Sunlight peaked through the trees, and a gentle breeze warmed the air. Classical music streamed from a man's clarinet down the street. He serenaded each passerby and restaurant goer. We sat at a restaurant in a charming square in the Old Town part of Nice, France. That same morning, we had walked along the port and sat by the Mediterranean. The sun was warm. It felt like spring already.
February brought a last minute trip to visit my friend Julia, who was studying abroad there. The first day we went to Cannes. The second day, Monaco, and lastly, we explored Nice. It was pretty quiet everywhere, since it was off-season for visiting these cities. In Cannes, we walked around and had a nice lunch near the port. Monaco was just as glamorous as it looks in movies. I just learned that it's one of the smallest countries in the world, following Vatican City. It's population is less than that of Glenview, Illinois, my hometown, just under 40,000. In Monaco we saw the casino and the port, where hundreds of luxurious yachts were docked. We also saw the Prince's Palace, where actress Grace Kelly lived with Prince Rainier III, years ago. We wandered the streets and enjoyed their color and character. We ate lunch outside at a restaurant on a cobblestone street, in between orange and rose-colored buildings with mint green shutters.
Nice was really beautiful too. It felt a bit like Italy, with the structure of buildings and shutters, some more rustic than others. We walked along the water and sat above, by the rocks. The waves were so strong we could feel the water droplets tickle our face. We also sat by the ocean for sunset.
The nice thing about these cities is that they're so small, so you can really just stroll, not have much planned, and still experience local culture. It was a really laid-back trip, and I'm so glad the timing worked out. Grateful for reconnecting with friends from around the world, in new places too.
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