One of the big questions for couples, is where to go on the honeymoon?!


For my husband Noah and I, it wasn't much of a question, the South of France was blindingly obvious.


Not only is there the quintessential sublime food and the richest wine, but I had also lived in France for a year and a half and I was eager to show Noah my old stomping grounds.


I first lived in France in 2018 for a study abroad program in Aix-en-Provence, France. I then moved back in August of 2020 to get a Masters degree at a business school in Nice during the middle of Covid (not the best time to move across the world but it worked out!).


(Caveat: not a professional tour guide, but here are our experiences, my photography and the places we love).

Antibes, France

Our honeymoon started off rather comically. It was late June, one of my favorite times to be there weather-wise, except it can be a bit more crowded with tourists.

We landed in Nice and got our manual rental car. (Definitely recommend using Turo for rentals, it can be cheaper!)

We were just a few minutes into driving when we were at a stop light and our car unfortunately stalled.

Just as it stalled, we heard the siren of a police car behind us, trying to get around our car.

We were inconveniently blocking the road and couldn't get the car started as they blared their horn and yelled at us in French.

I'm conversational in French but somehow in my limited vocabulary I couldn't explain to them that our car was stalling and that we were très désolé. After they angrily found a way around us and yelled some things that I'm glad I didn't understand, we finally got the car started and we were on our way. We were pretty embarrassed but now it's a funny anecdote.

Narrow European street with hanging bunting and traditional architecture.South of France, Antibes
Marina filled with sailboats and yachts reflecting in calm harbor waters at sunset.South of France, Antibes

We first stayed in a charming apartment by Antibes. Antibes, in my opinion, is a must-see.


It's a 16th century rampart city on the Mediterranean, and its winding, circuitous streets are also a perfect recipe for wanderlust. (See some photos I took above and below if you don't believe me!)


The harbor holds a plethora of luxurious boats that can be seen bobbing along on the Med and there are a surplus of restaurants tucked away on each street corner. One of my favorite coffee shops is Nomads Coffee if you're like me and love a good latte. One night there was a huge concert right next to the ferris wheel in the city. Seeing as how we didn't have concert tickets, we paid some euros to go on the ferris wheel and watched the concert from above. Merci Pomme, encore!



We stayed in Antibes for about 4 days and each day at happy hour we would go play the card game Monopoly Deal at a little café and drink a 50 cl beer - we became regulars.


Our server became a friend and she asked where she could buy the card game as she had been looking all over to find it. Noah being the kind soul that he is, offered we give ours to her. So we did and she was speechless. The next day we came back and her boss brought out our usual order of beers and said they were a gift from our server. Kindness often begets kindness.

Vintage blue Vespa scooter parked against peach colored wall with small tree.
Close-up of picnic items including jam jar with red checkered lid on white surface.
Historic building entrance with ornate classical columns and carved stone details.
Luxury yacht viewed through stone window frame on calm sea.
Cat lounging on parked scooter seat with potted plants in Mediterranean courtyard.
White ferris wheel against moody sky captured in sepia tones.

Ville-Franche Sur Mer

One of the perks of staying by Antibes is that it's close to SO MANY places. On one day we were feeling rather ambitious and so we ventured to three cities and two other countries in one day. Phew.


Our first stop was Villefranche-sur-Mer. I always say if the word whimsy was a tangible place, it would most certainly be Villefranche-sur-Mer on a summer's day.


It's one of my favorites.

It's charming and characterful and has some lovely, sparkly beaches.

It's also perfect for sitting at a café or laying in the sand and going for a dip. Sailboats scatter the crystal blue waters in the coy harbor and the mountains are dotted with a kaleidoscope of vibrant homes.


If the photos below don't convince you, go watch "To Catch a Thief" with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, which is set around this magical place.

Colorful orange and peach buildings line the Mediterranean waterfront in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France.
Orange and white cat sleeping peacefully on a wooden chair with red flowers in the background.
Scenic view of a coastal Mediterranean town with terracotta roofs and blue water.
Bright red Vespa scooter parked outside a traditional French boulangerie.
Scenic view of the French Riviera coastline with hillside buildings and blue waters.
Two sailboats anchored in a tranquil Mediterranean harbor with hillside buildings in the background.
Peach-colored apartment buildings nestled on a hillside overlooking the Mediterranean coast.
Beautiful street lined with blooming pink bougainvillea flowers in a Mediterranean coastal town.

Italy, Monte Carlo, Menton, Eze

After Villefranche-sur-Mer, we decided to go on a jaunt to Italy!

We got caught in an unforeseen rainstorm and sheltered in a little restaurant, had a glass of red and a small bite. Once the rain cleared, we feasted on 1 euro gelato and espresso and made our way back over the French border.

We drove through Monaco and then stopped in Menton.

Menton is also a crowd favorite. It's a vibrant and wonderful clash of French and Italian architecture. One of my favorite things to do is walk up to the top of the city to the lookout where you can see the city below.



We got back in the car and as we drove, we saw the mountaintop castle village of Èze in the distance. So of course we went for dinner as the sun set over the Med and ate heartily - burgers and fries 😋 .


I don't know if I'd recommend doing all of those things in one day...but we had an amazing time and non je ne regrette rien!

Photos below of Italy, Èze and Menton.

Historic Mediterranean village with church tower and terracotta buildings perched on a hillside.
Charming narrow alleyway in a traditional Mediterranean village with stone walls and potted plants.
Historic Mediterranean town with terracotta roofs and prominent church bell tower against blue sky.
Tall palm tree standing against colorful hillside buildings and church spire in Mediterranean coastal town.
Ornate church tower peeking between pink buildings with decorative balconies in Mediterranean architecture.
Figure in blue dress walking down charming cobblestone alley with flowering plants and old walls.
Narrow alley lined with pastel buildings leading to church facade in distance.
Menton
Panoramic view of Mediterranean village with prominent bell tower and orange tiled roofs.
Rainy cobblestone street with colorful buildings and flowers in charming European village.

