France

South of France

Visited South of France in October 2021 for Honeymoon.

In city driving can be hectic, like downtown driving in any U.S. city, watch for pedestrians and motor scooters. I thankfully have not done a lot of this type of driving here. Mostly on the freeways which are smooth and easy driving with tolls. Look for rest stops which have gas and usually a small restaurant attached. Smaller towns require a slow speed (30km) and are only problematic in the sense that the roads will be tight.

Make reservations at the non-touristy restaurant well in advance.
Stayed at the Hôtel la Pérouse, amazing views of the bay/water with a balcony to sit on.
Ate dinner at La Voglia, which was decent italian food but nothing special.
Ate dinner at Olive & Artichaut, food was excellent, smaller location off the main throughfare. Less touristy, get reservations in advance.
Ate dinner at Le Panier. Favorite food of Nice, simple menu but mix of French cuisine with Asian influence.
Ate dinner at Citrus, very good spot, least favorite of Olive & Artichaut and Le Panier but still better than average touristy spot.
Went for a nice run on the Promenade des Anglais, ran from one side of inlet to the other. Flat and open, relatively uncrowded this time of year, comparable to the crowds you might get around Mission Beach in the off season.
Did a day trip to Èze
Did a day trip to Ventimiglia on a friday when their large open air market happens. It was not my kind of shopping, sort of a flea market type feel with some farmer’s market shopping mixed in. Town is right on the ocean, so we got some sun on the beach.
On the way back from Ventimiglia stopped in Monaco which is a small, very rich city on the coast. A lot of high end cars driving around and nose-bleed prices for drinks / food. Interesting to swing by the Monte Carlo, but otherwise not worth just a day trip unless you want to gamble / people/car watch. Had a cocktail at Bar American