, and the mountains. I was so happy to be there and experience such beauty! That night I grabbed some supper and ate it by the water while I listened to the waves crash against the rocks. It was so peaceful. The next day I got up early again to actually go scuba diving. I had to be there at 9am so I walked along the Promenade des Anglais towards the Port. Once I met the instructor for scuba diving I found out that I was the only person who paid to go that morning. There were about 6 other people who came along but they were all co-workers or friends. We took the boat out along the coast and when we stopped the others all started getting ready so I thought I would too but they told me I had time so I sat down and took in the view. They then informed me that I should put my scuba suit on in 30 minutes. I was confused at first as to why I had to wait 30 minutes until I realized that they wanted to go scuba diving without me first. So there I was, sitting on the boat all alone while I got sea sick. After the 30 minutes was up, they all emerged from the water except for one who was going to guide me in the water. Once I was ready I jumped in and was quite surprised by how cold the water was. Once I got used to the cold, I started to really enjoy myself. I got to see lots of different fish, coral, sea urchins, and I got to see a little octopus! Just as I was really getting into it, the instructor signalled to me that we were going up. I was surprised at how little time we were actually in the water for. After everyone was dried off they started barbecuing sausages. They then told me that I was welcome to eat with them, but it would cost me 5 euros. So not only did I have to wait 30 minutes on the boat for them, and then only get 20-30min in the water myself, but I had to pay extra to eat? I must say, I was not exactly impressed. I felt like I was intruding on their little scuba party and that I wasn't a paying customer. Even though there weren't very hospitable, it was still a really awesome experience. Once back on dry land I thought I would go back to the hostel for a quick rest because I was surprisingly quite tired but on the way back I stumbled into the area that usually had the flower market but instead of flowers, it had turned into an antique market! The items ranged from dishes, to jewellery, to stuffed ducks. Some antiques were hundreds of years old and could cost up to 700 euros. I was shocked at the prices but of course there were some more affordable things as well. I ended up buying a silver ring and two little "Babar" ornaments. That night I met two girls from the United States. We ended up getting supper together and then we spent the evening looking for the Russian Orthodox Cathedral and walking along the Promenade. The next day one of the girls (the other left for Paris) and I caught a bus so we could go see Eze Village and Monaco. Eze Village was a tiny little village with shops, homes, and a church situated on a hill. The climb up wasn't too bad because there were a couple of stores to visit at each level. It was an extremely cute village that made for great photos. Next stop was Monaco. Funny how a 20 minute bus ride can take you to another country! The bus dropped us off close to the casinos so our first stop consisted of a little gambling. After that we visited the Japanese Garden which was absolutely beautiful. Next we made out way along the water to the port there where there were hundreds of expensive yachts. One even had it's own helicopter on top. Oh rich people! We then made our up up to the palace and Old Monaco. The view from up there was breathtaking. I couldn't believe that I was actually there. After more exploring and sight seeing we caught a bus home. The next day I was on an early flight back to Paris and by the time I got a train, I was back in Lille around 1:30pm. The South of France was one of my favourite trips that I took. I definitely want to go back someday so I can explore it ever more!