VIva La France: Day Trip to Monaco

Sunday morning I woke up with a BIG pep in my step because we were going to go to Monaco for the day! I have always loved Princess Grace because of how beautiful she was and then how much good she did once she became a princess. Rich was excited because of the Monte Carlo casino. The day was beautiful, but I did not prepare for how HOT it was! 

We took the public bus right outside of Airbnb to the bus stop. Then, we got on another bus from Nice to Monaco. The bus system was pretty easy, but as I later learned, the city buses are not free and we kept riding them without paying. *Whoops!* I would feel badly, however, I spent A LOT of money in Nice so I think it's ok if I took a couple of bus rides on accident. 

I had been preparing for Monaco for weeks, and by that, I mean I had to find a good restaurant to eat lunch at while we were there and find a dress that I wanted to wear during the day. And don't worry ... I did on both counts. 

When we first arrived in Monaco, I already knew where we were going to eat lunch. At an Italian restaurant called La Salière in Monaco. The menu had so many options, but because something spoke to me when we sat down, I had to get the paccheri with meatballs, cherry tomatoes and pecorino cheese. Every. single. bite. was worth it. It's made me make homemade marinara sauce twice since we've gotten back from our trip. 

Yes, I am drinking white wine with pasta but it was too hot for me to drink red during this lunch. I was so hungry by the time that we got to La Salière that I ate it all. Then I took the bread and cleaned any sauce on my plate. I was so satisfied and full I could have just gotten back on the bus to head back to Nice at that point if it wasn't for the Prince's Palace!  

So, I wobbled along through the city until we made it to the Prince's Palace. It was a LONG way up the hill. There were a few times I had to stop to rest because there were SO many steps in Monaco. If you didn't have a good butt when you got there, you had a good butt when you left. 

The only good thing about all those steps were all the views! It was gorgeous everywhere you looked. The water was so blue and clear you could almost see through it if you looked down. It also made me feel very un-wealthy with all of the yachts everywhere you looked. 

After about a million steps, we found the Prince's Palace! We didn't take a tour inside, and I kind of regret it now, but it was so pretty out the outside. We even timed it just right and saw the changing of the guards. 

Those outfits are VERY white, and they also look very hot. It was a very proper ceremony, and one guard seemed to have a bit of a smile on his face. Wouldn't it be hard to keep a straight face when people are taking photos and videos of you just walking? We hung out at the Prince's Palace for a bit and look at all of the views and people watched. I also had to do some shopping. 

This print was only around $5 and honestly, I would have paid more. I loved it when I first saw it. It was the best souvenir to buy from Monaco that day. 

After we left the palace, we headed towards Monte Carlo. Did I mention how hot it was? I thought I was going to melt into a puddle because there were NO clouds to cover the hot sun. 

Because this was probably my one and only time in Monaco, I really wanted to be in the moment and be as present as possible with Rich. Even if I was whining because it was hot, we had a wonderful lunch, got to see so many cool things, visited the Prince's Palace, and even went inside Monte Carlo. It's SO grand! Everything about it is gorgeous! 

Rich got to play the slot machines though we couldn't go into the larger casino area because of our attire. He even won! I think we walked away with 3 more euro than we walked in with, which was fine to me because that was bus money to get back to nice! 

When I say it was grand, I mean, it was GRAND. Inside the casino you could see large crystal chandeliers, gold everything, and the fanciest bar I have ever seen. The security was very tight though, just to go inside the slot machine area I had to get my bags checked and held by coat check. Sadly and understandably, photos are a big no-no. 

It was SUCH a fun day and everything that I had hoped it to be! After Monte Carlo we headed back to Nice. The buses stop running from Monaco to Nice around 7:30/8 pm in the evening and we didn't want to leave on the last bus in case there wasn't enough room. 

When we got back to Nice we went back to the Airbnb and relaxed for a bit before going to Old Town Nice for dinner at a Portuguese restaurant. After dinner, we headed back to our favorite Le Truc bar! Monaco was one of my favorite days of our adventure and I'm so glad that I was present in the moment. 

Missed any of my posts from Viva La France? 
Catch up here: 

Click here for Paris Day 1

Click here for Paris Day 2

Click here for Paris Day 3
Click here for Nice Day 1

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Viva La France: Nice

Part of our France trip was to visit Paris for a few days, then headed off to Nice for a few days as well! Since I had never been to the South of France, I was excited that we had booked the train from Paris to Nice.

