Paris and The French Riviera
As I sat on the couch sometime in late September of last year, I was hard core thinking about my birthday that wasn't until April of the following year. Now, I know you're probably thinking, who thinks about their birthday so far ahead of time. I do. This girl does. I was probably having a moment where I was rounding up my age and thinking, damn, your almost 40. You need to go somewhere for your birthday next year and celebrate.
Rudi Fennikiss
The sitter sent me this while I was in France. How handsome is my boy. Get used to seeing his cute face. He'll pop up randomly on other entires over time.
Now, let me just back track for the sake of giving you a glimpse of what my schedule was looking like for the rest of the year. I was prepping to go to Israel and Jordan for the entire month of November, give or take a few days. I had a major surgery scheduled, (the key word = MAJOR) for the first week of December upun returning home from my trip to the Middle East. Yet, there I was, in full on planning mode, purchasing tickets, making accommodations, and semi sort of making an itinerary for France. If you haven't caught on by now, I can get an idea in my head and run with it before I even know what it's blossomed into, but we'll talk more about that in another post.
Fast forward and it's finally April. The time has come. I don't know about you guys, but there is a lot of build up in my house pre travel. It gets pretty hectic, and as much as I am a planner and like to have things organized, its always helter skelter in this house. We have to make sure travel documents are ready, passports are go to go, the mail is on hold, the dogs arrangements for his sitter is taken care of, and the list literally goes on. But, never the less, I LOVE that feeling because it lets me know that it's almost go time. And go time it was! As a disclaimer, I usually travel solo on all of my trips around the world, but this time I was very happy to bring along my best friend Karina. This was her first time traveling this far on her own will (she's in the military).
We leave for the airport and everything goes smoothly and we board our first flight. We layed over in Charlotte N.C. for two hours and then we were off to get on the the last leg of our flight to Paris. We arrive at Charles de Gaulle around 7 a.m. and for some reason, we felt that we could be brave girls and carry on with the day as if we didn't just cross the Atlantic and go through several time zones. After we leave the airport and start heading to the Airbnb my heart gets all warm and fuzzy from the nostalgia of the last time I was in Paris. It is still the same strong effect on me. A charming and romantic city with beautiful people and scenery and architecture that will make you swoon. I flirt with the thought of never returning home back to America. Being in Paris instantly evokes a vibe that I can't quite put into words. I LOVE this city. We immediately checked into our Airbnb, took showers, put on fresh clothes, and we went out the door desperate to take in all that Paris had to offer.
This was not my first time being in Paris so I was already a little familiar with the area. Anytime I am in Paris I always stay in the 3rd arrondissement, also known as Le Marias. Le Marias can be described as a chic little area of Paris that offers tons of boutique shopping, cafes, flower shops, exclusive art galleries, fresh boulangeries, and beautiful organic markets for produce. It is also home to the Musée de Picasso (Picasso Museum) and much more. Just a fabulous area to stay in while you're in Paris on holiday.
Beautiful view of La Marias right at sunset.
Morning rooftops of Paris
Can we just stop for moment and talk about how real jet lag is. I am the type of person that doesn't sleep a wink on long haul flights because the odds are just never in my favor and I am always too uncomforatbale being cramped into the microscopic sized seats the airlines have now a days. I tell ya, its almost impossible to be comfortable, especially when flying economy, but thats neither here or there. Our first couple of days in Paris were semi miserable because we would start out eager in the morning ready to explore and take it all in, but by noon we were basically being thrashed by hard core jet lag and we could not come out of it. No amount of expresso or energy drinks could fix that. We were ready to crash hard before 3 p.m. for about four days straight. I was so cranky and nothing pleased me. You may say, but Kellee, you're in Paris. Yes, that is true, but I am the type of person who can't function or enjoy anything when I'm tired. Karina was equally feeling the effects.
Candid shot of me struggling to try and stay awake for the remainder of the day after a failed attempt of exploring the streets of Paris. It was only 2:30 p.m. I wanted to sleep so badly. Jetlag!
