Provence & the French Riviera

There is a reason anyone who travels to the south of France falls in love. From the gorgeous pink and orange sunsets and lavender fields to the slower pace of life, this region is truly a magical place. We started our trip in Nice in the French Riviera and spent the following 14 days on a road trip through beautiful villages in Provence. We’re huge travel buffs and make a point to travel multiple times a year. Most of our previous trips had been jammed packed with sights, so I decided to change the pace with this trip to really allow us an opportunity to dive into the heart of Provence. Although there were definitely touristy moments, we felt a lot more like locals – driving to each village, staying in B&B’s and apartments, conversing with people who only spoke French, and buying food for picnics at local grocery stores. Our favorite village was the beach town of Cassis – we spent both evenings sitting on the beach with a bottle wine watching the sunset over the turquoise water at 10pm. Pretty magical.

If we were to do it all over again, I would have shorten our stay in some villages and added on trips to the Italian Riviera and onto Barcelona (our favorite city!). I’m a busybody and love the buzz of any European city. So for us, This is why we travel – to learn about the world outside of our little towns and to discover more about ourselves. This trip taught us so many things: Driving in France is a breeze compared to driving in the US (everyone actually follows the rules so there’s a lot less road rage). Although we enjoyed our driving experience we definitely prefer riding trains and seeing each city’s transportation system. We certainly love a buttery, flaky French croissant but it’s safe to say French cuisine is not our favorite. I’m now a huge fan of Chateauneuf du Pape wines and am on a hunt for them every time we step into a liquor store. I can confidently say we have a strong sense of the colors and cultures of the region and it’s such a blessing to be able to learn so much about a place so different from your own. And I would venture to say our ability to speak basic French has improved! I hope you enjoy these images – it was so hard to choose what to post!