Traveler: Kat Zdravkov
Destination: South of France

Last March, Kat and her parents set aside their usual visit to Bulgaria for a new destination, traveling to southern France to spend time with her cousin Slavomira and her husband, Bruno. What began as a change in course soon became an introduction to a place that more than lived up to its reputation.

Having never been to France, I was unsure what to expect. I suspected that the famed “south of France” was overhyped. After a few days there, however, I realized that the region deserved every bit of praise for its breathtaking beauty.

My cousin and her husband had recently relocated from Nantes to Contes, just thirty minutes from Nice. Because we visited outside of the tourist season, we were able to take in the sights at our own pace, guided by Slavomira and Bruno. What struck me was how each small village offered overlooks and quaint architecture even more inspiring than the last. There was not a dull moment to be had no matter where we were in the region. The border of Italy was less than an hour from their home in Contes, so we managed to see a bit of France, a bit of Italy, and a bit of Monaco in just a week. When Slavomira and Bruno needed to stay home and work, they left us with a thoughtful itinerary to make the most of our visit.

Our visit to the Parc départemental Grande Corniche was my first opportunity seeing the striking coastline, having arrived only eighteen hours prior. Instantly swept off my feet, I thought, “can it get any more beautiful than this?” Sure enough, it did. And it continued to do so as the days and destinations accumulated.

Our next stop was in Roquebrune. To reach Château Médieval de Roquebrune, we parked in the lower part of the village and strolled up a series of narrow winding streets painted in rich, warm colors. At the apex of the village was the château, and its vantage point somehow outdid the previous. As we wandered back downhill, we passed the famed millennial olive tree of the village (Olivier Millénaire de Roquebrune-Cap-Martin).

The next day was our first day flying solo. We took Slavomira’s itinerary and set off on a short drive to Èze: another small, hill-perched stone village promising even more admirable views of the Côte d’Azur via its exotic botanical garden (Jardin Exotique d’Èze). Short reflective poems posted on placards accompanied interesting statues interspersed throughout the garden. Though there were plenty of tourists around us, the openness of the hilltop and the luscious vegetation felt freeing and added an air of tranquility. As we wandered around Èze, the materiality of the stone adorning most buildings offered a pleasant visual contrast in robustness to a seemingly endless expanse of water down below. To enjoy the seascape longer and reenergize with a cappuccino, we settled at a quiet café perched on the edge of a cliff—Château Eza—before heading back down. A quick stop at a trinket shop near the entrance of the village revealed one of the region’s specialties: olive wood carvings.

We drove back to Nice and embarked on yet another ascent. Next to the beach, there was a long series of steps leading us up to the Parc de la Colline du Château. This beautiful park allowed for vistas towards the city, the beach, and the port.

The day started as a very chilly and windy one, making our view of the grandiose Musée océanographique de Monaco surging out of the coastline rock all the more dramatic. We roamed about Monaco for a bit, pausing for a couple of hours in a tucked-away outdoor restaurant behind the cathedral.

After making our lap around Monaco, we passed through the Jardins Saint-Martin, now approaching the Musée océanographique de Monaco from its other façade, and in a completely different light, literally—the day had transformed from stormy to radiant sunshine washing away stark shadows and illuminating luscious plant life.

On this day, we crossed the border into Italy to visit Sanremo and Dolceacqua. The first is famed for its annual music festival bearing its name. The second is known well for its fifteenth-century castle Castello Doria and for its role in inspiring Claude Monet. He took multiple trips to Dolceacqua in 1884 during his stay in Bordighera (a neighboring town) and memorialized his time there with several impressionist paintings. The Castello Doria had a temporary exhibit highlighting this stage in Monet’s journey. The hike up to the Castello Doria was once again through peaceful, winding streets. I enjoyed these parts of the trip that felt more secluded and offered some respite from more trafficked areas.

On Thursday, we ventured over to Saint-Paul-de-Vence. We spent several hours walking along its medieval walls and through the cobblestone streets, popping in and out of shops. While eating lunch, we gazed out to the countryside, a welcome complement to the previous days fronting the sea.

On our last full day in France, the five of us—along with Slavomira’s dog Occhi—loaded up in the car and took a short drive to Peillon. It was the perfect way to conclude our time in southern France. It felt untouched by tourism and vehicular traffic. Once parked, we walked to find the peak of this hilltop village. The silence and serenity welcomed much-needed reflection on the week’s adventures as we wound down for a peaceful night in Contes before our early morning departure.

Thanks for joining!