a week on the french riviera

Wearing: Somedays lovin' Daisy Drew maxi dress | Miu Miu sunnies

Hey France! It's so good to see you again. For our recent trip to France, we decided to skip Paris and check out the southern and eastern area of the country instead. Our first stop was the French Riviera where we based ourselves in Nice but travelled along the coast to explore the little towns nearby. Here are some of the places we loved visiting:

NICE, CASTLE HILL

Not something that's fun climbing on a hot day, but the view here is pretty splendid. It reminds me a little of climbing Marjan Hill in Split as the coast of Nice is lined with palm trees and kind of looks similar to that of Split! Castle Hill is right next to old town Nice, on the east side.

NICE, PLACE MASSENA

Everyone's got to visit Place Massena when they're in Nice. This colourful centre is famous for its distinct checkerboard tiles and houses many department stores, boutiques, cafes and restaurants. A tram runs through the centre of it all making it a really lively and bustling area to meet up, relax or people watch.

EZE VILLAGE

Wearing: Gorman Deville shift dress | Bared vulture sneakers | Miu Miu sunnies

Not to far from Nice (it's a 1.50 euro bus ride away!) is Eze Village. It's a medieval village built on a rocky cliff that overlooks the Mediterranean ocean. Filled with narrow cobblestoned paths, interesting little shops and perfumeries. Right on top of Eze Village is Le Jardin exotique d'Eze which is the cactus filled garden you find above.

VILLEFRANCHE SUR MER

One of the closest towns to Nice is Villefranche Sur Mer, a small residential town with a beach front. The most simplest way to reaching Villefranche is to take the train as it takes the coastal route and stops at ground level. The alternative would be to take the bus, however the bus takes the scenic route up the hill so you would then have to spend about 30-45ish minutes taking the backstreet steps down to reach the village.

MENTON

Wearing: ASOS Pretty Occasion playsuit | Fossil Sydney Satchel in Heritage Blue

Also on our list was Menton which you saw a bit more of in my last post. Beautiful Menton would be one of the most furthest towns we visited from Nice but only then, it was still something like a 40 minute train ride only. It's got a really picturesque view and there are a heap of great restaurants by the water to eat at.

NICE, THE BEACH & BACK STREETS

Wearing: TBags Los Angeles off shoulder dress | The Beach People roundie beach towel in Aztec

Could this be my first pebbled beach experience? It's definitely different to sitting on sand, but pebbled beaches actually make the water more clear and blue!

MONACO

As flashy as you could ever imagine. Monaco is a really popular side trip option from Nice and is filled with designer boutiques, expensive cars, people in black tie dress ..and tourists! If you're looking for a spot of designer shopping but Nice just happens to not have the boutique you are after, then head to Monaco because it will most surely be there! One of the only purchases I made during our holiday in Europe was a pair of Miu Miu sunnies which I happened to pick up in Monaco. Do also climb the Princes Palace for a stunning view of Monaco, its private boat/ship harbour and more.Photography: Thomas Debono & I