A little backpacking in France...

After a long, over-night train ride out of Rome, with a 3 hour layover in Milan (we got in all the sightseeing necessary in that time), we arrived at our first stop, Nice, France. Nice was beautiful. It was bigger than expected, and full of fancy restaurants with huge portions, cute little outdoor vendors selling jewelry or bright yellow and blue French-country inspired fabrics, fun night spots and pretty beaches. There was an old town, and a more modern part of town - I preferred the older part, which had charming, colorful buildings and narrow, lively roads. The newer part had a lot of open space, fountains and funky modern art. We learned quickly that prices were high, and the French do not speak any other languages than French, which I literally don’t know one word of. Apparently Italian is useless anywhere else but Italy also, which is disappointing, but also not surprising. The people were friendly and the food was delicious - especially the soft, warm, tasty baguettes, which were amazingly the best bread I have ever had. The beaches were covered in rocks, which didn’t make the best bed for laying out on, so we spent most of our time walking and exploring the city and beaches.

After getting acquainted with Nice, the next day, we took a short 15 minute train ride to Monaco. Apparently this little area is a country all in it’s own, understandably so. Monaco reminded me of something out of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”, or “MTV Cribs”. It was a mix between Newport Coast, Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and a way higher-class version of Vegas. It was beautiful, immaculate. I naturally felt like I would run into Paris Hilton, or Beyonce any minute. Enormous yachts filled the harbor and women that screamed plastic surgery, and their rich husbands in loafers and Hermes filled the streets and important restaurants, expensive Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Rolls Royces filled the parking lots. We walked around this city for a while, and even went into the famous casino. I won 16 euro, but then lost 15 of it, so came out on top with 1 euro (which was a third of the price for a coke). I normally wouldn’t be gambling, but I am very lucky, so I had to try my luck in the famous Monaco casino - although, I guess losing most of what I won isn’t very lucky. The heat was intense, so we continued walking through this outdoor restaurant that had little water misters go off every few minutes, to cool down the customers. We just walked through it a few times to get a little spritz. We wouldn’t dare try to buy anything. We also just happen to stumble upon the Tour de France which was starting in Monaco when we arrived. We didn’t watch the actual race, but got to see the set up and all the hype. Monaco had amazing views, expensive shopping and glistening fountains. I definitely want to return when I am rich and famous.

After spending 2 nights in Nice, we went to Cannes which was about a 45 minute train ride away. I adored Cannes! Again, very posh. Every designer shop imaginable lined the streets along with glittery hotels, like the Ritz Hotel advertising the upcoming fur fashion show, mixed in with little local shops selling yummy French soaps, or sweets. Sean and I indulged in a super-rich chocolate cake from one of the bakeries. It was about the size of my palm, but so decadent and sweet, we were in heaven for the 10 seconds it took us to finish. The weather was hot and the sandy beaches were packed with Europeans sunbathing and swimming in the delicious, clear warm waters. We saw more topless women and speedos than we imagined we would, but we appreciated the liberal attitude the French have. The famous Cannes Film Festival building was packed with tourists walking the red carpet. Portraits of the famous stars who frequent Cannes were all over the place, giving it a Hollywood vibe. After spending a day exploring the city and taking photos, we spent another full day just relaxing in the hot sun, swimming and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. I realized during my visit to the French Riviera that I adore France and everything French culture has to offer - the food, the classy people, the sound of the language that is so foreign to my ears but pretty at the same time, the colorful French fabrics and French-country designs, and the clean, sunny atmosphere.

We caught a late-night train 13 hour train ride from Cannes to Biarritz, France. The weather took a drastic turn when we arrived in Biarritz. The clouds rolled in, along with a slight drizzle. Biarritz was filled with surfers from all over the world, and had a very “Del Mar, California” feel to it - super small town with nice shops, restaurants and lots of surfer kids - very relaxed. We took a bus to the beach, Sean had his head hanging out the window the whole time, excited to actually see waves for the first time since we have been in Europe. We checked out the beach and all the surfers in the water, and had an awesome lunch at a creperia, where we had the best crepes and fresh, veggie-packed, tasty salads. We couldn’t read a word of the menu, so just ordered whatever seemed vegetarian, so we didn’t end up with something really strange like fish eyes or something. I was wondering how all the other English-speakers managed, since there was no doubt lots of foreign surfers visiting, and then I saw a group of kids at the same restaurant with their language dictionaries out trying to interpret the menu. Smart...when we end up back in France, we will do the same.