Côte d'Azur

In 2017 I made sure my partner and I travelled every single month and tried to experience as much as possible from the world around us. I will be sharing these experiences here, but I wanted to start with a trip we had with my parents and brother to the #FrenchRiviera to celebrate mum and dad's 60th birthdays.

Our base was in #Nice and we stayed only for 4 nights but we managed to explore a lot! First, the most eco friendly and in my opinion easiest way to explore the coast is by train! We toyed with the idea of getting a car but the nightmare of finding a parking space really put us off (plus you can't have #cocktails!). Also, I personally thought what better way to really experience this place and meet the local people and fellow tourists but by riding the eco-friendly public transport?

No wonder Nice is considered the center of the French Riviera and has been a place of interest to a lot of impressionist and post-impressionist artists and British aristocrats. With its magnificent Belle Epoque #architecture and inviting climate the city is a perfect getaway. Discovering the old town and the amazing cafes and restaurants and the fabulous #markets was a highlight for us. Make sure you try "socca" which is a local chickpea savoury pancake typical for this region. It's absolutely delicious and as I later learned it's accidentally vegan! Here are some images from my explorations of Nice and below is a special selection of my favourite spots.

Favourite Restaurant - Les Garcons

Favourite Socca place - Lou Pilha Leva

Favourite Cocktails - Le Blue Whales Pub

Favourite tourist spot - Promenade du Paillon

One of the other gems we visited on the French Riviera was #Èze...All of us loved this little coastal village so much that we went back there twice - it's really something! No wonder Friedrich #Nietzsche was drawn to this place and stayed in one of the oldest houses available and found inspiration for his third part of "Thus spake Zarathoustra". The #beach, though pebbly, is absolutely stunning and the preserved #historic village itself is just dreamy.

The beach is relaxed with not too many tourists, turquoise waters and plenty of sun. There is a small #chic cafe that serves food and cold drinks and a water sports shop where you can rent paddle boards and other equipment if you're into that. The trip to the historic village was gorgeous with unbelievably stunning views of the coastline and the mountains (we got a public bus which was very convenient).

Keep in mind that there is a lot of walking uphill and plenty of stairs to climb to the top of the historic town where restaurants and quirky little shops await and of course astounding panorama views. We rewarded ourselves with some homemade pasta , cold beers and crispy fresh wine at one of the restaurants (La Taverne d'antan) and my mouth is still watering just by the thought of it. Do not miss this experience if you are on the French Riviera, it's really a memory that will stay with you forever.

Next on the list was Monte Carlo in #Monaco (my mum's dream spot) - again a very easy train journey from Nice. The word that sums up #MonteCarlo for me is opulence....and heat! After getting lost for a little bit we ended up at the harbour and this pool was just in front of us in the middle of it all, surrounded by yachts and the town overspilling from the hills. This is my most favourite photo of the trip (see below) - a bit of a controversial choice but it slightly reminded me of a scene out of a Massimo Vitali photograph.

Of course a mandatory stop was the Monte Carlo #Casino but before we explored it we took a well deserved coffee break at the Brasserie du Cafe de Paris - a great view of the Monte Carlo Casino's remarkable building before us and perfect spot for people watching and expensive #cars watching.

After the casino we had a long and very pleasant walk along the Casino Gardens and Terraces that overlook the sea. The walk is dotted by beautiful #artworks such as La Ballerina by Marco Lodola, Reina Mariana by Manolo Valdés, Adam and Eve by Fernando Botero, Marcel à Monaco by Céline Chourlet, and my favourite on top of the Monaco Convention Center, the Hexa Grace by Victor Vasarely. Make sure you bring a hat as the sun is very strong and there's hardly any shade but amazing views of the sea and harbour.

The last place we explored on the French Riviera was a surprise find (I love those!). We wanted to discover more beaches along the coastline and I read about Villa Kerylos located in Beaulieu-sur-Mer. Villa Kerylos is a house in Ancient Greek style built in the early 1900s by French archaeologist Theodore Reinach and his wife. Beaulieu-sur-Mer (Beautiful place) is a small coastal village with two beaches and we went to the Petite Afrique beach. I secretly wished we discovered this place earlier or had a couple more days to experience it. Sandy beach (some might say fine pebbles beach) with absolutely amazing #turquoise water and some rocks within the bay to #snorkel around and climb on and sunbathe which we of course did.

The #port between the beach and the train station is full of gorgeous #yachts and my husband kept changing his mind on which one he wants to get in the future ( we are now looking for one!).

That was the end of our adventure. Truly an unforgettable trip that will stay with us forever!

Link to full album here.