We stayed in a small hotel in the center of the city of Nice, the fourth largest metropolitan area in France. It was not the greatest of accommodations, but it was certainly sufficient for 4 college students to set up base during our beach weekend. Since the weather was overcast and sporadic the first two days of the trip, we spent a lot of time indoors to enjoy the break from school work. We are starting work on our big final projects, so it was great to get this relaxing weekend in our schedule. We spent a lot of time at two local hangout spots, Check Point Charlie's Pub (where we could take advantage of late happy hours and Coupe de Monde soccer games) and Wayne's (where plenty of English-speakers hang out in Nice).
On Sunday, we took a 5 euro round-trip train to Monte Carlo, Monaco. It was just a short 20-minute ride. It was really nice to just hop over to another country for a few hours to see the sights and experience the lifestyle. Everything about Monaco was lavish and over-the-top. We even went into the world-famous Monte Carlo Casino for just a few quick gambles. I lost my 5 euro I started with, unfortunately. However, I couldn't resist playing more. I put another 5 euro in, and I quickly left the slot machine after I won my original 5 euros back (plus an extra 1.60)! Monaco is ultra-exclusive, but there was a good mix of American, British, and Italian tourists roaming the streets with us.
On the train ride back from Monaco, we spotted the small village and free public beaches of Villefranche-sur-Mer, France. On Monday, we took a 2.50 euro round-trip train to this coastal town to spend the day at the beach. After a few hours in the sun and sun and a host-full of melted cheese and chocolate snacks, we decided to call it a day. We got the perfect views and waters of the Mediterranean Sea today at this hotspot before heading to catch our flight back to Paris. Overall, it was a fun and peaceful weekend in the south of France, and it will certainly be difficult to get back into the school groove come tomorrow. Looking forward to Lisbon, Portugal next weekend, though!
PS - My Paris program is officially halfway over today come Tuesday! Guess I need to actually learn some French!
yeah learn some french, it seems all you do is travel and attend school like tuesday through wednesday! haha, have fun. back to reality, i think not.
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