Monte Carlo, Monaco

The bus system here is amazing. They have a bus that takes you anywhere along the coast up to Italy for just one euro. Your eyes don't deceive you. One euro. After school, my friend Julie & I decided to adventure to Monte Carlo. Although it is just minutes away from Nice...the money-filled city is quite different. No, I did not see Brad Pitt at the casino, or anyone worthy of report...sorry. I loved just walking around and soaking it all in.

the week I became a Brazilian,

I have made some pretty amazing friends on this French adventure. No doubt, they are the kind that I will keep in contact with for years to come. I can't say exactly when it happened once I got here, but somehow I became close with my little Brazilian girls. Catarina & Beatriz. Cat has the most energy and spirit I have ever seen for someone her size. Bea is just the sweetest thing ever. This last week was their last here in Nice, so I lived at their house to never be apart. By the end of the week, we were weaving through so many languages, I was actually able to pick up a little Portuguese. I already am missing them. This last week Cat had her big 22nd birthday so we got to go out and celebrate! We went to the beach, out to dinner, out for some ice cream & crepes at our favorite spot in town, then out for some dancing at the best spot in town for live music. I could tell stories about them for hours, but they already made me promise not to post them publicly :)They are going to come out to the States over summer & I am already looking forward to our next time together.

London bridges, double buses, & a whole lot of shopping

For Stew's last weekend in Europe, we decided to make a quick trip to London. It was my first time in the city, so one weekend felt like one day. The first night we were there, we went to eat at the OXO Tower London. It sits on the very top of the tower with a wall of windows so you can just look out on the city all lit up. I quickly realized that I was not in France anymore. London was so different. The diversity of the people, the drivers on the opposite side of the road from what I am used to, the food(huge difference), hearing English instead of French, and plenty other differences. I loved London. But guilty as charged, Saturday we spent most of the day shopping. Literally. I am pretty sure I was in Topshop for six hours. The time that was not spent shopping, we went sight seeing. We did the London eye, visited the palace, etc. One of my favorite things was going through the street markets. We even got Fish & Chips. So touristy, I know. When the London trip was over, Stew had to head back to the States. He took one train & I took another to the airport to head back to France. Some time has passed since that trip & I can't wait to adventure with him again in a few weeks!



P.S. you have to excuse my lack of pictures..I wasn't kidding about spending a huge chunk of our time inside a store.

the city with the key to my heart

After loving Rome as much as I did, Stew wanted to make sure I loved Paris just as much, if not more. The following weekend, we made out way back to Paris to explore the city. Paris is my favorite city I have ever been to. Hands down. I never wanted to leave. I don't think I could get enough time in that city. I love it. We didn't exactly have the trip planned out. We basically just floated from one place to the next. We went to the museums, the gardens, the shops, and some other little treasures we found. I previously posted about the restaurant we ate our first night night there, Guy Savoy. The bar was set pretty high for my first night back in Paris. But wait, it gets better. The next night after a long day of adventuring and sight seeing, Stew found another 3 star Michelin restaurant that we ended up getting a reservation at, Le Pré Catelan. If my taste buds weren't already on a high from the night before, they were taken to cloud 9. We got to have a little romantic dinner, that definitely was the best meal I have ever had in my life. Everything was perfect.

Before I forget I have to tell you about Angelina. Just the most amazing famous little restaurant/pastry shop. They have the world's best hot chocolate. Trust me, I tried it. If you ever go, get the "Le Mont Blanc". It will change your life.

Aside from the food, the trip was also wonderful. We found the famous flea market in Paris and spend most of the day there searching for treasures. I just kept wishing I had more time in the city. I found out how much I really loved the city lights. I loved passing bridges with thousands of locks on them where people locked their love. One of my favorite things in the whole city was seeing the Eiffel Tower at night when it lights up and sparkles at the start of every hour. Seeing it with Stew made it that much more special. Something to add to your bucket list.

in case you ever go to Nice, France

I am fully aware that since I have been in France, most of my blog posts refer to the food. They weren't kidding when they say the best food in the world is made here. Living in Nice for the past few months has given me a little time to experiment around the city. Stew and I found our favorite little restaurant near school called L'atelier. It is a super tiny spot on the corner with maybe seven tables inside. The same familiar faces work there every day. The food is absolutely amazing. I always try to find excuses to convince friends from school to go with me now that Stew is back in the States. If you are ever in Nice, I highly recommend this place. I promise you will not regret it.













photos courtesy of L'atelier's website.

when in Rome,

The weekend that we chose to go to Rome, Italy just so happened to be the weekend it snowed for the first time in 26 years. Naturally. The people of the city basically thought it was the end of the world. Literally. The fact I have lived in Utah the past few winters doesn't help their cause I suppose. But, Rome is Rome. Due to the snow, a lot of the "touristy" spots were closed to "prevent safety hazards". So, we had to improvise. We ended up finding the most darling restaurant called Pierluigi. The food was amazing, the service was great, and the company was even better. The rest of the weekend, Stew & I just adventured around the city. We saw all the sights and ended up finding a few favorite places of our own. Rome is such an amazing city, even when it is showered with snow. I want to end up there again someday soon.