Before we jump into all of the lovely sites that we explored around Paris, I want talk about how we navigated the city. We opted to buy the Paris Pass to get us into a lot of the sites with out having to wait in line. We also took full advantage of the one day hop on-hop off bus tour that come with the purchase of the Paris Pass. Depending on what company you buy the Paris Pass through, they offer a free hop on hop off bus tour that allows you to explore the city sites at your leisure for that day and you can get on and off as much as you like. Its a very convenient way to become acquainted with the city when you've just arrived and are dealing with a bit of jet lag. The lines can be pretty long during peak season in Paris so its definitely something to consider. The Paris Pass might not be right for you if you plan on leisurely spacing your visits to the sites out over several days. It is something that has be used consecutively. For example, if you buy the three day pas, you have to use it back to back to back during all three days. You can't just pick three separate calendar days. So its something to think about according to your schedule and how much time you will have. We also used Uber quite a bit while in the city. It works very well. All of the drivers were pleasant and spoke enough English to communicate basic dialogue to get you to and from your destination. Paris is also a very walkable city. One doesn't need to rely heavily on Uber to get around in Paris. Thier public transportation is also very efficient and I highly recommend it. It is how I got around during my last visit to Paris, however, during the time of our stay there was a transportation strike going on countrywide that effected all modes of transportation severly.
On to the sites
Notre Dame: A beautiful Gothic cathedral with amazing architecture built int he Middle Ages. Its beautiful to capture a photo of this masterpiece while on a cruise going down the Seine River.
The architecture is amazing on this cathedral.
The Louvre: The Louvre is an iconic museum that is home to many amazing pieces of art from almost every era of time in history. The Louvre is home to the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Liberty Landing the People, and my all time favorite; The Oath of Horatii. The Louvre doesn't disappoint. It's an art lovers dream. Not to be missed. You can spend hours in there drooling over the millions of masterpieces on display and you still wouldn't see everything.
Arc de Triomphe: The Arc de Triomphe is a monument that sits right off the Champs-Élysées. It is home to France's Tomb of The Unknown Soldier. You will find many tourist standing in the streets of the Champs- Élysées taking pictures of this beautiful monument. You can go to the top for an areal view of Paris for a fee of 12 euro per adult. The entry for children is free.
Palais Garnier, (The Opera House): Ya know the saying that some things can't be described, they have to be experienced; this is one of those things. The Palais Garnier seats a little over 1900 people and they have shows such as ballets and operas all year long. During our tour it was interesting to learn that they sell out of seats almost every day. There is no such thing as an off season at the Palais Garnier. Another must see, not to be missed! The pictures do this place no justice. Very sad that we weren't able to make a show while visiting the city. It has always been a dream of mine to go to an opera.
The Palace of Versailles: The palace is literally dripping and oozing gold in every corner, crack, and crevice. The King spared no expense on his digs. Very beautiful inside and out, but what is most breath taking are the gardens. You could spend hours just visiting the elaborate gardens in Versailles. I must admit that I was a bit underwhelmed with the palace part. I think it had something to do with the massive crowds. I could barley move an inch without someone stepping on the backs of my heels or brushing against me on both sides. Thats not a good time for me at all. I have massive anxiety in settings with large crowds. I try to keep the anxiety at bay and I am usually very mindful, especially when I am visiting tourist destinations that can potentially be packed, but the crowd on this particular day had me ready to crawl out of my skin. The gardens were the perfect escape and remedy to the super crowded palace. Although I couldn't handle the crowd, I enjoy the parts that I did see.
Outside entrance to get into Versailles
Kings Chambers
The Hall of Mirrors
I desperately tried to get a better shot here but it was impossible.
Queens Chambers
I really want to say these were Marie Antoinettes chambers for when she stayed in the palace, but she also has her own estate on Versailles, so I don't want to misspeak here.
Just the beginning of the gardens. The gardens stretch out for miles and miles.
Amongst the gardens
The gates to the palace. We were leaving for the day and decided to get a quick photo with no other people around.
