I spent about a week in France altogether and split my time between Paris, Provence, and the Riviera. This was another solo trip for me. Most of my friends had already returned back to America for graduation, summer vacation, etc. But like I said in my last post, this trip was based around a free flight given to me by my bank and I didn't really want to turn it down just because I didn't have any traveling companions. I've always admired other people who are brave enough to go on vacation alone but I've always been a little too scared to do it myself. Once I found the courage (and believe me, I was second-guessing my decision up until I got on the plane), I discovered that traveling alone takes a little time to get used to. I found that I didn't have as much fun doing the things that I normally do when traveling with others. It was definitely a different experience, but by the end of it I found that I was still having a good time.
I started my trip off with two days in Paris. I began as usual, walking around trying to see as much as I could in the short amount of time that I had but I soon found that sightseeing isn't as great when you don't have other people to talk to about the things you are seeing. I kept at it though because I didn't want to miss anything in Paris. I started at Notre Dame, which was beautiful and one of my favorite spots. After that I hit the Louvre, which I thought was really overrated. (I wish I had gone to the Musee d'Orsay instead which I've heard is a lot better). I wasn't sure what to do that evening and I didn't really want to keep walking around alone since it was starting to get dark. Luckily, I found a movie theater playing old Hitchcock movies in English with French subtitles which was a REALLY nice reprieve from the crash-course in French I was receiving.
On my second day in Paris, I started at the Jardin des Plantes which is this really beautiful garden outside the Natural History Museum in the Latin Quarter. It wasn't the greatest day weather-wise but the grounds were incredible. After that, I hit up all of the usual must-sees in Paris: the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, Arc de Triomphe, etc. At the end of my two days, I decided that Paris is a probably a really great city when visiting with others but a little anti-climactic when exploring alone.
Notre Dame:
Jardin des Plantes:
The next stop of my trip was a short stay in Aix-en-Provence. I only spent one day and one night here but it is a small enough town so I didn't need a whole lot of time. There aren't a lot of main attractions to see in Aix but it was really nice just to walk around and get a feel for the town's atmosphere. It is a really cute place with lots of fountains, cafes, and a really great outdoor market. But as nice as the town was, I have to say the best part of my visit was the train ride in and out of town. The countryside of Provence has got to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. The hills and fields are covered with amazing trees, wildflowers, and grape vines. I didn't get a chance to see the famous lavender fields but I can only imagine how gorgeous they must be. Provence is definitely a place you would want to rent a car and drive around to fully take in the scenery.
Aix:
My third and final stay in France was the Riviera. After weeks of being cold and Vitamin-D deprived in Ireland, I could not wait to get out to the sunny beaches and enjoy that sparkling blue water. I stayed in Nice for three days and it definitely did not disappoint me. I found that the city seemed to be divided into two areas. One of which is really dingy and dated and another which is just as bright and shiny as you would expect the Riviera to be. I had a really good time wandering around the sparkly part of Nice, checking out the fascinating outdoor antique market, walking up and down the Promenade des Anglais, hanging out on the beach, and swimming in the Mediterranean (my favorite). One of my days in the Riviera I went down to Cannes to check out the film festival but I didn't think it was nearly as nice as Nice (no pun intended).
Beaches at Nice:
On Tuesday, after thankfully only a slight delay, I headed back to Galway to get ready for my Mom and Susie's visit. Looking back on my time in France, I would say that it probably wasn't the easiest of trips I have taken this year. I struggled with the French language (and some of the French people) and I found it was a bit strange to spend so much time alone in a foreign place. However, I made some nice, Australian friends in the hostels (some of whom are spending four months traveling Europe alone, which I can't even begin to imagine doing!) and I found out that though traveling alone is much different than traveling with friends, it definitely still has it's own advantages and enjoyable moments.