 

I think I am a train person. I'm not much into flying because it gives me anxiety (even though I almost quit college at 19 to become a flight attendant). On a train, you can pack as much as you want, you can get up and walk around, you can carry on your own food, and there are no scary landings. 

AND... 

AND... you can even have a picnic on the train! What I have shown you here is what I am calling a French hot dog. It's a baguette, salami, and cheese. 

We all really enjoyed our train ride! Amy and I sat on one side of the train (heading towards Nice) and Rich and Bobby sat on the other side. I get major car/train/plane sick if I'm sitting on the wrong side and going backward. Though, I did pick up those motion sickness wrist bands from Walgreens and wore them a few times on the trip and never felt queazy! 

It's about 5 1/2 hours from Paris to Nice on the train. There are beautiful country sides to look at, beautiful ocean views, and a bar cart to get wine or snacks. It's really where I excel the best in terms of travel. 

After we arrived in Nice, we got an Uber to our Airbnb and had an AMAZING view! 

We had a balcony overlooking the water which was perfect! I really love a good balcony and a good view. Living in Arkansas, I can have terrible allergies and my allergies never bothered me once in France... maybe I should just live in France a few months of the year?

By this time it was dinner time and we were all a bit hungry. Don't worry though, I had already looked up several restaurants and found one in close walking distance to our Airbnb. 

We went to Auberge Saint Antoine where we had delicious pizza, salad, and gelato. It was such an easy dinner after an easy afternoon train ride. After our dinner, we walked by a market store to pick up some wine before some of us headed back to the Airbnb. 

Rich, Amy and I decided to go put our feet in the water to say we had been on the beach of the South of France. 

This is what being happy, full and tired all looks like at once. We only hung out for a bit before going back to our balcony to enjoy a little bit more of the evening. 

Saturday morning when we got up everyone split up a bit. Some went to go have a beach day, while Rich and I decided to go explore Old Town in Nice. 

Of course, before you can go explore anything in France I believe it's important to be well hydrated. We found a really delicious restaurant called, 'Le Cocodile'. It was on our way from our Airbnb to Old Town. 

Now, I ordered the steak tartare which is basically raw meat. Yes, to some this might be disgusting, but personally, I like it. When I ordered it, our waiter asked me, "Do you know what this is? This is raw meat." To which I replied, "Yes, I do. I like it." So he told me that he would make it special for me. 

I wasn't sure what special was until he brought it out... he meant he was going to shape it into a heart for me. So I had a big slab of raw meat shaped into a heart for me in France. It's really the little things in life that I appreciate the most, you know? 

Because it was Saturday in Old Town, it was the market day. There were tons and tons of booths with people selling lots of fun and interesting things. Rich really isn't the shopper type, but both of us enjoyed walking and seeing what the town had to offer.

I will say that the weather in Paris in August was really nice, but the weather in Nice was HOT. I mean, sweating from all of my body parts HOT. At one point we had to stop at a cafe so we could both get a little more hydrated. I remember I had a Coca-Cola at the cafe and it was the BEST tasting soda I have ever had in my entire life at that moment. 

Once we had a mini-break, we walked through the little streets of Old Town some more. Every street is full of shops, restaurants and so many cool things. We walked by one store that was just full of jelly beans but the store was Pirate themed. Another store was a cell phone case store but had animal statues in it. There was plenty to see and plenty to eat. 

After a few hours, we decided to head back to our Airbnb. Our plan was to go pick up cheese, meats, and wine and go have a picnic on the balcony of the Airbnb and just relax. It had been a long few days, and there were still a few days in front of us, we were just going to take it easy the rest of the evening. 

We were walking back when we passed by this fun man with a crown of horses. I have no idea what this man represents or what he is for (If I was that worried I could just Google it) but a family was taking a photo in front of it, so I offered to take it for them so that everyone could be in the picture. The nice family then offered to take our photo, which I appreciated because how many photos in life will you have in front of a naked man with a horse crown?

We had talked about finding some sort of cheese tour in Nice, but honestly, none of them were worth the money. So instead, I did my research and found a delicious cheese store where we could get a TON of cheese for around $20. 

So we went to Fromagerie du Carre d'Or where they do speak enough English to help you find the right cheeses. And they helped us pick out some of the most delicious cheese I have ever tried. What were they? No idea anymore, and I didn't take any photos of them, but I have the memories.

We had the cheese, we went and grabbed some prosciutto and salami from a local market and were headed to the Airbnb when we stumbled upon a bar called Le Truc. 

