Annnnnnd after 10 days of absolutely amazing vacation full of much needed relaxation, cocktails, friends, beach, and lots and lots of food I'm finally back in Bordeaux and nursing my travel hangover like a newborn child. Trust me- I'm not complaining, I just got to explore some beautiful places that most people only dream about. But traveling does always seem to take a toll on me, so I've been nurturing myself with tea, salads, and a binge read of the whole Harry Potter series. The usual.
But enough about my inability to act like a normal energetic 22 year old instead of a 75 year old woman. Let's talk about the trip.
So while most of my peers were out in Cabo, or Miami, or some other drunken sh*t-show (albeit, I'm sure it was an amazingly fun drunken sh*it show, and I didn't get to dance on any tables during my trip so I missed out on that) I was stuck in Europe (poor me, right?) So i took spring break planning into my own hands and mapped out an amazing 10 day trip through the French Rivera and Italy. Stopping in Nice, Monaco, Naples, and the Amalfi Coast, I witnessed some of the most amazing scenery, both man made and natural, lounged on some of the most beautiful beaches (and that's saying something as I've spent my last 3 years in Santa Barbara and was born and raised in southern California) and ate WAY MORE pizza than probably advisable. But hey, #yolo right?
So heres the low down.
Nice: BEAUTIFUL. It was like some mutant freak baby of California, Hawaii, the Caribbean, all with a french touch. I honestly don't even know. All the buildings are beautiful candy colors, which is unusual as most of the french cities I've been in stick to the signature whites and greys. While they're all brightly colored, they still retain the architecture style found all over France, making it look like someone went through Paris and gave it a Candy Land-esque makeover.
Not to mention the beautiful coastline. Curving around the cliffs, the white rock beaches (whole tough on the feet) are truly a sight to behold. I didn't mind that a good portion of my Nice time was spent laying on those rocks with a bottle of white wine. While I did have to eat out most meals, there are affordable student options as well as plenty of corner stores and markets to make a nice, cheap lil picnic. Nice is perfect for a lil weekend getaway, and also doable on a budget, while still making you feel like a major baller.
Monaco: This portion of the trip was a little disappointing. While the bus ride from nice was one of the most beautiful I've ever been on, it was pretty much the only truly affordable student activity on the island. Upon getting to Monaco and heading over to the visitors center, the woman actually told us there was nothing to do on a student budget. Trying to persevere, we spent our first hour meandering around, looking for a hat for my friend, and finished sorely disappointed. Not only did all the hats go for nothing less than 250 euros, they also all looked like something Martha Stuart would wear. After that fiasco, we decided to try and at least get some beach time. Not owning a Ferrari like most of the visitors seemed to, we hoofed it, walking what felt like 100000 miles in the blistering sun. Again- not complaining, as Bordeaux has been rainy 90% of my stay. Finally arriving on the beach, my friend and I sprung for 14 euro cocktails (which were delicious btw) so we could have access to a private beach. That move about depleted our funds, so we relocated after about an hour, drank some cheaper drinks, and headed home, slightly disappointed that we didn't have any James Bond experiences. Bomb drinks though.
Naples: HOME OF THE PIZZA. Seriously. If you had to pick one if the many reasons to tour this city, Pizza racks in at my #1. Go to Sorbillo- famous, cheap, with pretty much every type of pizza, served fast and HUGE and steamy. Don't mind the line, it's worth it! They even have a vegan pizza! So good guys. So good. Spending 2 days here, my friend and I stayed in a cutie hostel called La Controra, with a very friendly staff, free breakfast, and a cheap bar. They even do a happy hour deal where if you buy a 3 euro drink they give you dinner for free- one night was even vegan! Naples is one of the more interesting Italian cities I've been to, far from touristy, it felt truly Italian and truly urban. Everything was also really inexpensive- especially food, making me and my wallet happy. There was no real effort to make it have a fake remastered beauty that some cities have. It was what it was, its urbanization mixing with the old buildings in a very sincere way. A very cool experience. While I may not recommend it as someones first city in Italy to visit, I definitely would tell people to put it on their list, especially foodies. Amalfi Coast: A teeny-tiny little town built into the Italian Cliffside, this was the most tourist driven town I went to during my trip, but no less beautiful. With everything walking distance, it's easy to get around. Close to Positano and other cliffside towns, it is a beautiful spot to visit and see. While it was unfortunatley cloudy for most of my time here, it didn't stop me from hanging around the beach and indulging in more pizza, wine, and gelato. My friends and I even treated ourselves to a beautiful seaside dinner. While this may have not been one of the most exciting places I've been to activity wise, it certainly was one of the most beautiful.
I'm so thankful that my last excursion on this year long adventure got to take me to these beautiful coastal towns. Both making me love and appreciate Europe more, it also made me extremely excited for my California summer ahead!
As always, thank you for reading :-)
Xx - Mandee