Mourgues Du Grès

Beaucaire, France


After our tour around the Côte d'Azur, it was time to stay with some friends at their stunning 16th century winery. If you're ever near Avignon, go visit this gorgeous winery set in Beaucaire. My husband is old friends with the owners and we try to stay with them whenever we're in France.


If you're in the area, they offer wine tastings and you can also buy their wine online and at the vineyard. Click the photo above to learn more. Not an ad, I just believe in what they do! 😊

Photos of the vineyard below.

Sundial painted on white wall with blue shuttered window in Provence style.
Outdoor table setting with wine bottle and chairs in garden setting.
Dog relaxing in dappled sunlight on stone patio.South of France
Mediterranean style house exterior with blue shutters and outdoor patio furniture. South of France
Vineyard rows stretch into distance under bright blue sky.South of France
Wine bottle and glass of rose displayed with colorful appetizer spread on wooden table.
Sundial carved into pale stone wall with blue shuttered windows. South of France
A morning walk with two dogs along a scenic vineyard path at sunset.
Table set for wine tasting with appetizers, colorful dips, and glasses of white wine.
Small decorative window above a stone ledge with arranged avocados.South of France

During our stay in this area, we had quite a few adventures. We went wake boarding on the Med, went to my first Michelin star restaurant, explored Aigues-Mort by boat and took a nap under the Pont du Gard after a refreshing swim in the crisp water.

Photos below.

Historic lighthouse tower and bridge over water in Aigues-Mortes, France.
A romantic scene of a couple on a wooden walkway near ancient fortress walls.
Farm scene with chickens and a pot-bellied pig in a rustic fenced enclosure.
Elegant French chateau with purple flowers and manicured gardens.
Ancient stone aqueduct with arches framing a scenic countryside view.
The historic Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct spanning across a river in southern France.

Gordes, France

Medieval hilltop village with stone buildings cascading down a mountainside.
A vintage statue stands atop a stone pedestal in a Mediterranean town with a delivery truck in the foreground.
A hilltop village perches dramatically on a mountainside under blue skies in Provence.
Someone leans into the entrance of Duree cafe with dappled sunlight casting shadows on the storefront.

On our way to staying in Aix-en-Provence, we stopped in Gordes, which is set in the Luberon Valley.The town itself stands erect on a cliff, surveilling the valleys and many vineyards around. There are restaurants sprinkled throughout the town and markets on certain days. During the later summer months, there are fields of lavender and sunflowers in the surrounding areas. It's one of the most breathtaking villages I've ever been to. The entire Luberon Valley is definitely a sight to see.

Rocky mountain peak rises against clear blue sky with golden brush in foreground.South of France, Aix-en-provence

Aix-en-Provence, France

For our final stop, we stayed in Aix-en-Provence. I could probably write a whole blog post of things to do in Aix, which I might get around to at some point. I lived in Aix during my studies and it's where I first fell in love with the magic of France. Outside the main city there is a little village called Le Tholonet where we hiked, explored the lavender fields and had a quintessential French picnic of bread, fruit and cheese. It's also on the route to the iconic Montagne Sainte Victoire, the motif that impressionist painter Paul Cézzane used in much of his work. The sweeping fields below the mountain are also where I learned how to paint in 2018 and cultivated my love for art and now photography.


We decided to treat ourselves to a lavish meal and went to a very posh restaurant one evening. It's one of those restaurants where there are 4 servers watching your every move, anticipating every possible need.

There were four courses and it all started with an appetizer of a mussel on a bed of rice. I took an unladylike amount of rice in my fork with the mussel in tow and as I closed my mouth, it hit me.

It was not rice.

I kept my cool minus the look of sheer panic on my face and I swallowed painfully. I asked Noah, "What do you think the mussel is sitting on?"

"Rice?" he asked.

"Definitely not rice."

I had eaten a huge forkful of rock salt with a mussel on the side. (It was not the kind of restaurant where you could discreetly dispose of it in your napkin.)

Another embarrassing moment in the books but those tend to compose the best memories.

Photos of our adventures in Aix below.

A cobblestone street lined with pastel buildings and flowering plants in a quaint French village.
A dreamy scene of someone twirling in a purple lavender field on a sunny day.
A casual moment of reading on a stone bench with a backpack and water bottle nearby.
A rustic picnic setup with a straw hat, jam jar, and snacks on a white blanket.
A hiker observes a dramatic mountain landscape from a high vantage point.
A casual outdoor dining scene with striped shirt and sunglasses in black and white.
Rows of blooming purple lavender stretch toward a treeline under a bright blue sky.
A person in a striped shirt relaxes on ornate stone steps in a European city setting.
Historic French building with shuttered windows and a vintage pressing shop storefront.

Aix has lovely restaurants, parks and it's just a 40 minute drive from Cassis, another favorite coastal town of mine.

On Saturdays, there is an elaborate market along Cours Mirabeau with clothes, food, gifts. For artisan coffee, I recommend Café Lumiére or Mana Coffee.

One of my favorite things to do in Aix is take a picnic to Parc de la Torse. It's a park just outside the city center with the river Torse running through its belly. It's a lovely spot to journal, lay in the grass or spend time reading.


Our time in the South of France was as always, way too short. I hope you gleaned some new ideas for your next trip to the Sud de la France and if anything, had a good laugh.

It was such a beautiful adventure and we can't wait to be back in France très à bientôt!