European Outtakes:

When one is snapping photos at seemingly every moment, it is inevitable that there will be some photographic duds. It is also inevitable that you capture some real candid gems...

Rather than have these moments collect dust within my iPhoto library, I have decided to let them see the light of day. I may regret this later. 

[Just doing some parkcore while hiking up the mountain over Nice. When the beau caught this moment so perfectly it sent us into giggle fits. I still laugh at this shot!]

[Keeping ones eyes open in direct sunlight for multiple photos can be taxing. Seriously.]

[Remember when we rode that ferris wheel in Nice? I neglected to reveal that I am terrified of heights and the moment we started to gain some real altitude I got the nervous giggles, big time. This was a child's ride, right? It hadn't crossed my mind that it would be terrifying!]

[Okay, this was the part where the nervous giggles turned into shrieking. Check out the death grip I have on that pole as well! I couldn't bring myself to let go for over half of the ride.]

[While in Monte Carlo the wind was out of control near the water. Here I am trying to get a handle on my hair for a photo op for a solid five minutes before my boyfriend was finally able to get a decent shot.]

[Still attempting to wrangle in my tresses...] 

[Oh look, I still can't get it under control.]

[JR would always have to wait for my to do a little self-styling for a picture... He got tired of this and opted to start snapping photos during this process on our way to Cannes. Here I am making my scarf just right...]

["Babe! I gotta put my sunglasses in my bag first!"]

[Lost in Parc Güell.]

[Candid frustration.]

[The wind strikes again!]

[Full disclosure, our last meal (at the airport, mind you) was none other than McDonalds. This honestly embarrasses me more than any of the former pictures! We just had to fill our bellies quickly and the smell of the french fries proved far too comforting to resist.]

Tomorrow, I share some of the highs and lows of our trip!

The Mediterranean:

One of my few goals for our trip was simple: I just had to put my feet in the Mediterranean! It was right there in every city we went to... Taunting me by being so close, but the chilly weather, my attire, and/or the scenario (nobody wants to walk around for the rest of the day plus a train ride with wet/sandy feet) prohibited me from completing the task at hand. 

Our last morning in Nice was when the stars finally aligned... It was such a warm day, I was sure to wear shorts with no tights, and our hotel was only a few blocks away to clean up afterwards. It was now or never! 

The pebbled beach wasn't great to walk on, but we were enamored by the sound of the water crashing those little rocks into one another when each wave broke. It was so relaxing and special.

That first wave was a shocker; it was so dang cold! Even when you anticipate it mentally, your body somehow seems to temporarily paralyze itself anyways at that initial frigid encounter with the water.

Those walking on the beach began staring at me the moment I began taking off my shoes, but by this time they were shaking their heads and muttering under their breath. I imagine it would translate to something along the lines of "Stupid tourist.". Although normally I am very easily embarrassed, I couldn't have cared any less in that moment. My heart swelled with each wave that I was actually even there; it was so surreal.

I think that this last photo is my favorite from the entire trip. It reminds me of how happy I felt just to be were I was. That is a look of pure appreciation for life, people.

The beau and I sat on a boulder for quite some time afterwards just listening to the unique sound of those waves and absorbing our final moments in France. On our second date I had asked him: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? I almost couldn't breath when the word "Nice" spilled from his mouth. That was my answer, too. I tell him all of the time that that was the moment in which my heart melted for him.

That city is special to us; we spent a lot of time while we walked around or sat at cafés discussing what our lives would actually be like if we were to move there as well as how we could make it a reality...

Tomorrow, we head back to Barcelona!

Cannes:

Sporting some of my Zara finds from Monte Carlo the day before, we again walked to the Nice Ville train station and bought our tickets to Cannes...

I am here to admit that we jumped towards the first outdoor café that listed "hamburger" on its chalkboard after getting off the train. Although we felt like complete Americans in doing so, we were over-the-moon excited for some comfort food... And then this came out. I am telling you right now that this was hands-down the most delicious burger I have ever had. Ever. The potatoes and greens were perfection as well. We left our table infinitely satisfied and ready to take on the city!

Then we went to a museum that included an old watchtower and about one million stairs... At the top we found stunning panoramic views of Cannes in all of its glory.

Viva la France!

We walked around the pier some more, perused an outdoor antique market for goodies, watched sweet old French men play bocce ball in the park, and returned to Nice in time for dinner & gelato. We went most of our trip with barely an agenda, but by this time we were finally starting to slow down and enjoy ourselves... We had already seen so much that anything else just felt like a bonus! Knowing the lay of the land, so to speak, also helped immensely with our ability to feel at ease. I just loved our relaxing day in Cannes...

On Monday, I get my feet wet! (Literally.)

Nice (Part Two):

Once we came down from the mountain over Nice (we actually found a hidden little elevator that took us straight back into the old district of the city!) we immediately stumbled upon the most adorable French street market; The kind that everyone always talks about, but you assume only happen once a month or so and that they were simply extremely lucky to have chanced upon it. They are very real and they happen every. dang. day!

I purchased some lovely smelling soaps to bring back home as gifts, and then I saw the flowers. So many stunningly beautiful flowers of every vibrant color imaginable!

I just couldn't resist this bouquet at 3€... I thought they'd be lovely to come back to in our hotel room, since we were there for four nights. I was right...

A ferris wheel was left over from Carnaval celebrations the weekend before our visit, so we knew that we wanted to take advantage of its presence. More fantastic views of the city were had from its peak...

Afterwards we went straight to Lac Chocolatier, which I had read from multiple sources to be the best place for macaroons in all of Nice. Y'all, I had never had a macaroon. I have been saving my first taste of these delicious treats for all these years until I could do it in France. Seriously. That is how fanatical I have been about going to France and also how sure I was that I would make it there eventually. Needless to say, this was a big moment for me.

I picked out four delicious sounding flavors and the beau chose a lemon and framboise mousse. We then sat in the lobby of our hotel enjoying our sweets. Just as the reviews had said, the caramel macaroon was my absolutely favorite! They were all rather divine though. I had wanted to bring some home but was unsure of their longevity... Stale macaroons would be ever so disappointing, so I left the experience there in France, where it belongs.

Really though, even after that first day, I felt completely validated in all of my irrationally romanticization and consuming infatuation with everything French. It truly lived up to be everything that I hoped it could be and then some. There is just something so special about that place, Nice in particular...

A certain "Je ne sais pas.", if you will.