The Eiffel Tower: No matter how many times I come to Paris, seeing the Eiffel Tower never gets old to me. It's beautiful during the day and she sparkles and comes to life during the night. The lights cut on at 9 p.m. and sparkle every hour after that on the hour. It really is amazing, and its another must see, when in Paris. I suggest going to Trocadero to get a good view of her during the day and take a river cruise at sunset to see her sparkle and light up at night. And don't worry about being out late, Parisians are quite the night owls and the city lives during the night. There will be plenty of people out strolling around and is security is tight all over Paris. I felt completely safe during the entire time of my stay. The key is situational awareness at all times.
Trocadero viewing point of the Eiffel Tower
Isn't she lovely
Right a dusk. It had just turned 9 p.m. and our river cruise has just pulled back in the dock. Perfect timing.
Sparkle time
You'd have to be there to see just how beautiful and magical it really is.
Montmartre, and the Sacré-Coeur: Montmartre is in the 18th arrondissement in Paris. It is home to the Sacré-Coer Basilica that can be noticed towering high on the hill. You can enjoy this hip little arrondissement walking through out the hills and exploring different shops and cafés. We didn't get to explore all of Montmartre like we wanted because jet lag was still rearing its ugly head. While visiting the Basilica we were lucky enough to be able to sit in on mass and hear the nuns singing their prayers. It made me nostalgic of my old catholic school days. We didn't take many pictures inside of the basilica for the sake of being respectful to the people who their worshiping. Upon exiting the church you have an amazing view of the city form atop of the hill that the church sits on.
Sacré-Coure
Descending from the hill that the Basilica sits on in Montmartre.
Champs Elysées: The Champs Elysées is a long street full of shopping. However, don't be surprised when you find almost all of the same stores that you have access to at home here on this row. There are a few high end shops such as Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Co, and the highly favored macron shop, Ladurée, but for the most part it's filled with stores that we have here in the U.S. I mentioned Ladurée because I believe that deserves special recognition. Laduré is a shop that specializes in macrons and they are AMAZING. I ate so many macrons during my time in France that I could be a connoisseur. If theres one thing that France does right, it's their pastries and desserts. I have never in my life had desserts as good as I had in France.
The strawberry candy flavor is unlike anything I have ever tasted. Quite delectable!
Champs Elysées shopping.
The possibilities are endless with yummy treats inside of Ladurée.
One of the many parks right off the Champs Elysées. Perfect spot for an afternoon picnic.
And now, the moment that I suspect you've all been waiting for, The French Riviera, also known as the Côte d'Azur. We split our two weeks in half in France by staying in Paris for the first half and we picked Nice as base for the second half to explore the French Riviera. I will start out by saying that I have only seen and heard how amazingly beautiful the South of France was before I decided to go there. It is jaw dropping beautiful and such a stark contrast to Paris.
We traveled to the South of France by an SNCF train. We booked our tickets for the train way ahead in advance as they tend to fill up fast. We were worried about getting there because of the transportation strike, but we got lucky on that day. We managed to book the only train leaving from Paris going to Nice that day. The train was slammed pack. Thank heavens for the intuition to book ahead.
The train ride was around five hours and some change. It was such a beautiful ride watching the city fade into pristine green fields of proviencial country side that ended in coastal views of various deep turquoise shades of clear blue/green sea. I knew from the views outside of my window on the train that I was loosing control and entering into a trance with my eyes fixed on all the surrounding beauty. I had fallen deeply in love with the South of France and I wanted to do nothing more than debark the train and go explore. As we come to our stop I get excited, the kind of excitement that I get when I look at my dog for the first time when I awake him in the morning and smell his neck and ears and smother him with smooches (racing heartbeat and a tingly heart). I couldn't believe that I was actually there in the French Riviera.
The neighborhood right outside of our Airbnb.
