Last weekend, I received the opportunity to go on a fabulous trip to Nice, Monte Carlo & Monaco with my classmates from the Institute for American Universities.
And the story begins...
We left Aix early Saturday morning... after waiting for the buses in the cold. It's been so cold here that the main fountain is covered in ice even with the continual water being pushed through the pipes.
We arrived in Nice about 2ish hours later, where we were welcomed by the sun (still cold though). After a short walking tour of the city to get acquainted with where we could go, two friends and I climbed the stairs to the view the city from above. It was absolutely beautiful with the blues of the water. In the background we even saw the snowy Alps.
We kept exploring for a while, discovering more views and a beautiful waterfall. Eventually we had to come down though... lunch time! But first we stopped by the beach. Rather than sand, the beach is covered in smooth stones, but no one was out swimming... well except for one person that we saw from the overhead view... and a kid in our program who was doing a handstand and fell into the water. Oops! Haha!
Next, it was time for lunch so we found a cute cafe next to their open air market. I had salmon ravioli (yum yum!) and a glass of wine... ahem, I mean grape juice?
Well eventually we had to leave Nice, but it was only the first stop for the day. Next we arrived at Fragonard Perfume Factory where we received a tour and instructions on how perfume is made. Did you know that the people who determine the scents are called "noses" and they have to know thousands of scents by memory to pass their tests? Anyways, it smelled like heaven.
Next, we travelled to our hostel that was right by Monaco where we would be staying for the night. We had aperitifs and dinner before getting ready for our big night out to the casino at Monte Carlo. It was an absolutely beautiful place (obviously very rich). I didn't gamble, but I'm glad I went just for the experience. There was one high roller with a private table who every once in a while would yell "oui!" and then one time got mad and kicked the table! I guess I could be mad if I lost thousands of dollars too though!
We only had a short time at the casino before hopping back on our bus to get back to the hostel for our disco party. Yeah I said it. Disco party! That's what they call the dancing/ music parties here. It was a lot of fun; Let's just say I didn't get much sleep that night...
The next morning came early, and before I knew it we were in Monaco again (Monte Carlo is a neighborhood of Monaco). This time we went to where the palace is situated. Still a very beautiful place. I didn't see a single piece of trash on the ground. We stayed at the palace to see the changing of the guards. Can you see which one is trying to stop from laughing?
From Monaco, we travelled to a villages in the hills. I don't remember the name of the village, but it felt like a perfect home away from home. There were winding narrow streets and art everywhere. I stopped in at a gallery where I saw an original of the "Afghan Girl," a famous photo featured on the cover of National Geographic. Yet, magazines and pictures on the internet can never give it justice. I've never seen such incredible and beautiful detail in a photo quite like this. The shopkeeper was so excited to talk about it with me too (and I pretty much understood everything in his fast French yay!).
Needless to say, everyone was pretty tired by the time we got back to Aix. We parted ways pretty quick, but it sure was a great way to get to know a lot of people on the first weekend. But now everyone (including me) has been sick this week. I guess the stress about moving to a new country and testing the boundaries of our immune systems on a jam-packed, super-fun weekend caught up with us. Oh well, I promise I'll be better soon!
A bientot!