We were hot, we were tired and we were thirsty. We had just spent 30 minutes finding cheese and meats and were still a half mile away from the Airbnb. It just seemed like the right thing to do to stop at this bar for a glass of wine or several and cool off. 

Again. It was very hot outside. I already knew that I had some sort of sunburn so I was really protecting myself from more sun damage by having a glass of rosé. 

We also ordered a charcuterie board because why not? Yes, we had spent 30 minutes to make our own, but this one was already made and I needed a snack. Also, we were in France, why was I going to worry about a few calories? 

There was a peppery salami, a truffle cheese, some sort of black pepper cheese, and chorizo. There was also some fresh bread. We liked this place so much that we returned twice more during our trip. We hung out here for a long time actually. So long that the rest of the group came to meet up with us. Now, at this point, I was sunburned, exhausted and had had enough wine for me. So Rich and I left to go back to the Airbnb and the rest of the group went to get dinner. 

After a little rest and a shower, Rich and I did have our own picnic with the cheese and meats that we bought. So on this day, I ate raw meat, French fries, and a lot, a lot, a lot of cheese. 

Isn't vacation where you live your best life?? After we ate our own, let's call it dinner, it was time for bed for me. We were getting up the next day to go to Monaco so I wanted to feel 100%! 

Stay tuned - our day trip to Monaco is next on the blog! 

Missed any of our posts from Paris? Catch up here: 

Click here for Paris Day 1

Click here for Paris Day 2

Click here for Paris Day 3

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Vive La France: Traveling in Paris Day 3

We're on to day three in Paris! If you're not caught up, check out day one here and day two here. 

After a full day of the Catacombs, the cooking class and walking around 20,000 steps, I was ready for a 'relaxing' third day. And it would have been pretty easy if I didn't wake up with a fire in my belly to go buy a copper pot from the same store that Julia Child bought her copper pots. 

I got up early, got dressed and was about to go by myself when Rich decided to go with me. If you know me, when I am ready to go somewhere then I am ready to go RIGHT THEN. E. Dehillerin has been around for 200 hundred years, and that's how long it felt it took us to get there. 

After I was super antsy, we finally made it! This store was incredible, it's like the original Ikea. Everything they have is out on the shelf to look at, but if you want to know a price, you have to go look it up in a book. The store can be a bit of a workout though going from item to book from item to book. It's not like it stopped me at all from shopping, just slowed me down every so slightly. 

As someone who loves to cook, it was fun to be in such an iconic culinary shop. So, of course, I had to buy something or a lot of the things. All the things. I *wanted* to buy all the things. I did contain myself since I had to carry whatever I bought back to the states with me. 

That didn't stop me from buying the most beautiful copper pot I've ever seen. I had to buy one that 1) was a decent size to use 2) wasn't going to totally kill my budget. I think it was around $170 in the end, but it's heavy, it's nice, and as long as I take care of it then it will last a long time. 

Also, it's my money and I will spend it on the things that please me... like copper pots. 

After I left the store (Rich was across the street at a coffee shop), we headed to meet up with our friends for lunch... then we were headed to the Arc de Triomphe!

Travel tip: When we went to the Catacombs on our second day, we bought passes that let us in the Catacombs ahead of the line and then also gave us access to the Arc de Triomphe. If we hadn't bought these tickets, we would have been in line for the Catacombs for around two hours. So we got these tickets from Headout.  They were WORTH it! And, if you want, you can use my code MAEGAIQ on Headout and save $10!

To be honest, I wasn't really sure about the Arc de Triomphe... like I knew we were supposed to go there to do the touristy thing, but I wasn't 100% sold on it. I went along because it everyone else seemed excited about it so maybe I was missing something. Everyone was right, and I was wrong because it was really cool! 

There are just miles and miles of pretty views and to see how Paris is laid out around the Arc de Triomphe is really cool. I will say, it felt like we had to walk up about 300 steps to get to the top. My legs were BURNING. I was so tired that I had to give Rich my copper pot to carry, and Marcus my purse because I was feeling like I was about to pass out. 

Also, it didn't help that I was just overall tired from the trip at that point from not having the best sleep. It was SO WORTH the almost pass out moment! 

We hung out at the top for a bit, I really think they are missing an opportunity to sell water because I could have drunk a gallon of it after getting to the top. 

After we hung out, Rich and I were going to go back to our Airbnb to drop off my copper pot that felt like it weighed about 100 pounds, but we didn't have time because... we had to go on a champagne tour of the Seine River! 

This. Was. Me. Living. My. Best. LIFE.

