french riviera

I was devastated to leave Paris & thought the trip could only go downhill after witnessing Paris’ magic. Alas, Aryan & I hopped on the fast speed train (website to use for easy train bookings) from Paris to Antibes, bottle of wine & croissants in tow. I can’t recommend the train enough – the views were out of this world, it was cheap (around 30 euros each), plus it was really relaxing.

My friend, Kelly, was getting married in Juan Les Pins, but my friends & I decided to get a HomeAway in Old Town Antibes. The minute we stepped off the train & into the city, a 50 lb. bag in hand (or in Aryan’s hand if we are being honest here), we knew we were in for a treat. We clumsily made our way down the cobblestone roads passing table after table of cheese plates & wine & carbs in general; we quickly fell in love. To say that the French Riviera is not to be missed would be an understatement. Put this on your bucket list, now! Unless you hate beautiful places, in which case, you do you.

where to stay:

• Old Town Antibe
  • HomeAway in Antibes. Stay here! We are all convinced that our stay was magical because of this place… I am still dreaming of our coffee mornings on the rooftop terrace overlooking the mountains and ocean, swoon! (The owner asked us beforehand if we wanted coffee, and he got Nespresso capsules, as well as a welcome basket of goodies and pastries for when we arrived, which made everything even more delightful… since coffee is everything!)

 

what to see/do:

• Get lost in the city- this is my favorite thing to do, and in Antibes, we ran into so many fun markets and shops
• Check out the amazing yachts at the boat dock
• Day trips to Monaco, Nice, Cannes, & St. Tropez
• Find a beach nook along the coast & have a picnic & lay out
• Watch the sunset in Juan Les Pins- the Belle Rives and Le Provencal Beach are where we spent most sunset nights for the wedding & it was magical

eats:

• Almond/Chocolate croissant from anywhere (as seen above)
• Anything from the local market- we tried Socca, which is a local treat made of chickpea flour, olive oil and water.
• Veggie pastry from a boulangerie (translate: bakery) called Aux Supremes Du Cap

ugly truth:

• Carbs & cheese are really a huge way of life here, & since I am lactose-intolerant, it was hard on my stomach
  • Shushu’s Tip- Just embrace all the fat that you are adding on, and find a man that loves you through the flub (S.O. to Aryan) Jokes aside, if you are concerned about staying healthy, I recommend bringing some healthy snacks like almond butter or your favorite nut bar to have for breakfast every once in a while instead of eating chocolate croissants every day (like I did). Also, for dinner, we got some veggies and proteins from the market & made some fun salads to eat on the rooftop terrace, which helped save some money and calories.
• Monaco & St. Tropez are beautiful, but pricey (and sometimes snotty)
  • Shushu’s Tip- Stay in Antibes (or somewhere else nearby that is more budget friendly) & do day trips to those places. The train to Monaco is right along the water, & super pretty! Plus, it’s only about 10 euros. 

Thanks for the memories, French Riviera. We fell in love! 

xoxo, 

Shushu