Do you ever wonder what holidays are observed in other countries? In the U.S. we have a bunch that are specific to the U.S. – Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, etc. Well in the UK, they seem to just throw in some miscellaneous “bank holidays” here and there. For “Summer Bank Holiday,” we headed out of town to the south of France, which is a popular beach getaway spot for Europeans. We started in Nice, then went to Cannes, made a quick stop in Eze Village, and ended our trip in Monte Carlo.
Nice is the largest of the cities we visited. We flew in and out of here. Our first day consisted of a morning walk around the city, ending at Castle Hill, which is a large park with great views down the coast. Afterward, we went to my favorite place – the beach! Nice has a long stretch of coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately, it is very rocky with very little sand, so laying on the beach wasn’t quite as comfortable as we’re used to. But, the weather was perfect, we brought some music and cocktails, and relaxed for the afternoon. In the evening, we watched the sunset and walked around the town again. There are alleys full of bars, restaurants, and shops, so we just wandered, ate, drank, and enjoyed!
The next day, we took an early train to Cannes. Cannes is famous as the site of the annual Cannes Film Festival held in May, which draws celebrities from all over the world. I most wanted to go there for two reasons: it’s a vacation spot for rich people (and I love to people watch) and it has sandy beaches, which I miss living down the street from in Chicago! We stayed at the JW Marriott right on the beach, so as soon as we arrived we grabbed a couple of chairs and lounged for the day. Later on, we stopped by the site of the film festival and walked around La Croisette, which is the long stretch of path along the beach. We caught a beautiful sunset and did some people watching!
Our last day was split between Eze Village and Monte Carlo. One of Steve’s co-workers told him about Eze. Once we saw some pictures we knew we had to fit it in, and we’re glad we did! It is an adorable little medieval town perched at the top of a mountain overlooking the Mediterranean. The views were unbelievable.
Monte Carlo is a town of luxury. The center of the city is a harbor full of massive yachts, and luxury cars are parked on every street. And we aren’t talking Lexus and Audi. There were Lambos, Ferraris and Roles Royces EVERYWHERE. Steve and I took the train in, drank happy hour specials and shared a pizza for dinner. Everyone’s vacation looks a little different, I guess! We spent a good amount of time just walking and taking in the views. Later on, we walked to the famous Monte Carlo casino (featured in James Bond movies and in Oceans twelve).
The Great Fekspedition 