Nothing amazing happened on day 1 of our French Riviera tour. We arrived via train with our many bags and hauled them up and downs many stairs, waited a good while for a taxi and paid him 20 euros to go a couple of blocks (highway robbery!!!) and finally arrived at our apartment that we have rented for the week. We found chicken, green beans and potatoes and Chris couldn’t resist that southern looking dinner. After dinner we walked a block to the beach, it’s covered in pebbles and stones that are as smooth as a babies bottom and the water in the Med is freezing but so clear you can see everything around you.

Day two stated with a BANG! Chris had to go pick up the rental car at the airport and he asks where are the rental car papers that he needs to have to pick it up. This is how the conversation went: Me- What papers? Chris-The voucher and receipt that I have to show in order to get the car? Me- How am I supposed to know? You booked the car and took care of everything… Did you not print out the paperwork you needed? Chris-I guess not. (Now he’s pissed.) I don’t even know which rental company it’s through and I think I was supposed to he there at 8am! All the while Killian is being a classic two year old and is trying to break everything in the apartment. That’s right Killi throw some gasoline on this fire that’s just starting…. I suggest that Chris should get a wiggle on since it is already 830am…

I got out and walk around, stop at the bakery for an eclair and croissant for my main man killi and then a cappuccino because I was desperately searching for wifi and only after I had ordered did they tell me their password doesn’t work… Chris is gone for almost 2 hours… I start to worry and I can’t get in contact with him because the phone he left me with will not let me make an outgoing call! Awesome! He finally calls and is on the way and after a mad dash to get the carseat and all other information and maps that we need we finally get in the car! Ok great! Here is how this conversation went: Me:Now what? Chris: Where are we going? Me: Monaco. Chris: Ok where are the maps? Me: I don’t know you had them last and I didn’t see them on the table. Chris: I don’t have the maps… I don’t think I took them with me. Me: oooo great that was our plan on how to get there! Chris: (fumbling in the book bag) Found them!

And we’re off… Except we have no idea where we are or how to get to where we need to be. The road signs and street lines make no sense! So we decide to just start driving in the hopes we will see a sign. We drive and try and follow the signs but we get turned around a good three times. The stress level is rising even higher. We finally see A8 and I know that is where we need to be so we make our way and eventually we are riding one of the corniches. The views are unreal. The size of the private yachts are almost incomprehensible! The water is so blue you might confuse it with the sky. C’est belle!

Midway to Monaco sits a little town up on the hill called Eze. This city has been around a very very long time with the first recorded civilization around Eze dating back to 2000 BC. Eze is often referred to as the eagles nest because of the views from the top, you can see everything! This old town has not lost any of its charm or appeal because its halls are now full of shops, art galleries, restaurants, a beautiful and super fancy hotel and a garden at the top. If you are ever in Nice take a trip to Eze, it’s well worth the stop for a few hours. We had a lunch of french onion soup (I had to, I am in France you know), seafood risotto and chicken nuggets (Killi is a connoisseur of fine chicken nuggets) in a lovely cafe at the base of Eze.

My son boycotted a nap today and in the hopes he would sleep in the car we didn’t make anymore stops. Our drive lead us to the top of the Grande Corniche and again the views were unreal. We made our way down the countryside into Monaco! We had no idea where we were going so we followed some other cars and that led us into the port with all of the huge yachts. We didn’t see any American flags on any of the yachts but I figured that is probably normal. As we drive along the port we see the stands that were set up for the Grand Prix and then we realize we are driving on the track and see all of the fresh skid marks on the road from the race last week! Awesome!

Killian still has not slept. No stops for us. We start heading back to Nice. What a disaster that turned out to be. A 30 minute drive takes us over an hour because we can not understand the road signs and the arrows are sort of pointing in the direction you want but then the cars won’t let you in so you miss the turn! Good gravy I miss Bangkok and taxis and not having to drive! This was by far the most stressful part of the day. We try and do bedtime but Killian has learned that he can get it of his pack and play pretty easily and now it has become a game. We can’t go out to eat dinner so I bring the dinner to my husband with some antipasti items which included baguette, olives, two types of cheese, Italian meats and wine (and another eclair because it was so delish this morning).

Even though today was stressful with the driving and getting lost I know that any day on the French Riviera is better than being at home.