January 2016 I left Abu Dhabi and the desert for some French winter weather in Nice and then Monaco to celebrate my birthday and catch up with friends. Both of the ladies I caught up with I had worked with at two different companies. The first friend who I had worked with in Australia took a day off work to show me around Nice and the surrounding area. She planned a wonderful day that included a train trip to the French/Italian border so I could go for a walk around food markets and there was also other outdoor markets that day which was a bonus.
After that we headed back to France and drove around the countryside near Nice, we went to tiny villages and ended up at Galimard which is the first French perfume creator/manufacturer and based in Grasse. Founded in 1747, it is the third-oldest perfume company in the world. It was so unexpected for me and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience to see a little of how things are made and to find the perfect perfume for me. In searching for the name of the perfume manufacturer I have just discovered they have an online shop. I see another bottle of Paradoxe in my future 🙂
I enjoyed walking around Nice and sitting outside eating lunch watching people strolling past on the promenade with the sparkling water behind them. I can imagine how crazy it gets once the weather really warms up, but it was a perfect winters day.
After my adventure in and around Nice I then met up with the other friend for a drive to Monaco and a couple of days there to explore Monte Carlo. I enjoyed my time there and we did a hop on hop off bus tour which was a great way to explore the area. A huge bonus for me was that there was a vintage car rally on. I am a long time motorsport fan and particularly rallies as there is not just “go fast” skill required. So it was fun to see and hear some of the cars.
I did go to the Casino in Monte Carlo and placed a couple of bets…didn’t win anything so went back to exploring, admiring the beautiful cars parked outside.
If you like what you have read, don’t forget to like and follow to find out more about my travels, food, books etc both recent and past. Looking forward to continuing to share.
#travels #birthdays #nice #monaco #exploringtheworld #pasttravels #friends
Fearless over Fifty: Wandering the World with Sandra 
Nice is amazing right? I lived there for a few months and had a great time! all the best Sandra and cheers from Portugal, PedroL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes it was/is PedroL. I have yet to go to Portugal, its on my list for when I can travel again
LikeLike
hope you manage to come, you will love it 🙂 PedroL
LikeLiked by 1 person