Before I go any further, I would just like to warn you guys that our stay in French Riviera was cut short due to the transpiration strike. We ended up leaving a few days early due to the lack of trains running. If we didn't leave early we would have been stuck in the South of France past the date of our return flight going back to the U.S. I am going to need for the Department of Transportation in France to get their act all the way together. Cutting into my holiday time (insert angry face). We originally planed to visit Cannes, Eze, Antibes, and Monaco while there, but was only able to visit Nice. Cannes, Eze, Monaco, and Antibes are all a short bus ride away from Niece, so it would have been ideal to do day trips. But not to worry, we will absolutely be returning soon.
I also ended up coming down with a really bad sinus and upper respiratory infection during my stay in Nice. I woke up on our second day in Nice ready to go out and explore only for my body to protest with aches and pain and fever. The cool thing about France is their phenomenal health care system. I did some research and learned that doctors will come out to your home and see you. Theres no reason to go in unless its really serious. I got a recommendation for a doctor from my property manager and with in an hour of making the call to the doctors office the doctor showed up and examined and treated me all for under 100 euros. That is AMAZING guys! France could teach the U.S. a thing or two about health care.
After spending a full 24 hours of recovering, resting, and taking care of myself, it was time to set out and explore the beautiful South of France.
Our first view of the surrounding area of the city of Nice.
An aerial view of the city with the beautiful snow caped Swiss Alps in the back.
Our days were spent strolling along the Promenade de Anglais taking in the beautiful sights right off the shore. We could walk for hours just admiring the beautiful blue sea and taking in the tantalizing smells of delicious food wafting through the air. We set into a carefree rhythm of existence while in the French Riviera. The vibe was so laid back and relaxing. A very good place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city in Paris. I found myself so focused on the present moment, just taking it all in as if I would die right on the spot if I let my mind wander to any other place at that given time. I wanted to really sit with the joy that my soul was feeling during that time. After going through a grueling first quarter of the year I was finally able to breath in and exhale with a real release. This was just what the doctor ordered.
Promenade de Anglais
The beaches are filled with people at all hours of the day. I there is one thing that I have learned while traveling in France, it is that they really appreciate and savor their time. Whether they are casually sitting at a cafe for hours on end drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes or just sitting at the beach catching a sea breeze, they enjoy their time. They do not rush to get to the other responsibilities that beckon them through the day. This is a culture that I could get used to.
The best pizza and caesar salad that I have ever had the privilege to taste!
We ate and drank and ate and drank some more. We would gorge ourself on desert pastries and macron as if our lips would never taste anything as good as what we were eating at that given moment for as long as we lived. I would describe it as an intense gastronomical experience of bliss. After filling our bellies to limit we'd walk even more and explore.
The highlight of my time during our stay was when we walked up Castle Hill for the most breath taking views of the coast. There are several look out points once you climb up. There is even a waterfall if you reach all the way to the very top. beautiful if you can catch it while its running full.
The stairs leading to the climb up Castle Hill
The climb up was moderate but so beautiful and scenic along the path with several rest spots if you need to catch your breath and take break.
Finally we reach the top. This view is worth every step.
After soaking up the views and getting our second wind about us, we take off to explore more of Castle Hill. As we continue on and follow more of the path, we discover an entire park up there with ancient cobblestones filled with art from days of old. Its quite lively but it has a peaceful and relaxing vibe to it still. There are more look out points to the port side of the coast. There's even an ice ream shop that sells cones and frozen fruit pops. It was magical on top of that hill. I didn't want to go back. I found myself hinting at Karina to stay just a bit longer.
Steps that lead to the park and the port view.
Ancient art along the park path on Castle Hill.
Yacht heaven. Another beautiful view.
Our time was nothing short of amazing while we were in France. We took full advantage of every day and still wish that we had more time in the beautiful French Rivera. It will be long on our minds for quite some time. I can easily see myslef investing in some property somewhere along the coast in the the South of France. As our time quickly came for us to leave and head back to Paris to fly back to the United States, we were grateful and humbled to be able to say that we got relax and hang out in the South of France. These memories will last a lifetime.
I will always be in love with the Côte d'Azur. Until next time. Au revoir....Abientôt
