Cheers to a beautiful weekend getaway to Cannes, France. Famous for the film festival every spring, Cannes felt like a little Hollywood in the middle of Europe. Located on the coast of the French Rivera, palm trees line the beaches where the crystal blue water meets.
My friend Taylor (who is studying abroad in Valencia, Spain) and I arrived early Friday morning and immediately headed to the beach to soak up the sunshine.
We decided to save money on lunch and went to the grocery store for a beach picnic instead. A month or so ago, I would've been terrified to head to the grocery store in another country. Now, it seems like second nature and I didn't think twice. (Note - awesome travel tip - take advantage of the grocery stores! Grabbing snacks or light meals can save lots of money when you're on the road, I've also enjoyed making things like pb&j and bringing it with me from home)
I have to take a second to talk about how thankful I am to have Taylor (a best friend from Raleigh) studying abroad at the same time as me. It's so nice to be able to get away, meet up with her, and feel like I'm back at home in the States. My other best friend, Haley, studied abroad in Florence last semester and although its been so sad not being together for the entire school year (after we were roommates freshman & sophomore year), she has given me the best advice, and knows how it feels to have gone through the same things I have. I have loved meeting so many people while studying abroad, and I've made many friendships that will last after we leave Florence. But studying abroad has also made me realize how truly lucky I am to have the friends that I do back home. We spend our time throughouly enjoying each others company - hence why we love the game, "phones in the middle". We don't waste our time talking about so-and-so's drama or complaining about everything that goes wrong.We have genuine conversations, even if it's silly things like Mackenzie and I planning our future "boat-flipping company", or Louise and I questioning every political event going on. It's conversations that are meaningful and thought provoking. We build each other up. We're honest, even when it's not what the other person wants to hear. We care for each other like our family. We're there for each other in the laughs, tears, and everything in between. And I don't think I thank them enough for being so great... so to those you reading this - thank you. Times a million. I love and miss y'all.
Saturday we "hiked" up to the Cannes Castle. The "Cannes" sign displayed at the top reminded us of Hollywood. Combinations of tan stones, green vines, and burnt orange colors made for great inspiration for a mood board.
One of the biggest struggles this weekend was that we learned we had no idea how to properly pronounce "Cannes"... and definitely said it wrong many times. From "canes" to "cah-neigh" to "Kanye", I think we finally got it right with "kahn".
Overall, we loved the cute town. Lots of shopping, cute restaurants, and some sunshine made it a wonderful weekend. We definitely decided we would come back during the summer season, maybe even for the film festival to see if we run into any celebrities.
Must tries of Cannes:
La Casa di Nonna - brunch, delicious iced coffee
Bagel Cafe - BEST bagels
The funny store behind this trip is that Taylor was suppose to come visit me in Florence this week, but with her already planning on coming during her spring break, we figured we could meet somewhere. Perfectly placed in between the two of us is the French Rivera, we found Cannes. However, with both of us trying to cut back on spending money, we needed to get their cheap. So instead of flying or taking the train, we both decided to bus there. We figured it wouldn't be too bad to bus through the night (around 15 hours or so) and arrive early Friday morning. But what we didn't think about was that we would also both have "layovers" at BUS STATIONS in the middle of the NIGHT. Mind you, bus stations are typically in the middle of no where and all the facilities are closed during the night. (*disclaimer to our parents - so sorry, we realize now this wasn't our best idea*). Thank God, my two hours in Milan ended up being with a sweet little French lady who spoke no English. And Taylor was with two older men who seemed decently kind. Once we arrived safely in Cannes, we were so thankful to know both our trips home on Sunday would be during the day. Ya live and ya learn, right Tay?
And I got to see this lovely sunrise over the Mediterranean sea to remind me that God is always in control.
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