Dreaming of the South of France
I visited the South of France with a group of my friends for my 21st birthday weekend, and it was so special. I am not a huge party girl, so I didn’t want to go on some crazy trip, but rather chose to spend the weekend by the ocean in the sun. It was perfect.
We stayed in the Old Nice neighborhood of Nice, in an AirBnB right on the Promenade des Anglais with an ocean view. We were right on the beach, but also a short walk from many restaurants and shops. This location was perfect for us.
One day, we got pastries and coffee at an outdoor café just steps from where we were staying. Then, we wandered around a farmer’s market and picked up supplies for a picnic as well as fresh flowers and different lavender products like soap and dried lavender pouches, since lavender is grown in nearby Provence. Make sure you have cash, and warning: many of the vendors at the market do not speak English.
Then we brought our snacks to the beach to set up a picnic. We had wine, sparkling water, fresh strawberries, a baguette, olives, dried fruit, and the most delicious truffle brie (still thinking about that cheese a year later…).
We ate, drank, laid in the sun, and swam in the bright blue ocean. But, be careful because the beach is rocky and definitely not the most comfortable place to sit.
Then, we walked all around the city exploring, with no particular agenda or destination. Nice is such a beautiful city!
Then, we had my birthday dinner at La Petite Maison, which is one of the most famous restaurants in the South of France. The food is delicious, and the atmosphere is amazing. There was a live band playing lively music to an even livelier group of diners. The later in the night you go, the more exciting it gets.
We then went to a bar in the area because it was my 21st birthday after all!
The next day, which was the day we had to return home, we decided to take a day trip to Cannes. I loved it! We ate lunch directly on the beach at one of the many beach clubs, toes in the sand, and drank rosé. Then, we wandered around the designer stores and relaxed on the beach, which is actually made of sand instead of the rocks in Nice. Overall, it was such a perfect weekend. I’m still dreaming of the South of France...