Rich didn't even think he liked champagne that much, but, not to my surprise, that really seems to change during this excursion. 

Just a casual Thursday drinking champagne on the Seine River... 

Clearly, I had to take this photo even if it's the most basic photo to take. 

Look at this fun, loving group having the best time ever. If you notice, the sky was a bit dark while we were visiting the Arc de Triomphe but as soon as we sat foot on the boat, the sky cleared up and we had beautiful weather! 

All of my favorite things in one photo! This is one of my favorite moments on the trip! 

We tried three different champagnes on the tour, but I only took photos of two... I do not know why I forgot the third? Maybe because I didn't like it? These two were BOTH delicious. As someone who loves champagne, I loved learning all of the fun things about it. We went over how it was made, the types of grapes, the region of France, lots of fun details. 

They even made these cheesy photos for us when we got on the boat, none of us bought one, but I had to take a photo of one because the heart is coming out of Rich's head. He told me that he hates when people say, 'My heart is so full!' on social media and I think this is his karma. A FULL HEART on top of his head! 

AS SOON as we got off the boat (it was so sad to leave) the sky became dark and as soon as we stepped into the Uber it began to rain. The weather luck was on our side! 

Researching restaurants is one of my favorite things to do when in a new city, I will spend two hours just to find the perfect restaurant. After our champagne tour, I had found this place called, "Le Centre du Monde." It really felt like the right place because it had a great fixed menu with all of the French food that I had been wanting to have while in Paris... 

For starters, I had the French onion soup that I basically had to pick up the bowl to get every last drop. I LOVE soup, and this was perfect on a rainy night in Paris. It was also so, so good. French onion is one of my favorites and this made me really want to come home and make it more often. 

Secondly, it was time for the beef bourguignon! Now, chunks of meat do not photo well in dim light, and I understand that this photo is a little disgusting looking, but it was also DELICIOUS. I've never made it before, but I would like to make the Julia Child version. 

(A bit Julia Child obsessed right now.) 

Dessert was a chocolate mousse. I bet you can guess how it tasted... DELICIOUS. 

Though I am not that great at making desserts, I certainly should practice. Also, because we walked over 10,000 steps every day, sometimes closer to 15,000 or 20,000, I did not gain one pound this entire trip. 

After dinner, we were going to go to a fun bar, but once we got there it was so hot that we couldn't stay. We headed back to our Airbnb and hung out on the rooftop and watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle. Even walking around how beautiful views day and night. 

Friday morning Rich and I got up to go find a post office to send my mom a postcard. Of course, we had to start out getting Rich an espresso first because he became a bit addicted. Then we walked around cluelessly until I found a postcard and then a post office. It was not an easy task. My mom may never get another postcard again from me after that debacle. After that, we went back to the Airbnb, grabbed our bags and were headed to the train station so we could hop on a train to head to Nice! 

Next up, our adventures in Nice and Monaco! 

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Thirty-ONEderful Charity Donation: Houston Food Bank

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After Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, there was absolutely zero question of where I would donate this month for my year of Thirty-ONEderful charity donations. This month, I am donating to the Houston Food Bank.

For those of you who don't know, I turned 31 on June 5. I am calling this, "The Year of Being Thirty-ONEderful." It's about making this year... wonderful. Part of making anything wonderful in life is to give back to others where you can. So, on the 5th of each month, I am donating $31 to a charity and highlighting the work they do in a blog post.

Between the news and social media, it's been heartbreaking to see so many lives affected by this hurricane. Homes destroyed, families being displaced, lives being put on hold for the upcoming days, weeks and even months. It's truly, truly heartbreaking.

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What is incredible though, are the volunteers that have gone to help, rescue, and do what they can to help the lives of those affected.

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That's what has really touched me the most, volunteers like the guys who drove their boats to Texas to help rescue others. The people who have lost everything but are still out there helping others. The mattress guy who opened up his businesses and let people stay there and sleep there without asking for anything. 



I've seemed to have a theme of my monthly donations, so I kept with my theme and donated to the Houston Food Bank. During disaster times, I think it's better to give money then send things that a volunteer has to sort through to figure out logistics. I'll trust the staff at the Houston Food Bank to see that the money is best used however it best serves those in need. 


If you're interested in donating to those affected by Hurricane Harvey, NPR has a list of reputable organizations: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/28/546745827/looking-to-help-those-affected-by-harvey-here-s-a-list 

Thirty-ONEderful Charity Donation:

June - Heifer International 

July - Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance 
August - Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas
September - Houston Food Bank

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