Friends! Wow! I kind of thought you might be excited to hear our announcement, but as usual, you bowled me over with your enthusiasm and good wishes. We kept the news to ourselves for so long that I was a little nervous about finally having it out in the open, but you all more than put me at ease. Looking forward to chatting more :)

But first, let’s return to France for the final installment of our trip: the Côte d’Azur! This post will be short and sweet.

On the final two nights of our trip, we stayed in the tiny town of Mougins at La Mas Candille. We were happy with this choice, but if we were to return to the area, we probably would try a different property. It was nice, but didn’t blow our minds. We did enjoy lounging in Candille’s many small pools, but let me tell you: the French and Americans do NOT have the same definition of “hot tub.” The French seem to think a lukewarm tub is “hot” (disappointing).

However, one thing we loved about the hotel was that it was within very easy walking distance to Mougins’ town center, and we loved Mougins! The three business categories in Mougins seem to be restaurants, art galleries, and real estate offices. The views over the valley were beautiful! We ate at a yummy Indian restaurant one night and Le Clos Saint Basile the other. (One note on Saint Basile: it was one of the only times when we found it difficult to communicate, and we do know a good bit of French. Maybe not the best option for those who do not know ANY French.)

Aside from lounging at our hotel and strolling Mougins, our main outing was to Chemin des Douaniers. This is a beautiful coastal walk along a stretch of sea wall in Cap d’Antibes, and I would highly recommend it!

And that’s that! I hoped you enjoyed following along with our France adventure, and that our experience might be helpful for those of you planning your own trips!! In case you missed a post…

Paris
Versailles
Provence
Cassis

P.S. I swear I own more than one shirt.

Once we had had our fill of lavender fields and olive trees (as if that’s possible!), we drove about an hour south to Cassis, a small town on the French coast (a little east of Marseilles). Cassis is built into the side of a hill, with the town center at the bottom, right next to the water, and houses perched on the hillside. We stayed at an Airbnb for our one night in Cassis (this one – it was great!), and had about a ten-minute (steep!) walk into town.

The first afternoon we walked down to the public beach, intending to go for a dip. The water was beautiful but very choppy and cold. However, that wasn’t what stopped us from going in – it was the ROCKS. This is a Very Important Tip, in my opinion: if you want to go in the water at a French beach, make sure you bring water shoes! I found it almost impossibly painful to walk or stand barefoot on the (confusingly smooth-looking) pebbles, especially when being buffeted by waves. However, other people were doing this with no apparent difficulty, so maybe I just have inexplicably tender soles.

We ate dinner in Cassis’s town center. It was good, but not our most memorable meal! If you like seafood, a coastal town is definitely a great place to be. We also indulged in gelato and crepes for dessert while strolling on the seawall.

The main reason we added Cassis to our itinerary was the calanques, and they did not disappoint. The Calanques National Park extends from Cassis to Marseille, making Cassis a great starting point to venture from. We visited three calanques on foot, for a round-trip total of about 8 miles (with some serious elevation gain). Information is a bit scarce (and often in French), so here’s the scoop in case you’re interested in going.

From where we started, the first calanque, Port-Miou, is a very easy walk. It’s mostly flat on a clear trail. It’s also not the most exciting – it’s lined with moored boats, so while beautiful, it’s not that wild.

The walk from Port-Miou to Port Pin was also very enjoyable – more uphill, but with the most beautiful water views. We started out in the morning (maybe 10am?), and by the time we got to the beach at Port Pin, there was still only one other couple there. We considered stopping to take a dip (it looked so nice!), but decided to continue on.

600″ height=”598″ class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-6382″ />

The hike from Port Pin to Port d’en Vau was most definitely the hardest stretch. We were hot and tired by that point, and even when we could finally see the water of d’en Vau, it was kind of discouraging, because it was SO far down, and all I could think about was if we went down there, we’d eventually have to climb back up.

But of course, in the end, we were glad we did it. The water was cold, but we were very hot and didn’t mind, and swimming in beautiful clear water between such epic cliffs was definitely a singular experience. This is why exercise is important to me – so we can continue to explore exquisite places off the beaten path!

A few practical tips to remember: 1) Bring water and snacks. 2) Wear hiking shoes/sneakers. Yes, you’re going to a beach, but do not wear flip flops (as we saw some people doing). 3) If you’re visiting from June to September, they sometimes close the calanques due to fire danger. You can check this website to see if they’re open. 4) This is a very helpful website that we used when planning our calanques hike – lots of great information there.

Have you been to the French coast? To Cassis? To the Calanques? I’d love to hear if you found the pebble beaches equally impenetrable!!

My next and final France post: Mougins!

P.S. If you’re thinking of visiting Cassis: our friends the Terhunes love it, too, and have beautiful photos and tips from their honeymoon trip!

Let’s jet back to France, friends! On Tuesday, it was time to say au revoir to Paris and hop on the TGV to the countryside. We spent just two days in Provence, but we packed a lot in (and it still felt relaxed!). Get ready, peeps, because this will be the most photo-heavy post in the series.

Pont du Gard:

Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct near Remoulins. It was built in the 1st century!! It’s the highest of all the Roman aqueduct bridges and apparently one of the best preserved. Reading more about this wonder gave me such an appreciation for the precision and skill required to build it so long ago — it’s pretty amazing, when you think about it. We spent about an hour here, walking across the bridge and sitting down by the water. (We wished we had our bathing suits on so we could have gone swimming – lots of people did!)

