France: Exploring the Cote d’Azur
- Aug 3, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 28
From hilltop villages and Mediterranean beaches to rosé lunches, seaside walks, and a little Riviera glamour.
There’s something cinematic about the French Riviera – pastel villages, sparkling water, and rosé on repeat.
From Villefranche-sur-Mer to Eze to Monaco, this leg of our trip was all about visiting close friends, sea breezes (not the drink!), shopping, and French fries.
It all started as a good idea: a sister trip to visit our honorary “French sister,” whom you’ll get to know as Titi Belle.
She lives in a charming seaside village, Villefranche-sur-Mer, tucked between Nice and Monaco.
My nephew was graduating from high school and planned to take an old-school backpacking trip across Europe with two of his friends before college.
Brave, right?
Especially these days.
We planned to join him for the first leg of his trip, then send him off while we continued our own adventure.
We booked early.
The itinerary?
Villefranche-sur-Mer → Cinque Terre → Florence.
Twelve days in total.
A long time to leave my sweet fur baby, but after losing my mom recently, I knew this sister time could be just the kind of healing I needed.
Titi Belle would plan the French portion, my sister took on Cinque Terre, and I was in charge of Florence.
We flew out mid-July (my least favorite time for international travel thanks to the heat and crowds, but it worked with my sister’s school schedule and my nephew’s timeline). I avoided Atlanta and Charlotte due to typical summer weather chaos and chose Philadelphia instead.
Of course, the week before my flight, Philly was flooding.
My first flight was delayed, but I had enough layover time to breathe easy. Once I got to Philly, my international flight was delayed… and delayed… and delayed.
I skipped dinner, saving my appetite for airplane meals, wine, a movie, and some sleep. But by 10:00 p.m., the flight was canceled. Our luggage disappeared into a warehouse, and we were herded to the Clarion Hotel with a $12 meal voucher.
The restaurant?
Closed.
The bar?
Closed.
The chef had hurt his hand and didn't show for work. I bought two bottles of water, a bag of chips, and some peanut butter crackers from the lobby shop and trudged to my room, thankful not to be sleeping in the terminal.
The next morning, back to the airport we went. It was only 11:00 a.m., but our flight wouldn’t leave until 9:00 p.m.
While killing time in the new Philadelphia Admirals Club, I met some lovely fellow travelers—one of the joys of travel, honestly. We shared stories, snacks, and commiserated over our wine-less night.
Eventually, we learned our original plane had been struck by lightning on its way from Zurich. Yep, grounded. But finally, at 9:00 p.m., we were airborne.
Nice, France—here I come!
Landing in Nice after 35 years felt surreal. The airport hadn’t changed much.
Customs went smoothly, and soon I was in a cab headed to Villefranche-Sur-Mer, following the seaside route through Riquier and past Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. The traffic gave me time to soak in the scenery and finally… exhale.
At Titi Belle’s house, I was welcomed with warm croissants (raspberry and chocolate!) and strong French coffee.
Villefranche-sur-Mer Villefranche-sur-Mer croissants
Then my sister ( who had arrived the day before me) hit me with the news: our VRBO rental was a nightmare.
Filthy kitchen, grimy bathroom, no A/C or fans—in July!
Oh dear.
We hustled to town and landed at the Hotel Le Versailles. The incredibly kind staff found two rooms with terraces and sea views- the last ones.
Lucky us.
I had a bed for the next couple of days and with air conditioning.
Titi Belle handled the VRBO mess with finesse, calling customer service in French. Thankfully, my sister had snapped pics of the filthy apartment so we had proof of conditions.
Note to all - TAKE PHOTOS! VRBO refunded all but one night—kudos to them!
It was time for exploring!
Monaco & La Turbie
We kicked off with a half-day in Monaco.
It was glitzy, touristy, and entertaining—especially for my nephew, who loved the flashy cars outside of the Hotel de Paris.
Monte Carlo Hotel de Paris
I had not been to Monte Carlo since the late ’80s, but some favorites were still there: Jimmy’s, the Casino de Monte-Carlo, and Tip Top for late-night pasta after dancing at Jimmy’s.
After roaming around taking in the sights and doing a little window shopping, we stopped for a quick cocktail (rosé for me, French-style margaritas for my sisters).
Fuel for a short hike in La Turbie, where sweeping views stretched across Monaco and Èze.
Along the trail, locals had claimed scenic spots with blankets, wine, and cheese, lingering over the evening light as if they had nowhere else to be.
La Turbie La Turbie hike
We ended the day at Nonna Francesca Trattoria Enoteca, a charming village restaurant where we devoured a burrata pizza and chèvre salad. Jet lag or not, it was chef's kiss.
Exploring Èze
Titi Belle drove us to Èze, a tiny medieval village perched high above the Mediterranean. First settled around 200 BC, its narrow stone lanes wind past charming boutiques, cafés, and centuries of history. We stepped inside the 14th-century Chapelle de la Sainte Croix and admired the famed Château de la Chèvre d'Or, now a luxury hotel whose guest list has included Walt Disney. With breathtaking views and an acclaimed restaurant, it's one of those places where reservations—and a dress code—are essential.
Exploring Eze Eze street art
Then came the candy shop.
Tucked inside what felt like a cave, shelves overflowed with enormous slabs of handcrafted nougat, marzipan, and quince paste in every flavor imaginable. After sampling a few, my sister and I looked at each other and agreed, "We have to bring some home."
The shopkeeper told us to simply show her with our fingers how much we'd like. We each held up about one to two inches.
Easy enough.
I chose caramel nougat and pistachio marzipan.
At checkout, the candy was weighed, the total appeared on the screen...
...and nearly sent us into cardiac arrest.
Ninety dollars. Each.
Apparently, we'd just purchased $180 worth of candy.
Seeing the shock on our faces, the shopkeeper cheerfully reassured us, "It stays fresh for a year."
Well, thank heavens for that.
After recovering from our candy-induced sticker shock, we did what anyone would do on the French Riviera—we found a sunny terrace, ordered Aperol Spritzes, shared a burrata and pancetta salad (plus, naturally, French fries), and laughed about the world's most expensive impulse purchase.
We were fortunate to be in France during Bastille Day.
We watched fireworks in the village, followed by a gelato (Nutella, naturally). Titi Belle's 14-year-old talked us into going to an outdoor dance-a-thon held in the Citadelle Saint-Elma, a 16th-century fortress.
Picture families, ages 4 to 94, dancing to the Spice Girls and forming a quadrille line under the stars.
It was magic.
We spent our final day exploring the postcard-perfect harbor town of Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Fair warning: it's beautiful, but it's hilly.
Our step counters got quite the workout as we wandered the colorful streets before making our way down to the rocky shoreline for a swim in the Mediterranean. Afterward, we rewarded ourselves with a leisurely afternoon by the hotel pool, Aperol Spritzes in hand -ish.
For our last evening together, it was just the three girls. Titi Belle had reserved a table at Lou Bantry Restaurant, right on the waterfront. She and I happily worked our way through generous buckets of mussels with the obligatory side of French fries, while my sister opted for an enormous vegetarian platter that looked just as tempting.
As the sun set over the harbor, we lingered a little longer than usual, soaking in one last Riviera evening together. It was the perfect ending to a trip filled with laughter, incredible food, spectacular scenery, and memories the three of us will always share.
See you somewhere delicious.
Stamped by Tracey
