The French Riviera

After spending a few weeks in frigid temperatures I decided to head to warmth - the southeast corner of France in The French Riviera or as they call it Côte d'Azur.

Nice

Nice - is well, nice (how can I not say that?), the sun was shining and my new home was less than a two minute walk to the sea!

Castle Hill is the site where the ancient Greeks first set up a trading post and founded the city of Nice several thousand years ago. The castle had been dismantled by soldiers of the French King Louis XIV in 1706; now only a few foundations and fragments of walls and ruins remain within what is now a lovely park. Castle Hill Park, which sits above Old Town in Nice has playgrounds, snack bars, souvenir shops, ruins, walkways with mosaics embedded in them, and a man-made waterfall which has remains of the former 11th century Cathedral in behind it. A great place to spend an afternoon soaking in the gorgeous views of the sea and mountains over Nice and the surrounding area, I was happy to spend a couple afternoons here to sit and enjoy being in nature.

Walking the Monastery grounds in the Cimiez area, you will find Olive Trees, gardens, a beautiful Monastery and The Archeological Museum; the ruins near the museum, you can see where the arena, amphitheatre, baths and basilica once were.

Square Head - this is the key symbol of the city's contemporary architecture. At first glance the 30m high and 14m wide structure looks like a sculpture of sorts but it actually houses the offices of the Louis Nucéra Municipal Library inside!

Monaco

Hopped the train for a day of exploring Monaco; once there, took a bus tour around the area and wandered the grounds at the Palace of Monaco and a stroll through the Japanese Gardens. It's mind boggling they host the Monte Carlo car race through the narrow streets of Monaco, it is a small area!

St. Paul

The last couple days in France; London-living from Canada Rebecca came to soak up some sun and dip her toes in the Sea. Luckily it was two of the warmest days during this trip! We caught a bus to St. Paul, a medieval village and it truly looks something off a postcard. One of the oldest medieval towns on the French Riviera, it is an artists delight with its many art galleries. There are many boutiques, cafes, fountains and statues; and the winding streets create an interesting maze of a walk! The views are pretty fabulous too.

As evening came and stomachs were growling, downtown Nice we headed and ended up at Benvenuto Restaurant, we were promised it was the best Italian food around. It was indeed and the nice looking French speaking Italian waiter had me thinking a trip to Italy needs to happen sooner than later! The last day in Nice, shopping, exploring and I might of made Rebecca go on the ferris wheel with me.