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

It’s been about a month since we returned from France and I have all our photos sorted, so it’s time to share our adventure! Instead of sharing day by day, as I did with our California trip, I’m going to share by location. First up will be Paris, then Versailles (it deserves its own post!), Provence, Cassis, and finally Mougins. This was mine and John’s first trip to Europe, which meant it was our first trans-Atlantic (and overnight!) flight! We took off from Montreal around 10pm on Air Canada and landed at Charles de Gaulle around 9:30am local time. We stayed awake long enough to sample our hot airline dinner (surprisingly delicious), then attempted to sleep for the rest of the six hour flight. One tip: we packed a few Burt’s Bees face wipes as well as Wisps, and both helped us feel much fresher going to bed and then again in the morning! From CDG we took the RER (commuter train) and then the Metro into Paris. This was easy – there was a kiosk to buy tickets right in the airport. The ride to Cambronne, our stomping grounds in the 15th arrondissement, took about 45 minutes. Once we hopped off at our stop, I was amazed when John strode confidently in the correct direction! His trick? He had “walked” the route from the station to our apartment on Google street view. That man is a genius! We successfully met up with our Airbnb host, dropped our luggage, and made outfit changes. And then we dove in! We walked from the 15th toward the Seine, stopping at a stall along the river for a foccaccia, tomato, and mozzarella sandwich (yum!). Along the way, we saw the Invalides, the Ecole Militaire, and even got a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower!

It’s official: we have booked our tickets to France!! After discussing this trip for two and a half years, and dreaming of it for even longer, I almost can’t believe it’s actually happening. But it is, and plans are moving fast! Well, plans are moving fast now. I promised myself I wouldn’t get excited until we had actually booked our plane tickets, so in January, John began searching. Depending on the day, he found fares from Raleigh to Charles de Gaulle that ranged from $2,800-$3,400 for two. Did your eyes just bug out? Yeah, mine, too. Having never bought international plane tickets before, we thought that seemed expensive, but weren’t really sure what was reasonable, so we hesitated over pulling the trigger. While we waffled, I ended up reaching out to a friend who had recently flown to Europe to ask what they paid, and once I heard $2,900 from her, I felt better. Side note: financial transparency among friends is so valuable!! John headed back to the travel sites (Hipmunk is his favorite), and lo and behold, we somehow ended up paying $2,300! Once our flights were settled, we quickly booked our accommodations in Paris (an Airbnb in the 15th arrondisement) and in Provence. But there’s still so much to do! We’ve been poring over travel sites and magazines and soaking everything in. I love the photos on the Haven in Paris blog: I can’t stand it!! So good. We’ll be there for 8 days and 8 nights in June, traveling between Paris, Provence, and the Cote d’Azur. I’d love to hear your recommendations!