Nîmes

Nîmes is a city in the Languedoc-Roussillon region with a history stretching back to the Roman Empire. We paid for admission to the Nîmes Arena, which came with an audio guide. The guide was definitely informative, though shocking at times — to this day, there is still actual bull fighting in the arena, which made me a bit uncomfortable. After finishing up at the Arena we wandered the town for a bit. It was kind of mind-bending to be reminded over and over again how much history there is around every corner, not just at the official landmarks. (For example, the Roman temple below was built in 19 BC, and it was just hanging out next to random modern buildings!)

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue:

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a tiny town on the Sorgue River. When John planned a trip to France for some of our friends last year, he sent them here, and it was one of their favorite stops on the whole trip, so we knew we had to go, too! We had lunch right next to the river (there are tons of cafes back to back – I can’t remember the name of the one we chose!) and gelato while strolling and poking into a few of the antique shops.

Fontaine-de-Vaucluse:

Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is feels almost like what I imagine a Gypsy encampment would, but with more permanent structures. The main attraction is the source of the Sorgue River, the biggest spring in France (the fifth largest in the world). We were surprised by how much colder the air felt down next to the pool!

Gordes:

Gordes is a tiny town perched on the side of a mountain. We’re not really sure how people live or work there, because it’s basically a maze of ridiculously narrow streets. Maybe it’s just retirees, who simply enjoy the beautiful view? For a tourist, I think the only attraction is to stroll around and get lost, which we did — and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Aix-en-Provence:

Not too many photos from our time in Aix, but we had a delicious lunch at O Bagel. We also wandered around the Aix Cathedral and popped into Le Petit Souk, a home goods, party supplies, and kids store from which I wanted to buy everything.

Le Domaine de la Rose:

Finally, I need to tell you about our accommodations! We stayed at an inn in Orgon, Le Domaine de la Rose. It was our biggest splurge of the trip, but definitely worth it. Everyone who’s been to Provence seems to have a favorite place to stay — we got several effusive recommendations when planning — and I know we’ll be doing the same when friends ask us in the future! The grounds were so beautiful, our dinner at the on-site restaurant was perfection, and the kitchen garden was out of a dream. Highly, highly recommended.

If you’ve been to Provence, what towns and sites were your favorites? I’d love to hear!

Up next: Cassis by the sea!

Today’s post will be less heavy on words than my first France installment! I wanted to split Versailles off into its own post because although it’s close to Paris, it’s definitely its own destination. We spent half a day on the grounds — about 6 hours — but could have easily spent a few more. If you’re planning a trip to France, I would most definitely recommend a visit to this tres belle palace. Let’s take a peek at why!

Our tickets for Versailles were one of the few entertainment purchases we made while still in the States. We opted for the Passport ticket, which gets you in everywhere (the Main Palace, the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, and the Hamlet). It was about $58 for two. I used these very specific instructions for getting us from Paris to the gates of the palace. However, I have one major bone to pick with Lauren’s advice, as well as others I read: everyone made it sound as though if you bought your tickets in advance, you’d breeze right in, bypassing all the suckers in line who still had to purchase theirs. NOT TRUE (at least when we went). There was one huge line of people waiting to enter, and then a much smaller line of people who still needed to purchase a ticket (and then join the big line). Anyway, we probably waited for about 45 minutes to enter, so just be prepared, since the line is in full sun!

After making it through the turnstiles, we opted to have lunch before setting off to see the sites. There are several cafes on site that we felt were reasonably priced, and delicious! I think you might also be able to bring food in, but I’m not sure.

When you’re ready to start your tour of the main palace, make sure you pick up an audio guide first. It is included with your ticket price and we really enjoyed it.

We’d recommend moving more quickly through the bottom floor of the tour — it feels more like a museum than the house recreated, and we didn’t find it that interesting. Up the stairs, however, the rooms have been restored to their original purposes and furnishings, and you learn lots of fun tidbits through the audio guide! It was definitely crowded, but I expected that and it didn’t really bother me. The hall of mirrors (above) was stunning, but I think my favorite room was Marie Antoinette’s bedroom, with its lovely flowered wall coverings. It’s crazy to think that all the gold you see in the palace is real – 18k or 24k!

Once we finished the tour (after maybe an hour?), we headed down the back steps to the gardens! There are so many alleys, hidden corners, and fountains to explore. We spent quite a bit of time wandering around – probably close to two hours. A few of our favorites: Apollo’s Bath Grove, the Queen’s Grove, and the King’s Grove. Many of these spots we were totally alone in, so don’t despair if you hate crowds.

There’s not much else I need to tell you about Versailles — you’ll figure it out with no trouble, I’m sure! — but I hope these few pictures will convince you to go if you have the chance! Again, we would have happily spent several more hours here, rented bikes, made it out to the Hamlet and the Petit Trianon, eaten more ice cream, lay in the grass and people watched, etc., so I’d really encourage you to spend the whole day, if you can.

Versailles often came up as a favorite when we chatted with those who had already been to France, so if you’ve had the pleasure of going, I’d love to hear: what was your favorite part? How much time did you allocate, and was it enough?

Up next: Provence!